Petaluma School of Music

Love this place! All the instructors are expert and very nice, it’s kid-​friendly and very affordable. Win-​win-​win!

My son started piano lessons with Melody at 4 years old. After 2 years he’s still loving it and she is SO great with him. She has incredible patience and a wonderful talent with the kids. My son also enjoys her singing talent so we may be signing up for voice lessons before you know it. Good job Melody!!!
If you or your child has any interest at all in the musical arts, please check out the Petaluma School of Music. Since Melody has taken over it has already started to expand and take off in a great new direction!

Since Unilocal would not let me into my own site to respond to Danny D. Here goes…
Wish that he had actually gotten the conversation correct… we did have an error printed for a class. He was offered a discounted rate if he would have signed up a second time. He declined… the rest of the story is not correct. We have never refused to let a child come join the «band»!

Our daughter has recently decided to take electric guitar lessons again and we are so pleased with what she has learned in only 4 lessons. Holly is an excellent teacher with so much positive energy. She comes with an impressive background and really loves what she does.

Let me please reassure all readers of the most wonderful quality of teachers and dynamics of the Petaluma School of Music.
It seems that Mr. Maestro D had an interesting experience and decided to write a bash to a place that inspires young children on their musical paths–
Might I ask MR. MAESTRO D himself how he could possibly assume that the correct fee for the a class taught by a MASTER in music would be simply $ 20. If he indeed possesses such brilliant musical knowledge, would it not be a gut instinct that perhaps this was a simple mistake of some sort-​?
To leave out a zero on anyone’s part is such an easy overlook (by either the Park and Rec. Department or the Music School), of which we will never really know where the error lied. But quite frankly «GIVE ME A BREAK??»
To degrade the school somehow because of such a minor trivial event, shows such a lack of respect to all musicians who work hard in CA, a state that is cutting art programs at every turn.
It is people like MAESTRO D, who clearly contribute to the musical crisis that we have in this state, by trashing small business that are trying to thrive in the arts.
As both a mother and a Master in Music, I can speak highly of all teachers and directors at this school. I am proud that it continues to offer such excellent musical education in a state that is so incredibly lacking in music education.
Thank you Petaluma School of Music and all other private musical school that are getting music to our children! Don’t let the pettiness of people like MAESTRO D get you down-​!
–Mary

Let me be the first to welcome Petaluma School of Music to Unilocal.
And that being said, let me be the first to put my proverbial foot up their A**.
So, we get the petaluma park and rec paper and it advertises music classes at the school and it offers something a bit different. A «band» if you will, that younger kids can join and learn and jam with other kids. This band will meet on Friday afternoons and be available (both in the catalog and online for only $ 20!!) A bargain for us struggling parents.
We signed our 2 toddlers up right away and a week before the «band» was supposed to start we got a call from a seriously deranged director or something from the school who informed us that due to a printing error, the «band» actually costs $ 120 and that demanded that we pay them the additional $ 200 before the end of the week or we would not be able to be in the «band»
My wife, forced the issue with them and the lady got even more surly, even replying with a «WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT???» and refused to budge. We informed our «band leader» that we simply could not afford a 600% increase per child in our «band» expenses and informed her that we would be leaving «the band»
Ok, so now we have to head on over to the city of petaluma rec center to get our refund and give them an earful about how badly we had been treated they informed us of the following.
1. They had been flooded with calls regarding the same scenario and other angry parents in the last week. They advised the school that THEY THEMSELVES had approved the $ 20 rate both online and in print and what they thought they should do about it and the School declined to follow their advice and set forth with the dragon lady to try and collect the remaining money.
2. Several angry parents were planning on boycotting the school and letting the town, other parents and even the better business bureau regarding their shabby treatment, their illegal bait and switch tactics and just generally not letting them get away with anything.
In the end, we got our refund and will never ever ever give our business to this horrible school. The sad thing about it all is that our kids do not get to be in the «band» and that I hear the teacher was really good. Guess we will never know.
If anyone from the school reads this, I would strongly suggest that you publically flog and fire whomever you had handling damage control for this debacle.
A little good will goes a long way. A little bad will. goes much further.
I will personally see to that.
Update. The owner of the school called and explained her position. I give them one star for reaching out to the community and trying to stem the tide of bad feelings but i dont think ill be joining the band just yet. I think i’ll give the solo career a try.