San Marino Music Center — Local services in San Marino

I went to SMMC a few times for the purposes of getting my viola fixed, since the Johnny Thompson in Arcadia had closed down I was looking for a new place, having not played in some time. The initial interaction over the phone with one of the staff was positive, and he was genuinely trying to help. However, when I went in to the store, the attitudes shifted.

They offer poor customer service and did not understand how to tell the quality of two different violas I brought in, to see which would be more worthwhile to repair. When I asked questions, they simply said they had to ask the technician. I understand not everyone is an expert on instruments, so from the get go I knew that was the level of expertise to expect. The owner recommended I purchase a new bow, since the hairs on my old one were starting to loosen.

I went ahead with the purchase per his recommendation, despite not initially planning to buy a new bow, and when I used the bow for the first time upon tightening the bow in a normal fashion, it snapped right away. I've attached a side by side comparison with my old bow (purchased elsewhere), which has stood the test of time after 10+ years of usage. Even from a first glance, you can tell the bow quality significantly differs. The wood of the bow feels incredible hollow.

When I called to let them know about the bow, they asked me to come in person to assess the bow. When I did, they then proceeded to give me reasons why they were not responsible for the breakage, because of where it broke in the bow, they claimed it had nothing to do with tightening. They kept questioning why I hadn't used the bow until recently (purchased August 30th, 2024, used it for the first time early March) and exaggerated to say it had been a year since I bought it. I understand there's a certain time frame a business is liable however 1) The terms and policy on breakage were not clearly written out anywhere 2) Many music centers do offer a warranty on their products (typical one year) and 3) The point is - the bow snapped on first usage

My viola case had just been tucked under a bed along with my old bow. My old bow is still completely fine and usable. Same exact conditions. Didn't touch it at all. Didn't bump it against anything. Regardless, even if it's 6 months post-purchase, why would a wooden string bow snap like it's a plastic toothpick upon first usage?

They continued to provide a bunch of excuses to not take any ownership for the quality and breakage of the bow. At the very least, a good business practice is to provide a discount to purchase another bow if you believe that you're unable to determine enough details to assess if it is user error or not. Simply put, they do not care.

The owner then continued to say how they've had years of experience, yet he was unable to provide other postulate reasons for the breakage. Years of experience, I could also tout if I want having played for 20 years. I also know so many conductors and musicians (my own cousin is a professional violinist) and I asked for an assessment on the bow as well, which they agreed snapping like that shouldn't have happened. Honestly, I just felt like it was such a horrible experience, when music is meant to be so much more than just a sale, and the owner hung up on me at the end of the call.

I can't speak to their other services, but for the purposes of what I went for, I had such a terrible experience after giving it a chance and going in three times. It feels like this isn't the place if you care about customer service, quality of craftsmanship, and an experience where the passion of music and instruments are truly understood. I'd rather pay double the price for better quality that will last me longer, and for an experience with an expert that understands the craft and artistry of music.

The feedback is - set clearer terms and expectations upfront if you do not want to take responsibility past 2 weeks for what you sell, rather than pinning everything on the customer. The attitude of dgaf and that's your problem feels incredibly...

About 10 years ago, my son began taking piano lessons at San Marino Music Center. Although he eventually stopped due to his swim commitments, I started taking guitar lessons with Jason Golday at SMMC around 7 years ago. Since then, I’ve progressed from simply noodling on the guitar to learning solid fundamentals, music theory, performance techniques, and even songwriting.

For the past three years, I’ve been part of one of the two Rock Bands led by Tom Fong. He’s taught me valuable lessons about performing and collaborating within a band. Thanks to this experience, I’ve had the opportunity to perform both as a solo artist and as a Rock Band member at Blossom Market.

For the past two and a half years, I’ve been taking voice lessons. All of my voice teachers have been incredibly supportive in helping me reach my goals as a singer—especially Matthew Aldrich, who has truly taught me what it means to be a singer.

John and Sisilia have consistently been encouraging and supportive throughout my time at SMMC.They’ve given me numerous opportunities to perform live at Blossom Market Hall in San Gabriel. Performing live has been a dream of mine for the past 30 years. Thank you for helping me turn that dream into a reality.

With my busy work and family schedule, it’s been easy to cancel and reschedule lessons when needed. SMMC has also been flexible in accommodating extra lessons beyond my regular guitar and voice subscriptions. The lesson prices are more than fair.

Overall, my experience over the past ten years—both as a parent of a student and as a student myself—has been nothing but positive. SMMC deserves praise and appreciation for transforming someone who simply plays the guitar into a true musician, and someone who merely sings into a...

A Horrible Experience at Your Center

My experience at your Center was shockingly negative. Not only does the owner have serious anger management issues, but the teacher was also cold and arrogant. After successfully completing a student-adult band performance, I received no warm acknowledgment—instead, I was excluded from future performances in the very class I enrolled in. And the only reason? Some baseless, overly critical feedback.

I am completely open to constructive criticism, but being excluded as a response was both shocking and unfair. The whole purpose of this adult performance program was to help students gain experience and improve by performing. That was a student showcase, meant to prepare us, not to judge us as professionals.

This was my eighth time performing with a rock band, and I am proud of my progress. I know I’m not perfect yet—that’s exactly why I enrolled in this class: to keep learning, practicing, and performing. Instead of offering support and empathy for students’ hard work, your Center has shown nothing but cold arrogance, prioritizing its public image over real education.

It’s clear that all you care about is using students to boost your reputation rather than genuinely helping them grow. What a...