Student Testimonials

Lizzie gave me the technical coaching, and the emotional coaching that I needed to get my confidence back. These days I find joy in singing again. I sometimes sing in front of friends, and always look forward to casual music nights at McAllister where students and teachers get together to play for each other. There is always a great mix of new students and advanced ones. I always have fun.

Sara T.

All in all, I couldn't ask for more from a teacher, a school, or a musical community. And the music nights (casual open mics) are my favorite! Highly recommend!

Kristie D.

I can't say enough nice things about McAllister Music Studio. The studio is well equipped for teaching music during lessons as well as building community during music nights and recitals. The business itself is super organized. Most importantly, though, the teachers do an amazing job of building a curriculum around core pedagogy, your goals as a musician, and the music you want to play.

Elizabeth D.

You'll have the opportunities to perform in public for people in music night events, charity performance, and of course the Recital. You won't know your limit until you play in front of a crowd, and by doing so, you push your limit. Such opportunities are very valuable for the students.

D.T.

MMS is the center of my musical universe. The place simply teems with knowledge. The instructors on staff here are nothing less than the best and brightest in San Francisco. The community I've found here during my two years studying piano with Ciara has made an immeasurable impact on my skills as a musician and composer, and continues to connect me to the great musical minds of San Francisco.

Nowell V.

Five stars aren't enough to represent the extent that this school lights up Lower Haight.

Danielle S.

This is a gem in the city. Reliable, consistent and dedicated group who are professional and care about your progress.

Stephanie H.

Yelp only allows five stars, but if I could I'd give McAllister Music Studio 30 stars! 5 for each of the wonderful teachers that are the core of the school, and 10 more for Ciara whose passion for music and music teaching inspires everyone at MMS.

Phil B.

She has encouraged my son to find the music that speaks to him and now he improvises songs on the piano. My daughter has been taking piano and voice lessons with Lizzie for several years now,  and it's been so rewarding for her to stretch and grow her range and control; she's now very successful in her school's musical theater program. McAllister Music Studio is very much an artists' community, where teachers and students of all ages can learn from each other. My kids have even had the opportunity to share music with people in the surrounding community, as MMS organizes volunteer concerts for senior centers in the area. It's been such a special experience for our whole family and I couldn't recommend it more highly.

Marcella C.

I have to start with I LOVE the McAllister Music Studio family. I cannot express in words how much this school has helped me develop my musicianship. I have been working with the owner Ciara and her incredible staff at MMS Mission for the past year now. As a professional working singer, songwriter, and musician in San Francisco, I am constantly in admiration of the knowledge, skill, passion, and professionalism each and every teacher possesses at this school. It's truly a haven for music in San Francisco.

Andrew Michael B.

I can't imagine my life without MMS. It's more than a music school, it's a community and in the midst of a global pandemic, music and community are more important than ever. 

The caliber of the teachers at MMS is extremely high…The lessons are made more engaging because part of the ethos at MMS is focusing on the music that makes you happy, that you actually like […]

I had been attending lessons in-person, first at the cozy MMS location in the Haight and then at their lovely studio in the Mission, until the pandemic. Both spots are well-equipped and easy to get to via bike and public transportation. Since Shelter-In-Place (SIP), all lessons are held virtually… and the transition to virtual lessons has been seamless. […]

The routine of weekly lessons and practicing when life feels so uncertain is grounding and the sense of community built by MMS when people are feeling more isolated than ever is healing. I'm so darn thankful for the joy and learning and community that MMS has brought to my life. If you didn't think now was the time to start playing the piano or singing or becoming a singer/songwriter, with MMS it is!

Nicole F.

I started not knowing much about jazz piano and Andrew has been teaching me to read lead sheets, play jazz standards, jazz theory, how to voice chords, how to improvise, play with backing tracks, among many many other skills. We've also done ear training and worked on some classical pieces as an exercise to improve my overall playing, which have been super helpful… If you want to play jazz, Andrew is your guy (though he teaches other styles as well). He's also an incredibly supportive and kind person who is super down-to-earth. I highly, highly recommend him as a teacher.

Taking lessons here has kept me motivated to practice almost every day since I started a year and a half ago! Every time I leave my lesson I am filled with excitement and enthusiasm to practice what I learned that week. Before joining MMS I had tried similarly priced lessons elsewhere in SF and there was no comparison at all. I cannot recommend MMS enough.

Brady S.

MMS is amazing! We adore the teachers, staff, the program, studio environment, and the special events that they host, to build community with their students.
My husband is a professional musician so we were very thorough when selecting a music school for our daughter. We feel so lucky to have found MMS!

Our 10 year old daughter has been taking lessons with the magical Lizzie for 5 years. Lizzie has been an incredible and inspirational guide! Our daughter is thrilled with every lesson, always wants it to last longer, and loves the musical selections she is assigned.

It is a joy to see how our daughter has grown musically and truly loves playing piano.

Jenna L.

We've been sending our boys here to work with Lizzie for around 9 years, and MMS has been nothing but warm, talented, flexible, and inspiring.  We've witnessed over time our boys' authentic appreciation and passion for music deepen, and for this we're so grateful.  They seem engaged with the online classes as well and with practicing throughout the week.  We highly recommend enrolling in this course, as they also do a fantastic job linking the kids' musical interests with their learning. Well worth the investment.

Neil H.

Covid Update: I wanted to drop in to give a updated review of life at MMS during Covid.  My daughter has been taking piano lessons at MMS for 4 years, and continues to relish her weekly lessons. MMS didn't miss a beat in pivoting to online lessons when shelter-in-place began - this has been a much appreciated normalcy for my daughter in an otherwise chaotic time, and I also appreciate that we can continue to support the working artists/MMS faculty in this time.  We do lessons via Zoom, set up the phone with a view of the piano, and my daughter continues to deepen her love and understanding of piano.

The teachers strike a perfect balance of patience and challenge, and present music theory in a systematic way while also inviting students to play songs of interest; my daughter has requested songs from John Denver to Queen to Sinead 0'Connor to Les Mis, all arranged by Lizzie to be at her level.  MMS combines talented musicians who are patient and kind teachers with adaptability and professionalism across the board. Highly recommend!

Joy H.