The teVelde School of Music

I had the great fortune of meeting Bonnie teVelde of The teVelde Conservatory of Music (After a miserable experience with another teacher). From my very first phone call I knew that I would be VERY lucky if Bonnie had time in her schedule work teach Ukulele to myself and a group of women friend. In every way imaginable Bonnie has exceeded my expectations.

She is an extremely talented musician, has an ear for music like no one I've ever met and she's very down to earth and easy to love. In fact EVERY woman in my group loved her and would recommend her. No matter what instrument you or your kids want to explore taking lessons with your first call should be to Bonnie and her amazing team. I can't imagine anyone better.

Update: Due to COVID-19 the physical location had to close. However, the lessons live on! I've been doing live lessons via FaceTime and it's going so well! I wanted to express my tremendous debt of gratitude to Bonnie and The teVelde Conservatory of Music. It has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl to play piano. I mentioned this passion in passing to my good friend who happened to have an "extra" piano that she offered to give me for free.

I started lessons with Bonnie on October 1, 2019. I was nervous at first that it would be too hard for me to learn since I was starting so late in life (I'm almost 50) with no piano experience. My fears quickly subsided after a couple lessons. I was so excited and charged that I knew learning to play was no longer a dream, but going to become a reality.

By Christmas I was over half way through the level 1 Accelerated Piano Adventures Series for older beginners with no signs of slowing down! I love to practice and just hear myself play. Sometimes it feels like I'm listening to someone else, but it's me! I finished the entire series of Level 1 books by the end of Feb. 2020. I've already received my Level 2 books, but put them aside for a few lessons because I am currently working on (and memorizing) 2 amazing songs for ICME at the end of March: Dance of the Irish and Treasure Island.

I am still amazed that I am playing a song like Treasure Island after five months. It has 3 pages of music which covers 5 octaves on the piano along with several hand position changes for both the left and right hand. I can't express enough how rewarding it is to progress so quickly through the lessons and how far I've come in such a short amount of time. My advice to anyone contemplating taking lessons is to reach for your dreams and hold on tight because you never know how fast and high you are going to fly!

I can't say enough about how wonderful this school is and the people there are just such blessings (Bonnie, Paul, Lori to name a few). Bonnie.the owner.is just amazing and was so kind to us. She REALLY took time to get to know us and to find which instructor was right for our daughter. We felt so peaceful and cared for and it is so wonderful to see how much they LOVE and encourage kids! One of the best experiences I have ever had.

I highly recommended this place. It has been nothing but a top notch and positive experience for my son Jonathan. If you want the best for your kid and want to see them go to the next level as a person and as musician this is your place. My kid has been going here for a year and it's been absolutely amazing. Can't thank them enough.

The teachers at this music school really care about the students. They are patient and understanding with each student. They teach perfect pitch, theory and other important skills that lay out the foundation of learning with each lesson. Bonnie is very professional and will work hard with each student. Our son's grades in school improved so much that he made honor roll, his self confidence grew and now he loves playing music in front of family members.

Our son literally runs to the doors of the music school on his lesson days. He wouldn't do that if he didn't enjoy it. The teachers make it fun for the students and my kid is proof of that. We would highly recommend Telvelde.

Tevalede is amazing school and I am 9 years old I passed level 2 l love Bonnie she is my teacher

This Conservatory is run with care and craftsmanship by Bonnie teVelde. If your child wishes to study here, the first step is an interview with Bonnie. She talks with you and your child about your goals. She gets a feel for what instructor might be suitable for your child and sets up an initial lesson. My daughter Phoebe has been studying singing and Piano.

Her instructors are engaging and skilled. Some reviewers critiqued teVelde on the price they charge. I contend that the price is commensurate with the service they provide. Music instruction is difficult. It is an inherently expensive endeavor considering the training the instructors had to pay for themselves, the instruments, and the physical location.

My daughter is receiving excellent instruction at a nice facility run by a competent leader. This does not mean that teVelde is a fit for all students, but if you are looking for music instruction for your child I recommend you give them a try.

Our family has been going to teVelde for over four years, with our now eight and nine year old children. Their instruction, personal attention and relationship with children is unmatched. My children look forward to their lessons, as they love their instructors Sierra and Emily. They cater each lesson, not only to the individual child, but where that child's energy and interest is on that day.

They always make it educational, interesting and fun for my kids. As a result, I never get any complaints about piano lessons and my kids are progressing very nicely. In my opinion, students looking forward to their lessons is the biggest compliment a music school or instructor can get!

I have been taking my two girls to teVelde for almost a year. They love their teachers Shea and Emily. They never complain about practicing and are excited to go to their lessons.

Our two children, 4 and 6 year old, have been taking piano lessons at the TeVelde School of Music for almost a year. And they love their teacher Sierra who is absolutely amazing! She is always positive, friendly and encouraging. She is enthusiastic about music in general but also about every little improvements the kids make. The perfect pitch is taught in a wonderful way! The kids distinguish notes in imagining colors! And it works! The TeVelde School is a great place to experience music. We are so glad to have found it!

My daughter has been singing since she could talk. So, my wife and I wanted to see how we could channel this energy in a positive way. TeVelde School of Music had this very question as part of their sales pitch. We went through the interview process to match our daughters learning style with an instructor. That in itself is amazing, especially since when I was young, the insrtuctor just taught music to you regardless of learning style.

We also learned about perfect pitch and how it could be taught. There again amazing to me, since I was led to believe you had to be born with it. So as a result of these things, our daughter is taking lessons from an astounding instructor who has motivated her to play piano and learn about rythms and yes, train her for perfect pitch. I am amazed how this technique has changed and improved my daughters understanding and appreciation for music. I feel no mater what my daughter wants to do with music in the future, she has been given a wonderful start and basis to do anything her talent can achieve.

Bonnie is an excellent musician, and is committed to sharing her knowledge with her teachers. She trains them to meet their potential so that they can give their best to their students. She is also willing to listen to the parents of her schools' clients so that she can better her school. I believe her schools will only improve with time! Hats off to her, and all the best to her schools!

Every child is different and we love the fact that Sierra listens, watches and learns about her students--and then applies the information to tailor her lesson style. The proof is in the enthusiasm and "getting ready time" ahead of each lesson...when my six year old runs to gather his music books and cares about whether or not he's on time to the lesson, I know that he enjoys his time at teVelde!

My son has been taking music lessons from teVelde Music School for over 6 years. Beginning with what I thought would be just a few voice lessons with Bonnie, he moved to piano and then added drums with Dean. Sensing that he was loosing interest in piano, Bonnie suggested that he change to keyboard lessons. He is currently taking piano/keyboard and drum lessons and is looking forward to beginning Jam Night on Sundays.

For a 13 year old boy the "cool factor" is definitely a major component to keeping them interested in music. I appreciate Bonnie's awareness of this, and her flexibility in doing whatever it takes to keep them coming back!

We LOVE teVelde Music. We love how Bonnie cares about matching the student with the teacher they can work best with, and how she gets involved with helping individuals, whether or not they are directly working with her. My daughter loves her teacher, Sierra, and talks about her regularly. Sierra has made sure to recognize my daughter's strengths and weaknesses and works with them accordingly.

My daughter loves it, and the confidence and knowledge she has gained in just a few months amazes me. She starts counting the hours to lesson day, days in advance. We look forward to sending our other two daughters to TeVelde soon, and would definitely recommend this school of music to others!

I highly recommend teVelde Music. My daughter is a student at the San Luis Obispo location. My daughter loves to perform. She has loved performing since the day she was born. I enrolled her in ballet when she was two years old and it took me about a year and a half to realize that it wasn't dance that was driving her, it was the music. I never imagined enrolling her in music lessons at the age of three.

I thought that was something for older children. Then a friend recommended Bonnie teVelde. When I spoke to Bonnie I was blown away by her program. I couldn't wait to get my daughter enrolled at her school. My daughter began taking lessons with Lara just before her fourth birthday and is flourishing. It is incredible to see what she is learning playing the piano, understanding how to read music, and learning pitch and rhythm.

My four year old daughter now talks about one day learning the violin and flute. Lara is an amazing instructor and brings a knowledge of both music and child development to her teaching approach. I feel that she understands my daughter and tailors each lesson to my daughter's needs. The classes are very positive and fun. My daughter leaves music school excited about what she has learned.

As someone who can't forget my rigid piano teacher, her metronome, and hating lessons; it is great for me to see that my daughter's experiences are the complete opposite. I am thankful for teVelde Music and the way they are nurturing and developing my daughter's love for music. I wish I had known about Bonnie and her program for toddlers and preschoolers earlier. Two year olds CAN take music lessons if I had only known.

We are very excited to havefound Bonnie and teVelde ....we have only been enrolled for a couple months but we are so happy with the quality of instruction. Our daughter continues to love singing and music and cant wait to get to her lessons every week.
Looking forward to many fun years to come!
Laurie C

Great music teachers! Love Joe and Sierra.
Bonnie is a caring teacher commited to really teach kids.

My son Luca (age 11) has studied with Bonnie TeVelde at this music school, then located in Arroyo Grande, for 6 years. With as much as I love burning fossil fuels and car time in general, I have thought of finding something more local for my children's music education many times. However, Bonnie and the teachers that she hires are simply the best. Luca learns piano, drums, sight reading and voice in the same class.

He learns that music is fun, interesting and within his capabilities -- one of those "secrets of the universe." He truly grows in self esteem with every lesson. And now, an additional TeVelde School of Music has opened in SLO!

My children are 3 and 5 and have been taking lessons for 18 months. My oldest had lessons in our prior state on the east coast and after moving here, it took me months to find a teacher who would be a great fit for the ages of my children. teVelde has been more than a blessing to my family. I am amazed by the director and teachers who have a heart for young people as well as the skill set of both music and early childhood education to work with such young children.

I have learned valuable lessons through watching the teachers with my children the different ways they learn and receive information, their talents and interests being brought out and developed and the increase of their love for the art of music. Thank you Bonnie and Sierra for being part of my village in developing a great learning environment for my children.

My eight year old son has been taking piano and drum lessons at teVelde Music for 10 months. Bonnie runs a wonderful school and instructors like Sierra, JJ and Dean make it special. I am astonished at the music my son is able to make after such a short period of time. Bonnie is an expert at finding the right instructor for each student. The School of Rock summer camp was the highlight of our summer. Our son is turning into a musician before our very eyes!

This school has the most thought-out curriculum to teach children music. They take the time to find out how the child learns and they create a course specifically for that child. The knowledge of the teachers is through the roof. It is tempered with the patience and politeness needed to pass on that knowledge to someone else. I am constantly recommending this school to all my friends and colleagues who are interested in music lessons for either themselves, their children or both.