Hammer & Strings Music Conservatory 610 North Gilbert Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234

"My 14 year old son has been taking violin classes with Ms. Meggie Evans for about 8 months and has improved so much in that period of time! he made first chair at his high school orchestra and made Regional Orchestra as a freshmen thanks to Ms. Meggie's great feedback, patience and expertise. They also have recitals for the students which are great so the kids can get more practice performing for an audience as well. We've had a great overall experience at Hammer & Strings!"

"We truly feel blessed to have found Hammer and Strings! Our son’s violin teacher Ms. Hannah is absolutely outstanding, we just adore her! Ms. Hannah is an incredibly accomplished violinist and her ability to teach at a level my son can understand, combined with her sweet personality, and sense of humor has made learning the violin such a joy for our 8 year old. I am amazed at how much our son has learned from Ms. Hannah in less than 2 months. The opportunities provided by Hammer and Strings and Ms. Hannah have been more than I could have hoped for."

"I cannot say enough good about Dr. Karali Hunter and Hammer and Strings Conservatory. The level of professionalism in this school is outstanding. Dr. Hunter is an amazing teacher. Her passion for beautiful music and exceptional teaching is crystal clear. I am an adult student and have taken piano lessons from her for about 4 years. I feel like my piano skills have skyrocketed in that time. The lessons are always jam packed with so much useful information to help improve my playing. I’ve learned so much in music theory, technique, performance, and so much more. Everything Dr. Hunter teaches is detailed, clearly explained, and tailored to my level of experience. There are plenty of opportunities to preform within the school as well as outside recital opportunities which is really helpful in obtaining performing experience. The curriculum at Hammers and Strings is not just learning how to play the notes on an instrument...it’s a much deeper and expansive education. It’s learning how to connect to the music you are playing as well as connecting to the audience when you perform. The school’s motto “Intentional Excellence” is definitely the best way to describe the type of music taught at Hammer and Strings. It’s very apparent that Dr. Hunter takes great pride in the education of all of her students and she holds them to a high standard of accountability and commitment to ensure their progression in their musical development regardless of age or level/skill. This has been the case in my lessons as well as the lessons of my 6 year old son who recently started piano lessons with Dr. Hunter. She has an amazing talent to adapt to the needs of the individual student. I’ve had the pleasure to witness her expertise on both ends of the spectrum...as I am currently her oldest student and my son is one of her youngest...and both experiences are perfectly fit for each individual student and their specific needs while still maintaining and expecting the high standards needed to succeed in instrument progression. I am just so grateful for Dr. Hunter’s teachings and example to me, my son, and all of the students at Hammer and Strings. It truly has been an incredible experience. I can’t recommend this music school enough."

"Our experience with Hammer and Strings Conservatory has been phenomenal! One of our oldest sons took piano lessons for about 4 years from other good teachers in the area. Then in January of 2015, he began taking lessons with Dr. Hunter. During the next 4 1/2 years, he went from playing at an early-intermediate level to playing advanced pieces performed by many concert pianists. This was a result of outstanding and insightful instruction, on the part of Dr. Hunter and dedicated and consistent practicing by our son. It has been amazing to see his progress with Dr. Hunter over a similar period of time as compared with the first 4 years of his piano instruction with other teachers. He has become a completely different pianist and his level of technique and accuracy has dramatically improved with Dr. Hunter. Two of our younger children currently take lessons from Dr. Hunter. She has been their only piano instructor and it has been remarkable to see how quickly and proficiently they are learning compared to their older siblings who started with other piano teachers without the same level of education and expertise as Dr. Hunter. It is incredible to witness the level of precision they are achieving through her knowledge and her teaching methods. She inspires excellence in a positive and rewarding learning environment. Her attention to detail and technique help to refine their skills and bring out excellence in every piece of music they are learning. I would highly recommend Hammer and Strings Conservatory to any family who want to give their children the opportunity to excel in music."

"Dr. Hunter is an exceptional teacher. My son has been playing piano since he was 3 years old, and the advancement and progress he has made since being with Hammer & Strings Conservatory is outstanding. He has been gaining a deep understanding of theory concepts that last and make sense. He has improved his technical skills, running his fingers across the keys which is his favorite. He has also increased his awareness for movement and evoking feeling into music that has brought a special quality into his playing. And of course, he loves his teacher and opportunities to perform! So grateful to Dr. Hunter and the Hammer & Strings Conservatory."