About
McAllister Music Studio offers private piano lessons, voice lessons, piano/voice combo lessons, guitar lessons, guitar/voice combo lessons, songwriting lessons, music production lessons, piano/music production combo lessons, and DJ-ing lessons. The program also includes open mics, recitals, workshops, MMS recording sessions at Tiny Telephone Studio, kids birthday party recording sessions, studio opportunities, and community outreach events.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
McAllister Music Studio describes its mission as believing that music changes lives and changes the world, and states that this belief comes from the experiences of its own community and its work with students. The studio offers in-person lessons in San Francisco and online lessons for children and adults, with private lessons available for beginners through advanced musicians, and lessons running year-round including summer. The program includes consistent performance events such as open mics, recitals, and workshops, and uses a recording studio and a small performance space as part of its activities. McAllister Music Studio states that teachers are carefully selected, auditioned, interviewed, and trained, and that it is a small business built by one person and supported by a team of fewer than 10 people. Gift certificates are available.
Founder and owner Ciara McAllister started teaching piano lessons at age 12, moved to San Francisco in 2005, began teaching adult students out of her apartment in 2008, opened the first commercial space in the Lower Haight in 2014, and opened the Mission Studio in 2017. By 2011, Ciara had more students than she could handle and brought on teacher Lizzie Clapper to begin growing the children’s program. During the Covid-19 pandemic, all lessons moved online, 75 new students joined in 2020, and the physical branch in the Lower Haight closed in August 2020. Administrator Naomi Markle stepped in to support Ciara and the teachers in 2016, supports operations and administration, and as of Fall 2022 is a piano/voice combo student; Naomi holds dual degrees in Political Science and Mass Communications with a minor in Education from UC Berkeley.
McAllister Music Studio states that it gives back to underserved members of San Francisco both financially and by sharing music at several community outreach events throughout the year. The studio describes itself as offering an immersive musical experience that engages brain, body, and heart, and as maintaining a vibrant community of musicians, with both online and in-person lesson formats. The program states that it guarantees students have a fun, positive, and inspiring experience in each lesson.
Parent testimonials describe long-term enrollment and participation in lessons, open mics, recitals, and concerts, including mentions of shows at Bottom of the Hill and concerts at the Noe Valley Ministry. Parents report that their children have studied at McAllister Music Studio for multiple years with various teachers, continued with virtual lessons during COVID, and taken part in studio opportunities and online classes. Testimonials also mention experiences with piano lessons, the children’s program, and ongoing engagement with practicing and lessons over several years.
Last updated March 7, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
McAllister Music Studio describes its mission as believing that music changes lives and changes the world, and states that this belief comes from the experiences of its own community and its work with students. The studio offers in-person lessons in San Francisco and online lessons for children and adults, with private lessons available for beginners through advanced musicians, and lessons running year-round including summer. The program includes consistent performance events such as open mics, recitals, and workshops, and uses a recording studio and a small performance space as part of its activities. McAllister Music Studio states that teachers are carefully selected, auditioned, interviewed, and trained, and that it is a small business built by one person and supported by a team of fewer than 10 people. Gift certificates are available.
Founder and owner Ciara McAllister started teaching piano lessons at age 12, moved to San Francisco in 2005, began teaching adult students out of her apartment in 2008, opened the first commercial space in the Lower Haight in 2014, and opened the Mission Studio in 2017. By 2011, Ciara had more students than she could handle and brought on teacher Lizzie Clapper to begin growing the children’s program. During the Covid-19 pandemic, all lessons moved online, 75 new students joined in 2020, and the physical branch in the Lower Haight closed in August 2020. Administrator Naomi Markle stepped in to support Ciara and the teachers in 2016, supports operations and administration, and as of Fall 2022 is a piano/voice combo student; Naomi holds dual degrees in Political Science and Mass Communications with a minor in Education from UC Berkeley.
McAllister Music Studio states that it gives back to underserved members of San Francisco both financially and by sharing music at several community outreach events throughout the year. The studio describes itself as offering an immersive musical experience that engages brain, body, and heart, and as maintaining a vibrant community of musicians, with both online and in-person lesson formats. The program states that it guarantees students have a fun, positive, and inspiring experience in each lesson.
Parent testimonials describe long-term enrollment and participation in lessons, open mics, recitals, and concerts, including mentions of shows at Bottom of the Hill and concerts at the Noe Valley Ministry. Parents report that their children have studied at McAllister Music Studio for multiple years with various teachers, continued with virtual lessons during COVID, and taken part in studio opportunities and online classes. Testimonials also mention experiences with piano lessons, the children’s program, and ongoing engagement with practicing and lessons over several years.
Last updated March 7, 2026.
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