Wow! This service has blessed me so much. Myles is a super talented big-hearted teacher and musician who has taken his personal time to listen to my songs and give me amazing feedback which has helped me improve my songwriting. I’ve also had the opportunity to have Myles step in to lead worship with me at live events and live recordings and he has always gone the extra mile when it comes to commitment, dedication, effort, heart, talent, and always a positive attitude. He always goes over the top and his music is off the hook. Not only is he so kind, patient, and fun to work with but he is extremely professional and ALWAYS so encouraging. He is the type of person that sees the best in you and calls it out! Melodies For Life also has warm hearted professional teachers who are very experienced and love what they do. I have to be honest - Melodies For Life is THE BEST musical service out there and I’m honored to know them!

Myles Darnell is an inspired teacher, guide and mentor, I can say that without any hesitation whatsoever. His attentiveness to my childs personal interests even helped in finding the right instrument to begin lessons with. Myles has a relaxed, patient and intuitive style that when coupled with being a such a good musician himself makes him and Melodies of Life Coaching Services unique. Myles and his offering are truly exceptional and contributed to the well being of our child. Thank-you Myles.

My 10 year old daughter took signing lessons with Myles Darnell, the owner of Melodies for Life, and she really enjoyed her experience, both in person and via Zoom. Myles was wonderful with her! He had a ton of patience, explained and taught at a pace and level that was appropriate, and was always pleased to see her. We are taking a short break, but hope to continue with Myles in the near future. I highly recommend music and voice lessons with Melodies for Life.

Myles is great! I’ve known the owner/ instructor for over twenty years even though I’ve only taken lessons for about 2.5 years. He is one of the most positive, calm, encouraging people you could ever want to meet. Teaching music is a natural extension of that temperament and his profound musical talent. I’ve seen him expertly play and teach guitar, drums, piano, bass, voice, and more. This allows him to jam with you as part of the instruction. It is a lot of fun!

Ive taken lessons from Miles for maybe about three years now. I had only been self taught in guitar for 10 years and having a teacher like him has been instrumental in filling in gaps in my knowledge of theory and different styles of play. Myles has also helped me with songwriting and composition.I also take singing lessons with Myles which was a brand new experience for me at the time. Im now able to play and sing at the same time. Taking lessons at Melodies For Life has made me a more robust musician and I wish I had signed up for lessons sooner.

Miles has been teaching my daughter bass for almost 2 years now and shes just as excited as she was on her first day. Her love for the bass has grown over the years and Miles is the biggest reason. He is an excellent teacher and is an expert at communicating music to children. He is genuinely a great guy who my wife and I completely trusts when we dropped our daughter off for her lessons. Since covid he has adapted his lessons to online and the quality of the lessons has not dropped.

Myles is an excellent teacher. He is very kind, supportive, patient, and knowledgeable. My son has improved his vocal range and developed a better vocal tone. He was able to participate in the school and community singing events. We are so glad to have him as my son’s voice/singing teacher.

I highly recommend taking lessons with Melodies For Life! Myles is an AMAZING teacher and is extremely patient and kind. I was always nervous to sing before but after taking lessons here I feel a bit more confident and less shy now! Thank you so much Myles and Melodies For Life, the best lessons EVER hands down!! 😊

Myles is an excellent teacher. He is very kind, patient, and knowledgeable. He always encourages my daughter to improve and continue learning. He wants her to enjoy the lessons. We are so glad to have him as my daughters guitar teacher.

My daughter started taking drums lessons with Myles when she was 8 yo. She is now 10 yo and has learned to pick up drum patterns from songs, make up her own drum patterns, keep rhythm, play rolls and feels. Myles is a super patient and encouraging teacher and a skilled musician. He is a wonderful teacher who will teach you at your pace.

I took drum lessons with Myles for about two years and loved it! His teaching style allows you to start playing songs right away AND also work on technical skills. I was able to rent a drum set from him until I bought my own—which he tuned for me. So awesome!!! Myles is so warm, caring, and positive—a great person in addition to being a great teacher. He is an extremely talented musician too, not sure there is an instrument he doesn’t know how to play... I highly recommend Melodies For Life!!

I have always loved to sing but was taught early on that in groups I should just mouth the words. After I retired from my career, I was determined to find a singing teacher who could help me feel secure enough to put my heart into my voice and release it. My son, recommended his voice teacher, Myles, who proved to be the answer to my prayers. My lessons were fun and instructive. Myles really understood what I was looking for and helped me release my voice. He is a musical wonder, a fine teacher and a very special man.

I have always loved singing, but was too intimidated to take vocal lessons. Ive known of Myles before learning about Melodies For Life and decided to give it a try. It has been and still is an awesome experience. Myles is an exceptional coach and shows so much patience and encouragement during lessons. Its been almost a year at Melodies For Life and I continue to have fun learning and practicing with each session. Whether you want to learn to how to sing or play an instrument, Myles is very knowledgeable and I highly recommend him.

Myles and Mike are both excellent teachers, musicians, and people. Coming to Melodies for Life has been a highlight of my week. They are both such easygoing, positive people. Its been nice to just cut loose and jam without any pressure or pretense. Much love for these guys. Thanks for helping me shred!

Myles contemporary approach to teaching music really encouraged my children enjoy their music classes. My son had not been playing piano for 4 years but he asked for a keyboard for Xmas after the first session with Myles. My daughter was very reluctant about going to her previous guitar school. My kids are definitely not heading to the Julliard School. They just wanted to bang out a few pop/rock songs and have fun. Myles methods and upbeat personality really was a positive experience. There was no groaning about going to their lessons any more.

Myles knows it all. At first, I moved to Alameda 2 years ago and I was trying to pick up my guitar again and brush up my skill. I searched online and found that he has good reviews and I gave it a try. Turned out he was very knowledgeable in both skill and theory. Then my church asked for a drummer, although I never picked up a drum stick in my life I volunteered and Myles is a great drumming teacher too. 6 months later I am beginning to serve in my church as a drummer. Base guitar, voice, guitar, piano, drums you name it he knows it! And if you need a life lesson, he can teach you a thing or two too! Overall a 5-star experience!

Melodies For Life brought the joy of music back in my life after many years away from music. Myles is such a skilled, patient, and kind musician and teacher. Every week when I went into class, I knew I’d come out feeling better about myself. While I became a better guitar player under Myles, he also helped me become a better person. I couldn’t recommend this place any higher.

Myles is a excellent teacher and the rental system was very professionally done and it was simple. This was a great business for me to start learning how to play music.

My pre-teen daughter wanted to take voice lessons but she has some self-confidence and shyness issues. We had a tough time finding the right person to work with her. Within minutes of meeting Myles we knew we found one. His positive energy and clear communications was exactly what she needed and she blossomed. He tailored his instruction to her and it became an experience that Im sure shell remember for her life.I feel like we have _all_ gained something from interacting with Myles. Truly an amazing individual.

Myles is the absolute best. Hes a patient and encouraging teacher and, simply, a great guy. He tailored voice lessons to my very specific needs but managed to also maintain a much-needed focus on the basics. He did a great job in helping me develop confidence in developing my project. I cant recommend him highly enough.

Our daughter was enrolled in acoustic guitar lessons at Melodies for Life. Myles was her teacher. He was not just a good patient and engaging coach for guitar, but cared what was going on with her in chorus and school. He came to her chorus performance and she was thrilled that he taught her the pop songs that interested her. He even came to one of my gigs in Alameda. We still stay in touch! Very thankful and both we and our daughter loved the whole experience. THANK YOU!!!

This place has a beautiful ambience. Teachers are seasoned. Myles and Mike, both of them are very friendly. They taught me guitar lessons with patience since i was beginner. They motivated me to learn more and more each day.I really enjoyed all of my guitar lessons. I would definitely recommend my friends to join melodies of life for guitar lessons.This place is awesome.

My daughter has been taking singing / piano lessons with Myles for over two years. This class is one of the highlights of her week. She always looks forward to her class as she always has fun, but is also challenged appropriately. Myles is highly knowledgeable, patient, and a good motivator in a gentle way. For anyone inquiring about music lessons I would highly recommend Myles.

My 7 year old son absolutely loves taking a guitar lesson from Myles. He loves Myles’ approach and his way of communicating and relating with children. Myles teaches more intuitively based on each child’s needs. We are very happy that we found this program.

I really enjoyed my experience of taking voice lessons with Myles. Honestly, it was the highlight of my week. He was very encouraging, and gave me great feedback and tips on what I could work on, as I had never had formal lessons before, although Id been singing and playing instruments for a long time. He really made me feel like I could do something with my voice, and encouraged me to push myself to sing solo in particular venues. Time became too scarce, so I didnt do that yet, and couldnt continue as long I wanted to. But I have hopes of finding time to come back and start up again. Thanks, Myles for all your encouragement and support!

My son has been taking lessons with Myles for almost 3 years. What I liked most about Myles studio/space was that he was able to offer lessons in a variety of instruments. This really appealed to me as this allowed my son to gravitate to an instrument of his choice as his interests changed. My son started out with acoustic guitar, then electric guitar, followed by drums. He has now settled on the bass guitar. My son is easily distracted sometimes but Myles gently and kindly gets him to focus on what he needs to do. He is incredibly patient with my son. Myles has the kids pick their favorite songs and then translates them so that they can begin playing them on their instrument of choice. Myles inspires a love of music and his energy is infectious.

My son has been taking drum lessons with Myles for few months. My son didn’t know about the drum before. We started lessons with him and he loved his teacher and instrument. He is a great teacher and knowledgeable on multiple instruments. He wasn’t just a good teacher , cared about his students, was interesting what else his student likes or talented. My son was an ice hockey player and he always wanted to come over to see him but it didn’t work out because of teacher ‘s schedule . He always fully scheduled even on Saturdays. We’d still be taking lessons if we didn’t move! We miss him! Who knows someday we see him again! Thank you, Myles!

My little cousins ages 7 and 10 have been taking weekly drum lessons with Myles and they loved every second of it. He is an exceptionally talented music teacher. He is very patient and warm, and makes every lesson a fun and enjoyable experience. His teaching style is custom-designed to wherever the student is at musically. He knows how to keep the boys interested while being focused on fundamentals of music lessons. What I love about Myles is his ability to make the kids feel successful even when they struggle with timing or rhythm at times. I cannot speak highly enough of Myles. He is the the man if you or your kids need music lessons (drums, bass, piano , keyboard and voice lessons).

Myles Darnell is an excellent teacher! He is a very patient teacher. Even though it had been years since I had practiced (the piano), he patiently catered each lesson to my learning capability. He encouraged me to practice, and even brought me out of my comfort zone of penning runs that I could possibly sing which aided in fine tuning my ear for singing. I would highly recommend his services. You wont be disappointed.

Myles was very patient and gentle with my 8 year old son, who gets distracted very easily. I really wanted my son to learn how to play piano (because I love it!), but Myles encouraged him to touch, play and feel different instruments and let him choose at the end. My son really enjoyed his lessons with Myles.

Myles is an amazing teacher. His ability to play almost any instrument allows for a unique experience as a student as he can accompany you to flesh out a song or augment a groove. He has a deep understanding of musical theory that doesnt get in the way of him teaching you how to listen for chord changes or feel out a rhythm. The school is conveniently located and has drums, keyboards, basses, guitars, mandolins, and ukeleles. He also does voice lessons and can sing! And hes a great guy- easy to talk to and learn about life with.

Myles is an exceptional guitar teacher. My daughter has a lot of fun and learns at the same time. He is very patient, always on time and is inspirational.

My son’s piano lessons with Myles were inspiring. Myles has an approach to teaching that motivates students and meets them wherever they’re at. They often choose songs/music themselves, and Myles works with them to be true musicians who do what they do because of their passion for it.

I have worked with Myles over the years in a professional capacity and he is an absolute joy to work with. He knows his stuff and is very adaptable with people, situations and environments. I have a huge level of respect for Myles and what he brings to the musician/teacher table. His heart is in it and it is obvious that he is passionate about connecting music with people. Having knowledge is one thing, being able to present it so that it makes sense is the true gift of a teacher.

All three of my children studied music with Myles at Melodies For Life. What a fantastic program and accomplished leader for my kids! In addition to taking the time to introduce them to a variety of instruments, Myles also adjusted his teaching choices based on how each of my kids was learning - whether it was asking them to choose a song they wanted to learn, bringing in a playing buddy or letting them try another instrument. Myles is a warm and patient teacher and we are so grateful for his time and talent.

5 stars from 44 people?? This is the kind of rating that makes me seriously doubt the validity of Yelp....I literally contacted this place 5 times via email and phone to try and set up lessons for my teen who is wanting to restart guitar lessons. It took on average 3-7 days to get each response, which led to...nothing.Each time the person who wrote back (several days after I wrote) mentioned setting up an intake, to which I responded. “Great- here are the general times we are available.” Days go by with no reply. I email back- he suggests an intake- I tell him our availability- days go by with no reply. I email back, (you see where this is going, repeat 4x.)I had high hopes- the website is so clear about what is required of the students and payment. Maybe they can take a note from themselves and get organized.

Myles is incredibly patient, kind and professional with my 9 year old little bass player. He understands she is a child learning at her own pace, and he is very capable of teaching her in a productive way that accentuates her personality .

My daughter took guitar from Myles for a year. He taught at her pace, her level of interest. Myles is a teacher who encourages and supports his students. Sometimes, hed even come to see her acting performances at school. Such a kind and talented man he is!

My daughter and I took voice and drum lessons from Myles for over a year (wed still be taking lessons if we hadnt moved out of state). Myles is knowledgeable on multiple instruments, patient, and always super positive. Hes a great teacher for both kids and adults.

When looking for a voice teacher in Alameda, a friend of mine recommended Myles to me. She was taking drum lessons at the time, and I couldnt be happier to hear that he also offered voice lessons! Myles is an incredibly kind teacher, and really takes times and effort to get to know his students. Myles and Alicia spent time with me setting goals and working on various audition pieces, and pushed me to sing songs that I didnt know my voice could handle. We worked on technique, style, and emotion which allowed me to prepare for auditions and upcoming performances. One of the things that I like most about Myles is that he is constantly supporting his students, both in and outside of lessons. He even came to come see me perform in a show! I highly recommended Melodies for Life for anyone who is looking to improve or learn a musical skill, whether you are a seasoned singer or learning an instrument for the first time.

Melodies for Life is awesome!!! I started doing guitar lessons and learned chords and transitions. Myles Darnell is such a seasoned guitar player and singer, and it makes him a great teacher, he is also kind and patient. The other thing I really liked about Melodies for Life is they offer a flexible lesson schedule. A few months after guitar lessons I had some vocal lessons, it turned out so well. Before my vocal lessons my projection was not there at all, I sounded like a mouse. Myles Darnell, helped me to project more and have a bigger voice. He also helped with my notes and gave exercises for my range. I highly recommend Melodies for Life, I definitely had more confidence after the lessons :)

Myles is a talented and patient teacher with a very positive attitude. Solid understanding of music and plays an array of musical instruments (great singing voice as well). My young grandson enjoyed his lessons very much. Highly recommend Melodies For Life without hesitation for students at any level wanting to grow musically.

My son Erik loves going to his drum lessons with Aaron Park at Melodies for Life. Aaron is young and energetic and my son really connects with him. Aaron makes the lesson fun while also teaching important skills. Erik enjoys the experience and wants to keep playing, which is the goal.

My son has been taking lessons at Melodies for Life for over two years now and it is amazing how far he has come, not only as a drummer, but as a musician.. His confidence level has grown so much that he is branching out and trying his hand at other instruments. His instructor at Melodies for Life, Myles Darnell, is the most professional, talented, and positive teacher ever! He has continued to encourage and inspire my son to believe that there are no limits to what he can accomplish!

When we first came we hadnt made up our minds yet about what instruments we wanted to play and Myles Darnell had let us try out all the different instruments (guitar, drums,and piano) to see which one we enjoyed the most. Another thing is that we appreciated so much was that our schedule is pretty full through the whole week and he made it possible so that we could play on the weekends so we could get enough time in our schedule to practice. Something that I liked best about our practices was that we got to practice all our chords and everything but we also get a chance to play different songs and make a collaboration with my siblings and their different instruments. Lastly I appreciate the fact that we were supplied with the instruments by Myles himself. From me and my family we would all like to thank Myles Darnell and Melodies For Life for this opportunity to try something new and learn more about music.

I can confidently say that Melodies For Life has made nothing short of a major impact on my life. Darnell is a wonderful human being with a huge heart and a drive to make sure people live a better life. I worked with him for almost a year at the beginning stages of the business and it was a significant opportunity for me to learn, grow and experience the vision that he sees with the company. Being that i had no work experience at the time, he took me under his wing to help run the business. I have since launched a company and helped grow another to become an industry leader due to the principles he instilled in me.As far as the musical training, he walks his students through the basics and increases the difficulty of the learning stages at a very appropriate rate. All of which is custom tailored to the needs and potential of the student on a personal basis.I highly recommend Melodies For Life to anyone who is interested in learning an instrument or looking to further enhance their musical capabilities. You will not regret your decision in any way, shape, or form.

Being a good musician does not always guarantee being a good music teacher. Myles Darnell combines both gracefully. His temperament and nurturing approach is wonderful. I have played music with him and seen him coach other musicians.Myles played bass guitar for a couple of concerts for local Gospel/Inspirational artiste Maame Afon. He brings a great deal of professionalism to his craft, and works well with other musicians on the team. We definitely look forward to working with Myles on future events.

I have been taking guitar lessons for about 2 years, initially with Myles and then with Mike Solan. Both are excellent guitar teachers -- great players in their own right, but also excellent at teaching practical skills and theory, motivating students, and making it fun. If youre looking for great guitar (or drums, piano, or voice) teachers in Alameda, youve come to the right place!

I spent five months with Myles and he showed me techniques on the guitarthat I had never new before. I learned a lot from Myles. Myles has a nice easy way of approaching lessons and made the lessons very comfortable. Enjoy those notes!

I am taking voice lessons with Miles and am so grateful I found himl! He is so kind, supportive, patient and dedicated to his students.He really makes me work hard to achieve what I want and I like to see my progress and confidence building up each day! Not only is he a teacher but a complete artist. Ifeel so lucky I found him.

My 6 year old daughter took piano lessons from Myles. My daughter has behavior and physical challenges as a result of a stroke she suffered as an infant. Myles was a warm and infinitely patient teacher with genuine caring for his students. I can’t recommend him highly enough. We only stopped lessons because we needed to attend to some of my daughter’s other difficulties for a while. But we will be returning very soon!

This review is from Mike and Donna Maher. Myles is a kind, caring trustworthy man who loves God and loves people. And it shows! He has worked with my daughter who is intellectually disabled and taught her how to play the guitar. She learned so much! He was so patient and understanding with her. She enjoyed it so much! You can tell he is so passionate and caring about what he does. He is so talented! I highly recommend Myles Darnell! My wife and I are so appreciative! Thank you so much Myles!

My 10-years-old son learned drumming at some other place before this. After only a few lessons, he started to like Myles class very much. We have been coming here for more than a year now. He learned a lot even he is quite lazy on practicing. Myles is very patient and professional when teaching kids, he is also a very warmhearted and caring person. We are very lucky to have chosen Melodies for Life.

Myles Darnell is an amazing instructor! I have two children, ages 7 and 13who attend Melodies For Life and they both really enjoy it. My nephew, who is in his twenties also attended MFL and loved it. Myles made the lessons fun and entertaining for my kids and nephew. I would highly recommend Melodies for Life for both children and adults!!

I love Melodies for Life and have known the founder for nearly a lifetime. Myles provided beautiful musical accompaniment for my Disneyland wedding (both music and vocals) and has a wonderful way of working with both children and adults in the realm of music. 5 Stars and 2 Thumbs Up - he is as good as it gets and you wont be disappointed.

Myles has been my instructor for voice and harmonies since the 90s, and I enjoy learning from him as a professional. He is a multi-talented man who has the patience to teach anyone who wants to grown and perfect their music ear, voice technique or learn how to play an instrument. He is a gifted man who loves what he does and it shows. Thank you Myles for all that you have taught me over the years.

Our daughters looked forward to their weekly lessons with Myles at Melodies for life. Myles is patient, kind, and genuinely cares about the well being of his students. He has a wonderful ability to connect with his students and his passion for music is contagious and motivating!

Myles is gifted in ways that Money cant by! I highly recommend Melodies for Life #theBobRossofMusic

Miles you did great job boosting The confidence of my child I would recommend him to work with Anyone I have referred him to other persons as well

I took a vocal lessons from Ptr. Myles few years ago and I loved it. I was a member of our music ministry in our church. The reason I wanted to do the vocal lessons was to improve my vocal skills and a honest opinion. Ptr. Myles made me comfortable and he was so patient. He tried to reach me where Im at vocally without me feels intimidated. Come as you are and he will help what you need. Thanks a lot Ptr. Myles and Im forever grateful.

Myles was the first person I thought of when planning my wedding. I chose an original song written by him. He was AWESOME and made my day one of the most special days of my life. He is very professional and kind. I would highly recommend him for all your musical needs.

Myles is a patient and wonderful teacher. Id recommend him to anyone looking to take voice lessons and I imagine his instrument instruction is just as satisfying.

My daughter looooves her teacher Myles! Not only is he experienced in a variety of instruments, hes also a telented teacher who has a gift of connecting with kids. Hes genuinely patient and so encouraging to children and he understands their learning capacity. Cost of lessons are reasonable and they allow you to rent out equipment to practice at home with for a fair cost as well. We live 13 miles from the location- and their are plenty of other music businesses closer to home- but my daughter insists on being taught by her favorite teacher, Myles Darnell. Oh- and the man can saaaaang his heart out...beautiful voice!

Myles is an amazingly talented musician who can easily adapt to any music genre, from jazz to worship to hawaiian to contemporary rock or blues to tahitian to country, etc., etc., etc. As well as immediately fitting right into any musical environment, group or gathering, Myles can play just about any musical instrument you put in front of him. Drums, acoustic or bass guitar, piano/keyboards, and more. Add to the mix his vocal talents and composition abilities, and you have the ultimate musical package!His calm and patient demeanor makes him the ultimate vocal or musical instrument instructor. He thoroughly explains each and every part of the instrument and its vital role for that instrument. Myles has the incredible ability to help the students become one with their musical instrument, creating a comfortable and passionate learning environment.I myself am a Performing Arts Director, and have called on Myles on many occasions. Each and every time he has been an integral part of the musical component of our productions. His timeliness, dedication, adaptability to last minute changes, patience and passion, and injections of humor in stressful moments has blessed us and helped us achieve our goals of perfect productions, many of which garnered a standing ovation.Thank you, Myles, for being you, and for being there for us! 

Myles has given my son lessons and has ministered in our church. He is very kind, patient, and easy to like. I would recommend his services to anyone desiring to play an instrument.

They have good teachers, very friendly and professional. My kid like learning music atmelodies for life!!!👍👍👍

I wanted to learn the bass guitar and I was searching for a place that would fit my wrk/life schedule. Myles Darnell was fantastic and formed the lessons around my demanding schedule. He was incredibly patient as I fumbled through my lessons and soon I was playing working my way through the notes on my own!!! I couldnt have been more pleased with what I learned and his teaching style was perfect for me! I recommended him to my friend, she took his classes too (for drums) and loved it! I would recommend melodies for life for anyone With an itch to learn an instrument. :)