Hertfordshire Music Service Reviews 

Mixed experience with tutors at different locations. One excellent, one mediocre. HMS very bad at communication in general - no answer to the phone, no response to emails about communication concerns and refunds for lessons where times weren’t communicated. Frustrating for a service which is very expensive.

Carl Gurney is an amazing guitar teacher!! Both my child and niece love his lessons. He’s a very talented teacher and musician. A real asset to HMS.

My daughter loves her trumpet lessons and has progressed so much in both ability and confidence in general. Learning the trumpet has opened up a whole musical community for her. Her teacher, Mr Rowlands, is excellent. We can't praise him enough!

My son had flute lessons at school, which was so convenient and reasonably priced. He has learnt such a lot and had fun. His teacher was inspiring, patient and encouraging. The concerts were fabulous.

My 9‑year‑old son has flourished since beginning his piano lessons. His confidence has grown to the point where he performs independently at school events, something he never would have attempted before. Whenever he sees a piano outside, he immediately wants to play, and watching him express himself so freely brings me great joy. We are extremely happy with his teacher, whose support and kindness have played a big role in his development.

In School lessons with great teachers. The tutors are friendly and communicative. Also they are flexible when there are clashes with the school timetable. My son is motivated and practices well.

Both of my daughters have instrumental lessons at school through HMS and really enjoy them. They have also joined some of the music-making days (strings, wind instruments, drumming) and had a great time learning new skills and playing with others. I think the lessons are great value for money too.

We have had a very positive experience with Hertfordshire Music Service. The communication has been clear, and the service has been well organised.
Helen Rogers is a wonderful violin teacher. She is patient, encouraging, and makes lessons enjoyable. She recognised that individual 20-minute lessons would be more beneficial for my daughter and recommended the change to help her progress. I appreciate her care, professional advice, and support. My daughter enjoys her lessons and has grown in confidence and ability.
Thank you to Helen Rogers and Hertfordshire Music Service for your dedication and support.

My 6 year old son has been having piano lessons this year within school and there has been zero communication with me or his school, yet the piano teacher decided to take it upon himself to tell my little boy (who also lost his dad 6 months before) that he wasn’t very good, and if he didn’t practice more at home he would need to stop lessons! He was in floods of tears as you can imagine. No help, no guidance or support, just he’s not getting it! So unprofessional, rude and inconsiderate of a child’s feelings when he is loving it despite everything he is going through. On top of the extortionate fees, you need to pay as a whole term, that was enough for me to stop the lessons immediately and would not recommend that teacher to anybody. I’m also still awaiting a refund for that lesson and those that followed…!

* In reply to your reply, I already did all that and have had no response. 04/08.

My son has really been enjoying his piano lessons at school. He is looking forward to next term. I believe the teacher is quite engaging with them which makes learning even more exciting!

My children have attended Watford Music School for the past five to six years. While our experience seemed positive at first, over time I have come to feel that the quality of the service no longer justifies the cost.

The teachers do not appear to be genuinely invested in, or particularly interested in, supporting each student’s development and helping them reach their full potential. The school’s administration is also poorly managed, with little evidence of effective customer service.

In addition, the fees have increased significantly over the years, yet I have not seen a corresponding improvement in either the quality of teaching or the overall experience. Unfortunately, I no longer believe the school offers good quality of teaching.

We have been involved with Hertfordshire Music service for around 7/8 years. Both of my children have had instrumental lessons and been involved in ensembles at Mid Herts and more recently have been playing in County ensembles.
They have been taught by dedicated, passionate teachers and their ensembles have been led by inspiring, energetic musicians. They have always enjoyed their lessons and come away from the ensembles smiling, laughing and happily chatting with the other young musicians.

The staff at Mid Herts have always been so friendly and helpful, going above and beyond to help keep my children supported and playing. They have helped with music, timetabling, even ad hoc instrument repairs!

We were not a ‘musical’ family, but I wanted my children to have the opportunity to play, which is why we originally went to HMS. It has been one of the best decisions that I have made for them. The opportunities and experiences that they have had as a result have been life-changing. They have played at extraordinary venues, met wonderful musicians and developed a love of music that I could never have imagined for them.

As a direct result of their time at Mid Herts/HMS, my children were offered places at a specialist music school and at a number of junior conservatoires. They accepted their offers, but will continue playing with HMS at a county level - they can’t imagine not being a part of Herts music service still!

Five stars! My child takes piano lessons here and absolutely loves them. The piano teacher James , make learning fun, and it is wonderful to see how much joy they get from visiting the music center each week. Highly recommend!"

My son has enjoyed the music lessons at his school for the last year.

You are Professionals , outstanding, and my child got very good skills in a short time. You made him love music . Thank you for being a part of my child during school time. Wish you all the best
Kind regards

Absolutely fantastic teacher, but the inability to pay monthly means I have had to cancel those lessons as I cannot afford such high amounts of money so far in advance of the lessons being delivered. A real shame, as will be looking at lessons elsewhere where monthly payments are an option. HMS need to catch up in terms of payment options!

Fantastic teaching - my son thrives in his saxophone lessons with L.Miller.

Communication is always timely and useful.

A pleasure to deal with.

My daughter has been taking group violin lessons with HMS at Mid herts, and we have been very pleased with her progress. The quality of teaching is excellent, and my daughter's confidence and musical skills have grown significantly. Highly recommend!!

Hertfordshire Music Service sent the Trustpilot link to invite reviews of the Explore Beethoven day in 2026. It was excellent. It was aimed at primary school children who have instrumental lessons. Plenty were pre-grade-1 level instrumentalists who had never played in an orchestra before. The learnt to sing Ode to Joy, did some creative improvisation and the full orchestra played the opening of Beethoven 5. There were also fun quiz questions. A wonderful introduction to playing in an orchestra and an inspiring introduction to the music of Beethoven.

My daughter has been learning to play the flute for more than two years with Hertfordshire Music Service and her teacher has been fantastic - encouraging and supportive.
She is currently preparing to take her Grade 3 ABRSM exam in the summer and we've had clear and consistent communication throughout our time with the music service.