Business Details
18 Years
experience
Your Premier Music Education Destination in Surprise, AZ
Founded in 2008, Musical Surprise has grown from a home-based studio to Arizona's largest music school, serving nearly 800 students weekly. Our mission centers on making music education accessible to all ages and abilities through expert instruction, adaptive programs, and comprehensive resources. With 30+ degreed educators, certified therapists, and professional performers, we offer private lessons in 20+ instruments, group classes, and specialized programs for special needs students. Our 5,000 sq ft facility features 10 private studios, a keyboard lab, and a full-service retail store carrying instruments, accessories, and sheet music. We maintain partnerships with Music & Arts for instrument rentals and repairs while operating our own retail space with thousands of musical selections. The leadership team combines decades of business management experience with music education expertise to ensure operational excellence and educational quality. Our community-focused approach includes local outreach initiatives and support for public education programs, reflected in our recognition through multiple local awards.
Services
Private Lessons
Group Classes
Instrument Rentals
Music Retail
Repair Services
Served areas
- Surprise, Sun City, Sun City West, El Mirage, Litchfield Park, Waddell, Wittman, Wickenburg
Details
- Year established: 2008
Highlights and features
- 30+ degreed instructors including certified music therapists and professional performers
- Adaptive lessons for special needs students with personalized instruction approaches
- 5,000 sq ft facility featuring 10 private studios and dedicated classroom spaces
- Partnership with Music & Arts for quality instrument rentals and repairs
- Flexible scheduling with lessons available 6 days weekly including evening hours
What people say
Fantastic teacher
Upbeat and motivational
Passionate about teaching
Professional lessons
Community-focused business
Services
Private Lessons
Personalized one-on-one music lessons available in 20+ instruments including piano, guitar, voice, and strings. Our qualified instructors tailor lessons to individual learning styles and goals. Students benefit from flexible scheduling with evening and weekend availability.
Group Classes
Beginner group classes for piano, guitar, violin, and preschool music programs. Structured 6-8 week sessions foster social learning and musical development. Classes maintain small sizes (3-6 students) for optimal instructor attention.
Instrument Rentals
Affordable rental options for band and orchestra instruments including brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion. Monthly rates start at $22 with tax. Partnerships with Music & Arts ensure quality instruments and maintenance support.
Music Retail
Full-service retail store offering new instruments, accessories, and sheet music. Inventory includes guitars, keyboards, band instruments, and music-themed gifts. Staff provides expert guidance for instrument selection and setup.
Repair Services
Professional repair services for musical instruments including basic setups and restringing. Partnered with Music & Arts for specialized repairs. Technicians ensure optimal instrument performance and longevity.
People
Lance Harris
CEO/Founder
28-year business management veteran with marketing and operations expertise. Holds BS in Marketing from Southwestern Oklahoma University. Oversees strategic direction and operations at Musical Surprise.
Megan Williams
Studio Director
Manages daily operations since 2017 with AA in Arts from Glendale Community College. Coordinates marketing, scheduling, and retail operations while maintaining community partnerships.
Kody Harris
General Manager
Brings accounting expertise from Guthrie General Inc. to financial operations. Implements systems for efficient business processes while continuing family legacy in music education.
Questions
What music lesson options are available for beginners?
We offer private lessons in 20+ instruments and group classes for piano, guitar, violin, and preschool music programs with small class sizes.
Do you provide instrument rentals and repairs?
Yes, we offer affordable rentals for band/orchestra instruments starting at $22/month and partner with Music & Arts for repair services.
What are your operating hours?
We're open Monday-Friday 10AM-8PM and Saturday 10AM-5PM for lessons, rentals, and retail purchases.
Are there programs for special needs students?
Yes, we provide adaptive lessons tailored to individual needs with specialized instructors trained in special education approaches.
What payment options exist for lessons?
Monthly tuition billed through EZ Pay with discounted rates for additional enrollments. One-time $25 registration fee applies.
Do you offer virtual learning options?
Yes, we provide virtual lessons through our online platform while maintaining in-person instruction at our 5,000 sq ft facility.
Videos
Reviews (37)
Lux
Feb 17, 2025
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I do not see how with the price of the lessons for these teachers how so many of them can be without teaching degrees and on top of that they dont give a way to make up for lessons missed or give us solid updates on are kids progress the younger teachers are a joke as they are so nervous to even make eye contact with the parents I do not find it progressive for my child to gain true performing abilitys when the instructor cant even show true confidence in the lesson. Lately it has seemed like my kids violin instructor has been distracted and her phone will go off during lessons. I do not recommend this at all if you are looking for your child to have confidence in there performance and if you would like progress updates I do not recommend.
Carl Louks
Feb 03, 2025
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My son loves his lessons at Musical Surprise with his teacher Lucas. It was his first music lessons and he has already grown so much. Lucas is a knowledgeable, patient, and very down to earth teacher and appreciate him and Musical Surprise.
Teri Leffler
Oct 09, 2024
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We love Musical Surprise! Weve tried multiple teachers and all have been great. The front store staff is knowledgeable and very friendly too. Also, if you or them cant make an appt they supply and online video recorded appt for makeup. Its so convenient!
Sean Laughery
May 21, 2022
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The younger fella who works here is just an amazing person. He went well out of his way in assisting with solutions to fix my amp.
Wade Crossman
May 19, 2022
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A high quality locally owned and operated music studio and story. Super friendly and highly competent staff. Great selection of options from instruments to accessories to lessons. Can't recommend it highly enough.
Jeannette V.
Mar 28, 2022
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My husband and I stopped by the store section to take a quick look at some amps, about 30 mins before closing. Extremely helpful and amazing service. I'll definitely be coming back here.
J. Carbonneau
Jan 10, 2022
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I purchased an 8-sting ukulele from Lance (owner) at Musical Surprise. Lance was very helpful and knowledgeable about the instrument and gave me a very good price. The ukulele has gone on to become one of my favorite instruments among the many that I have accrued. Thank you, Lance & Musical Surprise
Nick S.
Jul 14, 2021
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What a great music store, such nice people and wonderfully talented and skilled. Great guitar service, very quick and done with precision. Just a GREAT Vibe and GREAT people
Kristin A.
May 10, 2021
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My family and I decided to stop in Musical Surprise to look for instruments for our 5 year old twins to try out. As soon as you enter, the place is extremely open and well organized. They have everything you can imagine and more. The best part was how friendly all of the employees were! Especially the girl in the front of the store, Megan. She was so kind and knowledgeable. She helped each of my boys pick out an instrument.
One of them chose a tongue drum (the absolute neatest sounding instrument - very mellow and almost tropical sounding) and the other chose a ukulele (another nice sounding and mellow instrument). I highly recommend Musical Surprise!
One of them chose a tongue drum (the absolute neatest sounding instrument - very mellow and almost tropical sounding) and the other chose a ukulele (another nice sounding and mellow instrument). I highly recommend Musical Surprise!
Scott Dennin
Mar 18, 2021
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Dropped off a couple of guitars to get some work done. Met the owner who was super nice. Told me they would be done after the holiday weekend. True to his word, the tech Cody called and we chatted about what needed to be done. Picked them up and they are perfect! Cody even included the missing knob on my tele. Highly recommend this great shop!
Kris A.
Aug 06, 2020
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Bought a guitar that ended up being too big for my son so we took it back 2 days later (mind you he never even played it) and they charged me a 15% restocking fee! Ugh this is why it's so much easier to buy on Amazon. I was trying to support a local small business but now I'm out $31 doing so. We also found the same guitar with a hard case, book and tuner for $150 less that Musical Surprise Also I was never told about the restocking fee until after the purchase. You should tell the customer about that prior to the purchase.
Lola Johnson
Apr 08, 2020
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We love Musical Surprise! My son has been taking private lessons here for the last 5 years. Even after moving from Surprise we still make the weekly 25 minute drive. The studio is set up so nicely with chairs to sit in while you wait and multiple private lesson rooms with windowed doors. It is an excellent music studio with friendly teachers and welcoming staff. If your child is interested in learning an instrument I highly recommend this studio.
Wendi A.
Aug 01, 2019
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Drum lessons with Todd is the highlight of my week. I was worried about being a beginner and taking lessons at my age (middle aged!) thinking that I would feel foolish around a bunch of children. Nothing could be farther from the truth. People of all ages are taking lessons and I'm one hundred percent at ease in this friendly place. Todd is a patient and amazingly skilled drummer/instructor and I would recommend Musical Surprise to anyone seeking music skills, a new hobby, or just a fun and new way to find self-improvement.
Tiffany R.
Oct 25, 2018
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After having an issue with their corporate partner that deals with their billing of rentals, the owners of Musical Surprise went above and beyond to make sure the issue was corrected, including going into the office on a day off. The owners of Musical Surprise are a good example of what old school customer service should be! Thank you.
Jessica C.
Jul 28, 2018
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Not only is this place outrageously overpriced for lessons, they have a bunch of unprofessional, inconsiderate kids working there. Heard them talking about kids lessons and teachers while I was in the store. Overpaid my kid to take piano there and was displeased with the lessons, scheduling and policies. Bought a book and went home and found that i already had the exact same book so I immediately took it back to exchange for the correct level book and they wouldn't return it because they claimed I could have gone home and copied it.
They suggested I look around for another book, which I did, and then they said they also cant exchange, they just thought I would like to buy another book I liked. I re explained there was nothing wrong with the book and I hadn't written in it or anything. I offered to bring in my same book to show I didnt have any motive to make any copies. Called several other music stores in AZ that explained they would be able to exchange for the correct higher level book so musical surprise is the only one with this insane policy. NEVER BUY BOOKS here.
They suggested I look around for another book, which I did, and then they said they also cant exchange, they just thought I would like to buy another book I liked. I re explained there was nothing wrong with the book and I hadn't written in it or anything. I offered to bring in my same book to show I didnt have any motive to make any copies. Called several other music stores in AZ that explained they would be able to exchange for the correct higher level book so musical surprise is the only one with this insane policy. NEVER BUY BOOKS here.
Jenn
Jun 09, 2018
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My son takes drum lessons from Mike who is amazing! He is particular about his drum teachers and i am so glad we found him as a recommendation from school. He is patient and makes playing fun! I have seen a huge improvement in his skills since starting there.
Kelly Axelson
Jun 04, 2018
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We've been attending lessons at Musical Surprise for 4 years. What a great music studio! My children play piano and guitar and have the most professional lessons! Ms. Robyn is customer focused and puts people first.
Jean D.
Apr 30, 2018
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We've had a great experience with Musical Surprise. My grandson is currently in weekly Music Therapy with Rachel, and he loves it. He is making steady progress towards his goals, and he looks forward to going every week. The professionalism and care shown to him by his teacher and the staff has been outstanding. I highly recommend Musical Surprise.
Kelly Axelson
Dec 16, 2017
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We've been attending lessons at Musical Surprise for 4 years. What a great music studio! My children play piano and guitar and have the most professional lessons! Ms. Robyn is customer focused and puts people first.
Sandy Skaggs-Coop
Oct 27, 2015
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Musical Surprise is a great place to learn music! I highly recommend to anyone looking for music lessons!
Bill F.
May 27, 2015
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Me experience at Musical Surprise was simply excellent. Lance, the owner, was friendly, great customer support showing me many different guitars, and coaching me in the process of picking a guitar. It was a great experience. My lessons start today!
Brandy C.
Mar 17, 2015
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New customer right here! I am extremely please with the level of customer service I witnessed from the owner herself! She handled a tough situation with grace and went above and beyond to provide her customer with the highest level of customer service! I will be referring to Musical Surprise for all future needs!
Andrew W.
Jan 28, 2015
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The staff here is very friendly and helpful. They seem to genuinely care about your satisfaction. The prices are competitive and they actually worked with me to beat Amazon's price on my purchase. They also have a good selection of instruments in display and you can play them to see what suits your needs.
James A.
Jul 26, 2014
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Son takes guitar lessons here, teacher is nice and the owner is friendly and accommodating to schedule changes.
Edward D.
May 23, 2014
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Very nice place, I have recently obtained a guitar that has been in the family since the 60's. It has been used and shows it! But I wanted to get it back into a condition that we can display and pick it up time to time to mess around with it. I am really happy with the results, they cleaned it and re-strung it. It is now displayed in our up-stair loft with pride, it sounds great, and hopefully it will be with the family many more years to come.
H. C.
Jun 15, 2013
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I can not sing enough high praises for Musical Surprise! My daughter has taken guitar lessons there for almost a year now and we have never had a negative experience. The teachers are excellent! The staff is extremely courteous and will always go above and beyond to help you in any way they can. I would recommend them without any hesitation.
Ronald Finch
Musical Surprise is a one-of-a-kind shop run by the Harris family. They give a unique customer service experience by training their employees to be compassionate, knowledgeable and truly helpful. Aside from the "big man" himself, all of the associates who work at the front desks are professional and, frankly, superb. During my time at the store, Alexis was particularly helpful, and embodied the culture and integrity of Musical Surprise. Thank you for such a unique experience!
Kathleen Laramee
A wonderful local, family run business. I am particularly impressed with their support for our community and for public education. This is vitally important from our local businesses. Thank you!!
Michelle Bastian
My son has been taking lessons at Musical Surprise for a year and a half. They are professional, helpful, and just all-around great people.
Nicole Bandes
What a great place to get your groove on! Not your typical piano lessons place. Thanks for offering such wonderful programs.
Beth Nolet Friederich
Thank you so much for teaching my daughter how to play the trumpet we had a wonderful experience, she's doing great in her schools band. Looking forward to lessons next summer!!! I highly recommend Musical Surprise excellent instruction, instruments and customer service.
Jimmy Gonsalves
This is a Musical Surprise!! I have a guitar which I purchased in Santa Clara, CA cir 1960. I wanted to replace the strings, but did not know where to go get it done close to me. Oh my! There was this nice place, so I went there. The staff there are just awesome, great advise, and very reasonable prices. So cool. Then my partner in crime asked about lessons, so we took lessons for a couple of months before taking our trip to the Bay Area, CA to visit family. We only took two months and it was so nice and a pleasure, and when we get back we shall return for more lessons. I have learned so much in such a short time!!
Angela McIver
Musical Surprise is a local business owned by a family that truly cares and gives incredible attention to customer service and personalized client care. Thank you for the positive musical impact your business has had on our family.
Michelle Campbell-Weber
I am dedicated to Musical Surprise. The staff knows their music and I know I will have a great experience. Robyn is a first rate Musical Therapist who's help with our son has been amazing. Thanks you all.
Sheila Foley Touhey
This has been a wonderful experience for my son. He has learning disabilities and has had the most amazing instructions here. His teacher is 100% encouraging and patient which shows as our son loves going to his lessons, something we never experienced with other hobbies. They are awesome and I highly recommend Musical Surprise!
Judy Rummel McNeill
I was extremely grateful for the talented musicians from Musical Surprise performing for the residents of Kingswood Place Senior Living. They loved the performance and enjoyed the children coming to visit. Great job!
Gwen Colwell
Musical Surprise welcomes all, from pre-school children just beginning their musical training to those like myself who haven't played an instrument in over 50 years and want to start again in retirement. Ms.Laura is a wonderful teacher and I look forward to my weekly lesson.