Jack Z.
In-Person Lessons
“I spent my summer in Boston preparing for my CODA Honors Symphony (CA All-State) audition with Prof. Sacks. He is a great teacher not only because understands the music extremely well, but also because he is able to explain his approaches towards practicing and performing clearly. I was so happy when I finally earned a spot in the orchestra and highly recommend his lessons for these reasons.”
Claire P.
In-Person Lessons
“Darren works hard with my son from the moment he arrives until the moment he leaves, and I can always hear big improvements in the quality of my son's playing over the course of the hour. Since working with him, my son has qualified for Northeastern Senior Districts Orchestra and the All-State Orchestra. He has helped him take his bass playing to the next level and enjoy opportunities that he may not otherwise have had!”
Justin M.
Online and In-Person Lessons
“Darren is a fantastic instructor, adept at teaching newcomers and more experienced players alike. There is no aspect of the art of bass playing that he cannot offer assistance in strengthening. For every hurdle I have encountered, he has devised an exercise that helps me get over it. He is particularly skilled at diagnosing the reason why a particular piece, passage, technique, or sound on the instrument is not quite there and then offering the precise advice on how to get it to the next level. I could not recommend him highly enough”
Ling Z.
Online and In-Person Lessons
“Darren has been teaching my son for seven months and my son really enjoyed his class and improved a lot. Darren gives quality online class. He is experienced and has good teaching plan. Darren helped my son to get selected to the senior district and All-State this year. We strongly recommend Darren!”
Julia G.
Online and In-Person Lessons
“Darren has been teaching my son bass for several years and has been an excellent instructor. My son has learned so much for him and they have a great rapport. Darren is organized, professional, and communicates well. Under his instruction, my son successfully auditioned for the eastern district music festival (MMEA) and the Berklee Aspire summer program. We highly recommend!”
Martha D.
Online and In-Person Lessons
“Darren is an exceptionally talented teacher. After years of practicing on my own, I’d developed a host of bad habits. Darren’s approach to addressing these issues was creative and persistent, but also encouraging and kind. I was most impressed by Darren’s keen ability to diagnose a problem, then develop solutions that were within my abilities while gently expanding the boundaries of what I could do on the instrument. Studying with Darren has been tremendously rewarding.”
Deb L.
Online Lessons
“My son Ethan started working with Darren early this summer after Ethan's previous instructor for 5 years had decided to retire . I was surprised how quickly Ethan was bonded with Darren in this virtual setting. Due to Covid 19, all lessons have been conducted via Skype. Here is what Ethan was talking about Darren. ‘I have nothing but good words to say about my experience with Mr. Sacks. within a few weeks, I improved a lot. He was able to help me fix fundamental issues with my playing. He was also incredibly kind and patient with me. Mr. Sacks was also always able to explain things well and give me new ways to improve my playing. He doesn't let go of my mistakes but very encouraging when providing advice.’”
Caroline O.
Online and In-Person Lessons
“Darren is great. He has been teaching my daughter the upright bass for over three years (since she started). She has progressed quickly under his guidance and is now the principal bass for her orchestra,. Darren is very encouraging, and yet he also challenges his students to keep improving. Darren has taught my daughter in person at our house, but since March 2020 she has taken virtual lessons. Darren is totally comfortable in this format, so we'll likely stick with the virtual lessons for good. Overall Darren is just a great teacher. I highly recommend him!”
Kim G.
Online Lessons
“My 11 year old has attended an after school music program in our district for a few years playing the double bass. When Covid hit, she was no longer able to continue learning, but her music teacher recommended her to audition for a selective music program at Berklee College of Music. That's when I reached out to Darren via his website to see if he could work with my child for the 8 week period to prepare for the online audition submission.
Darren worked with her every week on a completely new song, introduced great techniques that enabled her to learn quickly and develop new skills. Those 8 weeks were very productive as my she learned the entire song, did the audition and was accepted into the Berklee music program. Darren is a very knowledgeable and dedicated music instructor and I am grateful to him for helping my daughter get into a selective music program. The online lessons from Darren are exceptional. You will not be disappointed with his instructions.”
Tom R.
In-Person Lessons
“Darren Sacks is a fantastic bass player and teacher. I have improved quickly with him as my instructor. He helped me prepare for a solo in my high school orchestra and I felt that I was as prepared as I could have been. I was able to make it into my local district orchestra with his help. He's very passionate about his craft, and it shows through in his teaching.”
Josh B.
Online Lessons
“Darren is one of the best teachers I've ever worked with. I am a life-long electric bass player that fell in love with the sound and vibe of the upright last year. The double bass is a beautiful and rewarding instrument, but very difficult to get started on without the guidance of a caring mentor. I had previously tried self-teaching using YouTube workshops and video lessons, but had trouble making any progress. I also suffer from a chronic pain condition, and it seemed like no matter what I tried, I was constantly re-injuring my wrist.
In search of professional help, I discovered Darren. In our initial meeting Darren conveyed a true interest in helping me, and quickly diagnosed and fixed the posture struggles that were causing pain. I gained more understanding of the upright bass in our first lesson than in 6+ months on my own!
As an adult learner, Darren never made me insecure or afraid to ask questions. His warm personality and ability to demystify elements of classical bass really makes him an amazing educator!
After taking lessons with Darren this summer, I proudly felt confident to check off "Upright Bass" as my primary instrument of study at the local community college music program I attend.”
Kathleen M.
In-Person and Online Lessons
"Darren was an outstanding teacher for my high school daughter preparing for her college auditions. His attention to detail vastly improved her technique. She is playing with more confidence also. Darren is fabulous in sharing his time and talent selflessly, his style is always positive and my daughter finished each lesson looking forward to the next. She has had several private lesson teachers in the past but he is definitely the best.
When my daughter went to Darren she was coming from a series of private lesson teachers. Being involved in our own town’s music program I know how difficult it can be to acquire and keep private lesson teachers. Her confidence level was pretty low and she was trying to prepare for her college auditions.
I cannot say enough about Darren and the quality of his work. He worked with my daughter in every aspect of her music. From how she stood and held her bass and bow, to the weight of her bow and teaching her about her strings and the care of her bass, Darren brought the sparkle and love of music back to my daughter. He worked with her though audition pieces and took the time to check in with her even when it wasn’t lesson time. He was so dedicated and so tuned in to what was going to make her a better player. She left her lessons brimming with confidence and wanting to practice. As a parent, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
She is now an extremely happy sophomore studying music education and I truly believe she may have taken a different path if not for Darren Sacks. I hope she someday becomes the teacher he already is. There can be no higher recommendation than that.”
June A.
In-Person and Online Lessons
"My son does hybrid in-person and online lessons with Darren. Darren is very enthusiastic, encouraging and articulate. After every lesson, my son is energized. For the first time, he advanced to state level after intensive lessons with Darren. Darren also teaches HOW to practice and clearly points out what he needs to do so my son can focus his practice. Highly recommend him; he is a wonderful, passionate and dedicated teacher."
Vanessa W.
In-Person and Online Lessons
“I have been with Darren for something around 5 ish years and I improved beyond my dreams from when I started. With him I was able to rise orchestra levels, improve my technique drastically and even do districts! (For context I'm a freshman in high school now) Darren is my favorite bass teacher I've had and I am doing all states with him in the fall, hopefully. He's helped me with everything from auditions to grinding on orchestra pieces to starting jazz for the advanced jazz band. If you're looking for a teacher who will cater to your individual needs and listen to you and what you want to learn all the while seriously improving your bass, Darren's the one for you!”
Heidi G.
Online Lessons
“My daughter worked with a few instructors over the years, but not until she started working with Darren did she truly grow as a bassist and a musician. Darren is a very dedicated and knowledgeable teacher who cares greatly about his students. My daughter always finds him to be kind, patient and motivating. She has been able to move up youth orchestra levels each year while working with Darren. He fully understands the audition process and is able to successfully guide his students. I highly recommend Darren as an instructor for any level!”
Junko F.
Cello Instructor/Colleague
“Darren Sacks and I first met when we both rehearsed and performed J. S. Bach’s Wachet Auf in a small chamber ensemble. Before we even had a chance to get to talk and meet one another, I was already very impressed with his virtuosic, intellectual, and artistic musical abilities and interpretations. He was very professional and considerate during rehearsals, and his bass playing was strikingly insightful and beautiful.
After that concert, I would regularly see Mr. Sacks at the school, often witnessing him teaching his private students through the glass window. His dedication to educating young bass students is clearly evident. The bass section of the orchestra, mainly comprised of his students, has shown astonishing progress since he started teaching at our school. On a personal level, Darren is a bright, warm, and gentle spirit. He always has a kind smile on his face, always asks courteously about one’s well-being, and always has a sincere compliment for anyone with whom he is conversing.
He is well-organized and responsible. His teaching and musical abilities are stellar, and his interaction with students of all demographics are professionally friendly and compassionate. I recommend Mr. Sacks with absolutely no reservation.”
Michael C.
Orchestra Conductor/Colleague
“I am constantly in search of fresh perspective and talent, Darren brought this and more when we were in need of a bass teacher for our most advanced players two years ago.
In preparation for our performance at Carnegie Hall as part of the national band and orchestra festival, Darren led several sectionals with our bass section on the fiendishly difficult chamber symphony for strings by Shostakovich. It was clear after those first few sectionals that he was not only a capable player, but also a highly skilled and passionate teacher.
Aside from his training, it is in his compassion where Darren shines. When Darren came to our school we already had another bass instructor, an expert in jazz tradition and beginning students of all styles. Although Darren is clearly the superior classical bass teacher, I feared that tension would spark between the two teachers and their students. Contrary to my original qualm, Darren is constantly friendly with the other instructor and regularly coaches several of his students in sectionals.
I urge you to give Darren the most serious consideration. You will be overjoyed with what he has to offer as a teacher, musician, and person, and you will benefit greatly from the opportunity to learn from him. He makes many important and meaningful contributions to the musical lives of those around him. I recommend Darren Sacks as a teacher without hesitation.”
Craig T.
In-Person Lessons
"I have been taking lessons with Darren for 4 months now, and my playing has improved significantly from my time with him. He is attentive to the small details of playing, responds quickly to my errors, and introduces many techniques and exercises from his formal music training to help improve my playing. I highly suggest Darren as a teacher. Great teacher, very attentive and helpful, and is passionate about teaching proper form and best practices on the upright bass."
Deanna K.
In-Person Lessons
"I highly recommend Darren. I am an adult learner and started taking lessons with Darren after 2 years of experience playing. He is very flexible and can quickly determine what areas need work and come up with a plan. He has great troubleshooting skills and applies his knowledge and experience to resolve problems. In addition to his teaching skills, he is enthusiastic about the instrument and music, which is motivating. He is also a great resource for music in general. I showed improvement in my playing after the first lesson."
Gabby T.
Online Lessons
"Darren has been a great instructor to my son. He's learning a lot and getting much better thanks to Darren. I wasn't sure how online sessions would work but they are going great. I'm glad I chose Darren."
Thomas M.
Online Lessons
“Absolutely excellent bass instructor!”
Mary-Margaret P.
Online Lessons
“Darren did a wonderful job of preparing me for my audition. He could fix all of my issues and answer all of my questions! Thank you, Darren!!”
Jenna W.
Fellow Colleague
Darren is a wonderful teacher and bassist who is passionate about teaching as well as his own bass practice and performance! I would highly recommend him as a very kind, experienced bass instructor.
Emily W.
Fellow Colleague
"Darren is enthusiastic and always looking for ways to "get through" to a student. He has a contagious passion. Darren works very hard, approaches music with his heart, and has a great attitude."
Kalena B.
Fellow Colleague
"Darren has been great to work with. He is highly motivated and passionate about teaching. I would highly recommend him."
Lee K.
Online Lessons
“Darren is a very good teacher. Would recommend him to any bassist beginner or advanced.”