Hertfordshire Music Service Reviews 

I echo what others have said about the requirement to make large payments well in advance of lessons, followed by fairly aggressive cancellation warnings if payment is not made within 14 days. A more reasonable approach would be to offer flexible payment options, as is common with most children’s clubs, or at least align payments more closely with the term itself.

My experience with the lessons has also been inconsistent. Since joining, there has been at least one cancelled lesson per term. More concerning was an extended teacher absence in February, during which no replacement was provided. This was not a last-minute issue—there was sufficient notice—so it is difficult to understand why cover could not be arranged.

The default response from HMS is to rely on their terms and conditions and issue credits or refunds for missed lessons. While this addresses the financial aspect, it fails to account for the disruption to a child’s learning and the loss of continuity, which is arguably the more important issue.

I have suggested that a more effective solution would be to put a contingency plan in place, such as having cover teachers available to step in at short notice. This is a fairly standard approach in many services and would help ensure continuity for students. While unexpected illness is understandable, the frequency of cancellations experienced suggests a more proactive system is needed.

Overall, the current approach feels overly administrative—focused on payments and refunds—rather than on delivering a consistent and reliable learning experience for students.

Edit:

Their below response is an absolute red flag for anyone viewing this. plenty of waffle about appreciating the feedback with the 'promise' of reviewing processes but have failed to do this since the first negative review in July 2025 about the challenge with payments. seems theyve been doing a lot of 'exploring' regarding payment options probably why they need the money. Its a classic copy and paste response to ensure the algorythm works in their favour (ensuring they have a response to all comments). Firmly moved me from 2 star response to 1 star.

My child really enjoys the wind band sessions at Bishop’s Stortford Music Centre. Friendly tutors, great atmosphere, and a big boost to their confidence. Highly recommend!

As Christmas approaches we have attended the fourth of the concerts that my children have played in during the course of December. Although not all of these concerts were arranged by Hertfordshire Music Service, all of them were enabled by it because of the fantastic teaching that they have given my children. I cannot praise the teachers at this music service highly enough: they have turned my children into accomplished musicians, given them the confidence to perform in public and just as importantly provided them with a wonderful community of other musicians of all different ages drawn from many different schools in the local area and created lasting friendships in the process. HMS has given my children such amazing experiences performing in such a variety of venues. We are so fortunate to have had access to this music service and the teachers who work for it.

My child really enjoys the Sing, Make, Play sessions! The staff are friendly and welcoming, and each session is fun and creative. It’s a great way for kids to explore music and build confidence. Highly recommended!

Wonderful experience with HMS. The teaching is fantastic, and my child looks forward to every lesson. I really appreciate how clearly and promptly the team communicates. I'm always kept in the loop, which makes a big difference as a parent.

I found the whole experience quite bizarre. You ask to borrow an instrument and no one gets back to you. Even when chased. Then all of a sudden you get 14 days to pay a bill and lessons start. Without an instrument. So then you have to purchase that as well. Lessons were good and teacher seemed nice. Then another bill hits without a pay day within the 14 days.
Customer service is shocking. You ask questions and you are thanked for your feedback without them actually giving you any answers
I don’t believe this is making music ‘available to all’. It is just as easy- if not easier to find someone local to have private lessons with and not have to fork out £200+ 9 weeks before the lessons even start. It’s a shame as I have now pulled both my kids out of lessons with hms.

My son absolutely loves his guitar lessons with Hertfordshire Music Service! His tutor is fantastic—encouraging, skilled, and makes learning fun. Communication from the team has been clear and supportive throughout. Couldn’t be happier with the experience!

The teachers are good and very helpful. But I don't understand why the payment request has to be so early, and there is no direct debit monthly pay system. I have just received an email demanding payment within 14 days for the term starting in September. That's £300+ demanded in 14 days!!!! A direct debit with a monthly payment would be more convenient and demonstrate greater compassion from HMS. Seems like a heartless organisation.

The music teacher is great and when I contact her directly she always comes back to me in a timely manner. She has has helped me chase HMS when I didn't get a response. Unfortunately it is very difficult to get a response from HMS. I was chasing the hire team for 2 months and spoke to the same person 3 times before they suggested hiring from another company because they couldn't get in touch with anyone from that department.

HMS has been a great service for my daughter. She has thrived under Mr Winter's tutorship and is really enjoying her piano lessons.

I’ve been really impressed with the music service—not just the quality of the lessons, but also how clear and timely the communication has been. The staff are incredibly helpful and committed, and my child has really benefited from both the lessons and the group activities.

Firstly I can’t fault the music teachers themselves as they are kind, encouraging and really do get the best out of children. However, the way HMS is run leaves A LOT to be desired. There is no direct debit option to spread payments throughout the year, you are expected to pay lump sums more than one term ahead of time (so I’m paying for September to December lessons upfront in July). The email communication from HMS is poor, when you start you maybe get a week’s notice that your child is enrolled and then have 14 days to pay for all the lessons that term (£100+). When you complain they don’t my care and threaten to cancel lessons if you don’t pay. HMS know they have a captive audience with parents so they run the service in a lazy way and take the piss in a way a private business couldn’t!

Update: this is the response I received on 8th April, a completely different tone to the public reply on 3rd July:

Thank you for recent correspondence and for taking the time to offer your feedback on our invoicing process.

During the pandemic Hertfordshire Music Service (HMS) supported families during those difficult times by billing in arrears and allowing more flexibility with payment terms. However, it is no longer financially sustainable for HMS to provide tuition which for some customers remains unpaid after the 14 days payment term. Payment in advance is common practice for many other music services and extra curricula activities for children and young people so many of our customers are already used to this practice.

HMS invoice termly in advance and payment must be made within 14 days of the date of the invoice (as stated in our terms and conditions). If payment is not received within the 14 days, we withdraw the offer of tuition for the following term. We do understand that upfront billing may not work for all families but hope that you will appreciate the reasons as to why this is in place.

Unfortunately, we are currently unable to offer direct debit payments due to restrictions placed upon us by Herts County Council. I hope that this has helped to resolve your query, however if you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let us know.

HMS has been great for my child. The teachers are friendly and patient, and my child really enjoys the lessons. It’s a lovely way for kids to build confidence and learn new skills through music. Highly recommend!

My child has grown so much in confidence and musical ability thanks to their inspiring lessons and events. Communication is clear, and the staff genuinely care. Highly recommend to any parent or student looking for quality music education.

I have had a really good experience with HMS. The team are friendly and helpful, and it's clear they genuinely care about giving kids the chance to enjoy and learn music. Communication has been great too.

My child has been learning guitar through Hertfordshire Music Service, and the experience has been outstanding. The tutor is skilled, patient, and really connects with young learners. We've seen great progress and growing confidence. Highly recommend HMS for anyone looking for quality music education!

The teachers were knowledgeable and friendly. My children have lessons every week and enjoy going to the music centre.

Great service - thank you.