New school hits right note
Bringing musicians together is just one of the hopes Grace Liu has for her new music school in north Auckland.
Based in central Albany, the Albany School of Music was officially opened on May 21.
Head of school, Liu, who also founded the Remuera Music Academy in 2014, said she took a collaborative approach to music education.
‘‘Learning music is more about sharing with other people,’’ she said.
‘‘We want all the students to have a lot of opportunities to share this music with the public not just with your family but with your friends.’’
An accomplished flautist herself, Liu said music is also about learning to communicate through music with strangers.
Originally from Beijing, Liu began her musical career on the violin as a 6-year-old, but switched to the flute when she was 9. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Zurich, Switzerland and then her master’s based at a conservatory in Lugano.
The school offers individual lessons, along with music language, where students learn more about theory, music history and composers.
It has 80 students so far. Realising there was a need for such a centre on the North Shore, Liu and her husband, Tony, began preparations for another school in Albany in 2016.
The building, which was purpose-built, contains a recording studio and salon for concerts. Performance workshops are also offered fortnightly.
The school also plans to offer many concerts during the year.
Former director of the Howick School of Music and advisor Terry Spragg said she believed Liu and her husband had ‘‘great foresight’’ to open the school.