Questions
Five Questions with Noel Liberty: Founder and director of The Music Studio in Albany, Liberty has been a music instructor to more than 15,000 Capital Region children. She teaches more than just how to play the right notes – she instills in the children a love and appreciation for music.
1 What led you to create The Music Studio?
I began by teaching piano lessons but I felt that just teaching my students to hit the right note with the right finger at the right time was skipping a step. Better to start with an understanding of the big world of music—rhythm and pitch and even feelings—to put those notes in context. To make them mean something. The Music Studio grew from that idea.
2 What can students expect during their time at The Music Studio?
They can expect to be challenged to meet high standards and to be supported in everything new that they try. They can expect to become a member of our family, which, though it includes more than 15,000alumni, . feels warm
FROMPAGE 3 and safe when you’re in our music-filled halls and classrooms. And I think they’ll be surprised to find out how much fun such highly structured learning can be. Laughter and joy are a part of every class.
3 What would you say is your favorite part of your job?
I love the range of ages and levels I get to work with -- from 2-year-olds bouncing to music to high school pianists mastering a Chopin etude. At every level, I think my favorite thing is that moment when a child gets a new concept or learns a new skill for the first time. It’s just thrilling.
4 How does learning music benefit kids? Well first of all, we’re musicians who love music and respect its power, and we believe very strongly that music is worthwhile for its own sake. It’s an essential means of human expression and a huge part of our cultural and emotional lives. That said, of course, we all know about the ancillary benefits: the boost in cognitive function and self-control, the increase in verbal ability and hand-eye coordination, and so on. And the way we do it at The Music Studio, learning mu--
sic also helps children learn to perform comfortably in front of others, to see the connection between effort and mastery, to strive for excellence.
5 How can someone learn more about what The Music Studio has to offer? The best way to learn more about what we do would be to come see for yourself. The Music Studio will be hosting multiple open houses in the beginning of September, and everyone is welcome to join us. For more information on our open houses as well as how to enroll in classes this fall, visit our website at themusicstudio.com. Or call us at (518) 459-7799.