The Music Studio History

One of the oldest and largest schools of its kind in the region and the country began with an upright piano, a large stuffed bear, a poster of Beethoven, and a strong opinion.

In 1977, founder and Director, Noel Liberty, established The Music Studio in the kindergarten classroom of the old Roessleville School in Albany, New York, determined to teach music differently.

Her objectives were simple: first, to teach music in a way that incorporated high musical standards and felt fun; second, to see students’ musical knowledge and confidence increase, gently and measurably; and third, for the students’ musical experiences to lead to a love of music and be positive for the entire family.

At that time, music classes for young children were very new, but Mrs. Liberty was convinced they were a better fit for the young, beginning student. She spent the first few years experimenting with approaches, methods, and music books, ultimately choosing to create an entirely new program and author her own books.  Knowing the skills students should end up with (working backwards) and having a strong understanding of early childhood development (working forwards), she developed an array of musical activities and games.  Some paired parent and child for both fun and learning, and others helped students become comfortable making music in a group and alone. Using student progress and enjoyment as her guide, she had electric keyboards installed so that each student could play in class, benefiting from individual attention and ensemble play; the acoustic pianos continued to be used so students could better refine their ear and be motivated by the different touch and tone of the instrument. Live musical experiences with professional musicians were included, so that music and musicians would become both more familiar and more treasured, and student performance opportunities were instituted to build confidence and enhance skill development.

The program Mrs. Liberty developed for The Music Studio teaches the fundamentals of music, embraces focused musical play, and provides a building block approach to learning. As enrollment increased, additional teachers joined The Music Studio. Their input and role in the development of The Music Studio has been, and continues to be, invaluable.