Best Music Schools in Palmerston North: Instrument, Voice and Theory Tuition

Choosing between the best music schools in Palmerston North comes down to what you want to play and how you want to learn, whether that is one to one tuition, a small group class, or a graded exam syllabus. Music schools in Palmerston North teach guitar, bass, drums, piano and keyboard, singing, violin and music theory, for children picking up an instrument for the first time and for adults returning to one after years away. Manawatu Musician Makers works across the full range of instruments, while Kevin Downing’s Guitar School concentrates on guitar and bass.

1Manawatu Musician Makers

Manawatu Musician Makers is a music tuition studio teaching guitar, bass, piano, keyboard, drums, vocals, violin and ukulele to students of any age and ability. Lessons are built around each student rather than a fixed course, covering casual playing for enjoyment as well as formal grades, band work and performance. The studio rents the Music Block at Freyberg High School and runs lessons on weekday afternoons during term time.

Services

• Electric, acoustic and classical guitar lessons
• Piano and keyboard lessons, including chord charts and improvisation
• Drum lessons covering rudiments, fills, grooves and kit setup
• Singing lessons covering warm ups, pitching and vocal range
• Bass, violin and ukulele tuition

Highlights

• Graded exams offered through Trinity College London and Rockschool, from Grade 1 to Grade 8
• Tutor Mark Angel is one of three New Zealand examiners for the Rockschool grading system
• Mark Angel is a Registered Guitar Teacher who gigged and recorded in the United Kingdom before moving to New Zealand in 2010
• Teaching team covers guitar, bass, piano, violin, vocals, ukulele and drums, with student shows held through the year

Location & Contact

Name: Manawatu Musician Makers
Address: Music Block, Freyberg High School, 32 Freyberg Street, Palmerston North 4414
Website: musicianmakers.co.nz

2Kevin Downing’s Guitar School

Kevin Downing’s Guitar School teaches guitar and bass guitar from commercial premises on Broadway Avenue, working with students from age eight through to professional players. Lessons are planned around each student’s goals and current playing rather than a single fixed course, and cover rock, blues, jazz, pop, metal, fingerstyle and worship styles. Kevin Downing teaches alongside a team of four other tutors, and students are matched to the teacher who fits their needs.

Services

• One to one guitar lessons for beginners through to professionals
• Bass guitar lessons
• Duo, trio and small group lesson formats
• Free introductory lesson or assessment of current playing ability

Highlights

• Five teachers on staff, with students assigned to the tutor who suits their goals
• Kevin Downing wrote the bass guitar examination syllabus for the Australian and New Zealand Cultural Arts examination board
• Registered music teacher in Australia and New Zealand, with a Post Graduate Certificate in Music Education
• Six published books, including The Secrets of Successful Practicing, and a bi monthly column in New Zealand Musician magazine
• Students gain access to seminars and workshops with visiting guitarists such as Robben Ford, Mike Stern, Carl Verheyen and Chris Cain

Location & Contact

Name: Kevin Downing’s Guitar School
Address: 271 Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North
Phone: 06 357 0057
Website: guitar.co.nz

3EPIC Music Academy

EPIC Music Academy teaches drums, keyboard and guitar to primary aged children, mostly through small group lessons run inside schools during the school day. Tutors travel to the school, set up the gear and take students out of class for a 25 to 30 minute lesson in groups of two to four. The academy runs from an office on Cuba Street in central Palmerston North and also holds school holiday programmes open to any student.

Services

• Small group music lessons in primary schools for students aged seven and over
• Music Foundations classes for year 1 and 2 students, using percussion, drums, ukulele and keyboard
• Drum, keyboard and guitar tuition
• Audition entry band programme at participating schools
• School holiday masterclass programmes

Highlights

• Established in Palmerston North in 2018
• Lessons now run in more than thirty schools across the city for more than a thousand students
• Students track progress with their own tuition book and a coloured wristband system, working up to a black band
• The EPIC Music Foundation funds tuition for students who would not otherwise get the opportunity

Location & Contact

Name: EPIC Music Academy
Address: 112-114 Cuba Street, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North 4410
Phone: 0210 831 9551
Website: epicma.nz

4Try Music

Try Music runs private one to one drum and guitar lessons for children, teenagers and adults from a studio in central Palmerston North. Lessons are built around what each student wants to play, from learning favourite songs through to preparing for performances, and after school and evening times are available. The school was founded in 2015 by drummer Johnny Robert, who still teaches alongside a guitar tutor.

Services

• Private one to one drum lessons
• Private one to one guitar lessons
• Band mentoring and performance preparation
• Trial lessons for students who are new to an instrument

Highlights

• Founded in 2015, teaching from a central Palmerston North studio with after school and evening lesson times
• Director Johnny Robert holds a Distinction in Trinity Grade 8 Drums and has worked as a drum tutor in local high schools
• Guitar tutor Cody Kivell holds Trinity Grade 8 Guitar in Rock and Pop and records and produces student music outside lesson times

Location & Contact

Name: Try Music
Address: Palmerston North
Phone: 027 348 6524
Website: trymusic.co.nz

5Saturday Music

Saturday Music is a non profit community music programme for primary aged children in the Manawatū region, run by the Saturday Music Charitable Trust. Classes are group based rather than private tuition and run on Saturday mornings at Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School, mostly in 30 minute slots between 8.30am and 11.45am. Enrolment is by term and instruments can be hired for students who do not own one.

Services

• Music Basics classes for children aged 4 to 6, covering rhythm, beat, pitch and instrument recognition
• Beginner instrument classes for ages 7 to 13, including cello, drums, guitar and junior flute
• Intermediate classes for students continuing on their instrument
• Ensemble classes and group performance
• Instrument hire for enrolled students

Highlights

• Established more than 55 years ago and run as a non profit organisation
• Managed by the Saturday Music Charitable Trust, a registered charity supported by the Ministry of Education Primary Out-Of-Hours Music Scheme
• Instrument hire funded by the Manawatū Music For Youth Trust, which also covers maintenance and insurance
• Classes held on Saturday mornings at Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School on Linton Street, with parking off South Street

Location & Contact

Name: Saturday Music
Address: Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School, 56 Linton Street, Palmerston North 4410
Website: saturdaymusic.org.nz

Music Schools in Palmerston North at a Glance

How to Choose the Right Music School in Palmerston North

• Check which instruments a school actually teaches, because some studios here specialise in guitar, bass or drums rather than covering everything
• Check whether lessons are one to one or in a small group, because group classes keep costs down while private lessons move at your own pace
• Check whether graded exams such as Trinity College London or Rockschool are offered, because a syllabus gives structure if that suits how you learn
• Check where and when lessons run, because some schools teach inside primary schools during the day and others from a studio after school or in the evening
• Check the tutor’s teaching background and qualifications, because playing an instrument well and teaching it well are different skills
• Check how enrolment and payment work, because term based fees, lesson length and trial lessons vary from one school to the next

Frequently Asked Questions About Palmerston North Music Schools

How much do music lessons in Palmerston North cost?

Fees vary by lesson length, by whether the lesson is private or in a group, and by whether you enrol for a term or a shorter block. Music schools in the city rarely publish fixed rates online, so the usual approach is to make contact, explain the student’s age and experience, and ask for a quote for the lesson format you want. Group classes run inside schools are generally the lower cost option, and one to one studio lessons the higher.

What age can a child start learning music?

Readiness classes that introduce rhythm, pitch and percussion generally start from around four or five years old, before a child commits to a single instrument. Formal instrument classes usually begin from about seven, and guitar tuition often starts from around eight, largely because of hand size and reach. If you are not sure, ask for a trial or introductory lesson and let the tutor assess where the student is.

Do I need my own instrument before I start?

For piano and keyboard you will need something at home to practise on, even if that is a keyboard for the first few months. Drum classes usually provide a kit for lesson use while the student brings sticks and a practice pad. Guitar and string students are normally expected to have their own instrument, tuner and picks, although some community programmes hire instruments out for the year.

Can adults learn, or is a music school only for children?

Several Palmerston North studios teach adults, including complete beginners and people returning to an instrument they played at school. Adult lessons tend to be one to one and scheduled in the evening or during the working day rather than in the after school block. In school and Saturday morning programmes, by contrast, are aimed at primary and intermediate aged children.

What are graded music exams and do I have to sit them?

Graded exams are a structured syllabus, run in New Zealand mostly through Trinity College London and Rockschool, that takes a player from Grade 1 through to Grade 8 in both practical playing and theory. They are almost always optional. Some students find the structure motivating and useful for further study, while others prefer casual lessons built entirely around songs they want to play.

How do I check that a music teacher is qualified?

Music teaching is not a licensed occupation in New Zealand, so there is no register a tutor must appear on before they can teach. The professional body is the Institute of Registered Music Teachers of New Zealand, which keeps a membership register and a teacher search at learnmusicnz.org.nz. Beyond that, ask about the tutor’s own playing qualifications, how long they have taught, and whether they hold a police vet if they work with children.

Which parts of Palmerston North are music schools based in?

Most tuition sits close to the centre. There are studios on Broadway Avenue and on Cuba Street in Palmerston North Central, lessons run in the Music Block at Freyberg High School on Freyberg Street, and Saturday morning classes are held at Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School on Linton Street, with parking off South Street. If you are looking for something closer to a particular suburb, it is worth asking whether the tutor also teaches at a school your child already attends.

Can my child learn music at their own school?

In many Palmerston North primary schools, yes. Providers send tutors into more than thirty schools across the city to run short group lessons during the school day, so the student is collected from class and returned afterwards. Enrolment in that case usually goes through the school office or an online form, and the instruments offered depend on what the provider runs at that particular school.