Masaki School of Music

I can’t believe I haven’t wrote a review for Masaki School of Music! I can’t express how much I am impressed with the way that my son has grown and expanded his desire to play the cello. Ms. Nancy Masaki has done such a good job with lessons for my son and through her I have seen how much my son has a passion to play the cello. He sometimes takes lessons under her guidance or another instructor as Nancy is active in the Hawaii Symphony as well. Recitals, the symphony, and other events that pertain to music are encouraged and the students are kept abreast of events and most times with a student discount.
My daughter has recently started guitar and voice lessons with Ms. Rachel. We have tried many other places for lessons and she enjoys this location the most. She precisely took lessons from Ms Rachel and is so happy to be back with her again!
I love how the instructors are passionate with what they do. It really makes a difference!

My wife and I were discussing the merits of learning an instrument at an early age for our three children one day. The discussion evolved into the decision that our three girls will take piano lessons, not with the intention of turning them into professional musicians one day, but we felt structured lessons would teach them discipline and the value of practice through the joy of music. I thought the most logical place to find a teacher was probably through a piano dealer or school. As we drove through town and searched the internet through my phone, I came across the Masaki School of Music. I read positive reviews about the school and read heartwarming articles about the founder of the school, Ellen Masaki. (Those curious enough to read this far into my review, do a quick search on her and the remarkable influence she had on her many piano students.)
I had never given a second glance to the second floor music school on the corner of Ward and Auahi Street, but since I was nearby, I decided to inquire. I knocked on the office door and introduced myself to a very soft spoken and gentle lady named Nancy Masaki. I explained what we wanted for our kids and she asked me if I would be interested in allowing my older (5 and 4 year old) girls to participate in a music exploration class to measure their interest level. Fortuitously for us and completely by chance, the class was starting in just a few hours. We decided to come back, and after seeing how much they enjoyed Dr. Chet-​Yeng Loong’s class (Her classes are genius, by the way) we signed up for the several week course. After the course was completed, my girls clamored for more music. We began formal 30 minute weekly lessons with a wonderful young lady named Miss Noe, several weeks later. My girls adore her. She is a great teacher, and I am amazed by their rapid progression after only six months of instruction.
We started with a rental digital piano, and then purchased a cheap digital piano from Costco for the girls to practice on while we looked for an acoustic piano. A word of caution for parents in a similar situation, the learning curve on pianos is steep. I read way more about pianos than I ever thought I would, and after doing so, decided that a quality piano would suit our situation. I wanted something that our kids would not quickly outgrow, and since the school uses Charles Walter pianos, we decided to invest in one. The school is a dealer for Charles Walter pianos, and we ordered one through them. If you are anything like me, you will come to the conclusion that the family owned, hand-​made-​in-​the –USA, over engineered pianos that come out of the Charles Walter factory in Indiana is the smart choice. It is an upright with a 57 inch bass string, which is comparable to a 5’8″ grand piano… something rare in the world of upright pianos. Delignit pin block and Renner action from Germany, cast iron plate made by Steinway owned O.S. Kelly foundry… this piano is no joke. (Parents, you too will soon speak piano geek when you buy your first piano). Our piano arrived two days ago and it is absolutely beautiful. No regrets. It sounds magnificent in tone and plays beautifully. My three year old now wants to take piano lessons like her big sisters so she can someday play her favorite Disney songs (Oh, God please help) over and over.
If you have read this far, you must be pretty serious about finding a great school for your children. Check into the school and see for yourself. Nancy has done a fine job continuing her mom’s legacy in promoting music education for children in Hawaii. I believe you too will feel the same way as I do about this school.
Be prepared though, (As I failed to anticipate this small aspect of piano classes), if you have young kids like me, YOU will unwittingly turn into a piano student/​teacher as they will need to practice every day… Every.Good.Boy.Does.Fine…Green.Birds.Don’t.Fly.Away…All.Cows.Eat.Grass…Treble Clef. Bass Clef… Legato. Staccato… WILL SOON INVADE YOUR DREAMS! Musical notes will flutter in and out of your consciousness as you sleep. Yes, we all love our kids, but you have been warned.

For a mother of a young boy who’s been taking piano lessons, this place gives him the right tools and encouragement to learn at his own pace. My son enjoys he’s weekly lessons with his teacher Ms Rosy and also benefits from the «Buddy Lessons» given by the advanced students at the school. The school also offers classes in other instruments like cello, violin and even Karaōke :) It makes me wish I had been a student here growing up.

As a little girl my mother took me to many piano teachers over the years and I played until I was about 15 years old. I remember how much I hated to practice and I regret that I did not continue taking lessons because to this day I still love listening to and playing the piano. My BF just bought me a keyboard and when I get stressed out it is so relaxing to be able to play music. Now that I have two little ones (4 & 6 years old) I want them to discover the joy of music and learn how to play the piano. So with that I went in search of a piano teacher. I ended up taking them to the Ellen Masaki School of Music because I remembered that a girl that I had gone to high school with had taken lessons there for years. That and it’s conveniently located near my house. My life is very busy and anything that makes life easier is a bonus!
Their teacher is a lovely lady named Miss Doreen and at first I was really hesitant for them to take lessons from her because on the phone she was a bit out of sorts. She doesn’t always remember things but for the age that they’re at I think she’s perfect. What I really enjoy about her is that she’s extremely encouraging and patient. Lord knows at the end of the work day I don’t have the patience to teach my squirming kiddies how to play the piano. Sorry, kids. Just can’t do it! Thanks to Miss Doreen my son loves taking piano and my daughter has her ups and downs. I think it’s because she’s four and she likes to get silly during her lesson.
I recommend coming to one of the Open House days that they do at the school once every few months. You get to meet the different teachers and see the students play. They’re not always the speediest in returning your phone calls so just keep that in mind so you won’t get frustrated. Lessons are $ 110 a month per kid (4 lessons/​month) and you’ll need to put down a months deposit in addition. In addition they have a practice buddy program where your child can practice with an advanced piano student for $ 5 for half an hour or $ 10 for a full hour. I think that’s quite a deal because at this age I’m the practice buddy. I love sitting outside listening to the different children taking their lessons and hearing the amazing pieces my kids will be able to play in a few short years. Yes, lessons are expensive but you can’t beat the gift of music and even though your kid might not appreciate it now. Trust me, they’ll love you for it later!