PIANO TEACHER

Irene Bower

Irene Bower, founder and director of the Academy, also teaches piano, keyboard, harmonica and electronic organ. She is recognized as a leading music educator. She is well known for her energetic and holistic teaching combined with excellence in artistic musical performance.

Irene was born in Hong Kong, the youngest daughter of Portuguese parents. She started singing at the age of four, playing the drums in the family band at the age of five and started learning the piano at the age of eight from Professor Andrew Chow for 10 years. She graduated from the Royal School of Music. After graduating as a music teacher she went on to teach music for four years at the Yamaha Music Foundation.

In both 1979 and 1980 she was the winner of the Yamaha Guitar Festival held in Hong Kong for vocal and guitar. Throughout her career, she directed, organized and performed in concerts, competitions and festivals for the Arts Council at the Hong Kong City Hall.

Irene came to New Zealand in 1991. For the first eight years she taught Japanese language at St Mary’s College as well as teaching modern music at Technics Music Academy in Wellington. However, Irene’s first love is music, and she strongly believes that whatever experience is gained in music should be put back into music. Therefore in 2001 she started her own music business.

Irene is also the proud mum of her equally talented daughter Jacqui Rodrigues, songwriter and lead guitarist whose band won first place in a national competition as Wellington's Top All Girl Rock Band in her college years with her original music composition. The band appeared on television and performed at the Levin Club and other clubs at the time. Jacqui is now working towards furthering her career as a film makeup artist.

Irene is also multi-lingual. As well as English she speaks her native language of Portuguese as well as Cantonese and Japanese and welcomes students from all countries and cultures.

Want to learn piano, piano keyboard or advance your music skills?
E-mail Irene

Electric Guitar Teacher

Douglas Ten Broeke

"I have played electric and acoustic guitar for ten years – since I was 13 years old. I have been a part of many bands in a variety of genres such as rock, metal, jazz and experimental.

I studied at Whitireia's Music department for five years and received a Gibson J45 acoustic guitar for "outstanding student".

At the moment I am living as a full time musician, teaching guitar and playing out live regularly. My current bands include The Mystery Machine, Amarna and Demon Fetal Harvest.

Music is my life, and forever will be."

GUITAR TEACHER

A.J. RIBEIRO

A.J. Ribeiro is one of the most adventurous and versatile international solo artists in flamenco, jazz-rock fusion and classic guitar music in New Zealand. Along the way A.J.Ribeiro has generously shared her insights with aspiring guitarists through private teaching, including classes at the "World Music Academy".

As a soloist and as a teacher A.J. Ribeiro reflects on her Portuguese heritage, how to build technique, the correct understanding of time, the meditative approach to the instrument, and the emotional center that is the foundation of her virtuosity.

Born in Hong Kong of Portuguese ancestry, she came from a musical family background. She took up the guitar at the age of nine, starting with folk and pop, and then devoted herself to classical Flamenco guitar and studied for many years under Professor Alim Utama from Indonesia.

In 1978 she won the Yamaha Guitar Festival and represented Hong Kong in the South East Asia Guitar Festival held in Bangkok where she performed for the King and Queen of Thailand.

She taught the guitar at Rockson Piano Company, the Musical Society, HK Cable & Wireless, lectured as Master classes and was a Director of The Flamenco Club together with her sister Irene.

Ann welcomed Maestro Juan Martin, Flamenco Guitarist from Spain, attended his workshops and performed for him. She traveled with her family to Portugal in 1985 and performed on Air Radio in Portugal. She also furthered Gypsy-Flamenco studies in Spain. She immigrated to New Zealand in 1989 sponsored by the New Zealand School of Music.

You can visit her website www.playtheguitar.co.nz

For lessons with Ann, please E-mail

VIOLIN TEACHER

FAIDA P. MAGSOMBOL

Aida was born in the Philippines. Her first musical instrument is Banduria (Philippine 14 stringed instrument) taught by his father. At the age of nine she plays piano, guitar, drums and double bass. She is also church organist and member of Rondalla (Philippine Local String Group).

She pursued her musical career by taking up Conservatory of Music major in Violin at the College of Music in University of the Philippines and graduated with bachelor’s degree in Music Education at Centro Escolar University. She used to work at International School Manila as Middle School and High School String Assistant Teacher and Elementary Violin Teacher for seven years. She is one of the Philippine delegates to 2nd. and 3rd Asian Music Workshop held in Brunei Darussalam and Jakarta, Indonesia. She performed and travelled with different foreign artists in different ASIAN countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Hongkong.

She is current playing violin with Wellington Chamber Orchestra.

If you would like violin lessons from Aida, please
Email