Hammer & Strings Conservatory Brings Accredited Instructors For Music Education To Gilbert
Liam Chase plays the piano at the Hammer & Strings Conservatory. (Katelyn Reinhart / Community Impact Journal)
From iconic classical compositions to the melodic sound of a wind chime, music can be recognized anywhere. Karali Hunter, owner of the Hammer & Strings Conservatory, has learned that quality music education can be much harder to come by.
With nine instructors and over 100 students, the Hammer & Strings Conservatory survived a pandemic, renovating buildings and trying things like “mom and me” group lessons.
Hunter said the quality of the instructors is what sets the Hammer & Strings Conservatory apart from other establishments.
“It doesn’t matter your age, your level,” she said. “If you’re here, you get elite level training. “
Hunter, who holds a doctorate from Arizona State University’s music program, said all of the instructors had either master’s degrees in music or performers in high demand. Initial interest in music may lead students to Hammer & Strings, but the quality of the lessons keeps them coming back.
Fields of study include piano, violin, cello, viola, voice, and guitar.
Liam Chase has taken piano lessons at Hammer & Strings for the past three months. Her sister, Lilly Chase, has been taking cello lessons since the same time. Both had been playing their instrument of choice for several years from their home in Queen Creek before researching Hammer & Strings.
“Adulthood lasts around eighty years and there’s this little window of opportunity to reach your full potential,” said Lilly and Liam’s mother Nancy Chase. “I’m taking them here because I want them to have this opportunity.”
Pianos can be seen in the multiple rooms of the conservatory; chairs are gathered around the auditorium in preparation for someone to take center stage. As guidelines across the state lift restrictions on social gatherings, Hunter said she was excited to fill more of these seats.
There will be an open house at the Hammer & Strings Conservatory from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on August 28 to recognize the efforts of students and instructors.
“The students here audition in music schools and get scholarships,” Hunter said. “This is the work that we are capable of, and it is the work that we are trying to do.”
Studio names
Karali Hunter names her pianos after famous composers. So when she opened the conservatory, she named the studios after the pianos in the room or others of her favorites.
Prokofiev (piano)
Chopin (piano)
Copland (voice)
Lind (voice)
Chostakovié (guitar)
Ashkenazy (group)
Mozart (group)
Liszt (concert)
Conservatory of hammers and strings
610 N. Gilbert Road, Ste. 400, Gilbert
480-687-5518
Hours: Mon-Sat 9 am-8pm, closed Sun.
