A Decade in the Making: Our First Official Concert
(Long read ahead! For a summary, please skip to the last paragraph.)

Ten years ago, The 440 Studio was founded with a clear vision: to set ourselves apart from other music centres. With a Master in Music and Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Music), we have always placed educational quality at the forefront. Great teaching requires great teachers, and attracting talented educators means offering fair compensation. Our lesson fees are not the lowest—once, a music school owner in Sha Tin said, “Oh, you’re the ones with the high fees!”—but nor are they unaffordably high. We are always transparent with families: our fees are not the cheapest, but our teachers are carefully chosen and well supported. The higher fees do not simply go to the business; our teachers receive a greater share than most in the industry. Qualifications are important, but character matters just as much. Most of our teachers have gone through a thorough interview process, demonstrating not only their musicianship but also their communication and values. Even after ten years, this is what sets us apart: our teachers are both highly skilled and genuinely good people. You might see them leading school music classes, but it’s rare to find them teaching at other centres.  (In fact, a quick survey revealed that most of our teachers only teach here!) 

In terms of curriculum, we don’t just offer standard lessons; we strive to innovate. We may have been the first in Hong Kong to introduce a “musical instrument matching” service, drawing on expertise in psychology and a keen sense of observation. Over the years, countless children have been matched with just the right instrument for them—some of those sitting here today were among them—and it has been a joy to watch so many students shine as they grow and flourish in music.

Great teachers and innovative courses need strong administrative support as well. With backgrounds in cultural management and the help of a dedicated IT team, we have always pushed to improve the overall experience. We were among the first centres in Hong Kong to introduce automated lesson reminders — a service now common, but rare a decade ago. The real-time event albums with facial recognition you see today are another industry-first — thank you for being among the first to experience them!

The 440 Studio has always been a little “zen” in our approach. We don’t push students to endlessly chase exams, grades, or certificates. Every student learns at their own pace; some move quickly, others take their time. Our goal is not to produce professional musicians, but to help students find enjoyment and enrichment through music. Music should be a source of relaxation, not stress. Thanks to our teachers, we have created a joyful learning environment. Only when a student truly needs a certificate do we suggest taking an exam. Even with this relaxed approach, many of our students have gone on to achieve Grade 8—and parents have saved quite a bit on exam fees along the way!

Looking back over the past decade, there have been so many memorable moments: moving to new premises, adapting to online learning, organizing music exchanges with a school in Zimbabwe, and arranging public performances for our teachers in shopping malls. All these experiences stem from our belief in mutual growth between teachers and students, which is also the true meaning behind our concert tagline: “Together We Grow, Together We Create Music.”

This year’s concert is guided by the same spirit. In planning the program, we’ve included not just solo performances, but also a variety of ensemble acts. There are not only those “star” performers, but also students who are just starting out and others still working hard on their journey. Performances include not just student groups, but also collaborations between students and teachers. Teachers, too, are stepping out of their comfort zones — some even joined an impromptu recorder ensemble, performing on an instrument they don’t usually play. The message we wish to convey is this: through dedication, students can surpass their mentors (as you’ll see in the free-spirited teacher ensemble at the end!), and even teachers can have those “ten years of practice offstage, only to have a wild minute of chaos onstage” moments (you’ll see what happened in the recorder ensemble!). Ultimately, what matters most is that we are all here together, enjoying the stage, sharing our music, and presenting the fruits of our collective efforts to everyone in the audience. A special thanks goes to the teams at The 440 Studio and The 440 Productions for their dedication throughout the planning process—for challenging many of my wild ideas, while also working hard to bring the more feasible ones to life. Without their efforts, today’s concert would not have been possible.

Above all, our heartfelt thanks go out to every parent and student for your trust, every teacher for walking this journey with us, and every member of our administrative team for your support. Without you, The 440 would not be what it is today. Thank you for letting us meet on this unique frequency!