An eight year old girl in Colorado started saving ten per cent of her pocket money for a grand piano, and 29 years later in Alexandra her biggest wish was realised.

Music teacher Liz Conway (40) said she’s always had a deep love and connection to music, and this led her to begin piano lessons at five, despite neither of her parents playing instruments.

“I begged my parents for a grand piano, and said I’d even sleep under it.”

Although her parents were supportive she said they were “more practical” as a grand piano is a big part of any family space. 

A trip to Auckland in 2020 to test out pianos led her to the Schimmel, which she had played previously in the United States and she “knew it was the one”.

The German-made Schimmel grand piano has pride of place in its own music room at Liz’s house, along with a special temperature and humidity control and a twice weekly cleaning procedure. 

Liz said that three years in the piano is “humming and has settled in” sounding better than ever. 

Hear Liz play a portion of her original song ‘Secrets of the River’ on the Schimmel. VIDEO: The Central App

“It’s such a massive thing, there has never been any doubt about the decision.”

She uses it for her teaching as well, allowing students to “immerse themselves” in the immense sound of the grand piano.

Liz said she feels a responsibility to share the beautiful things she is creating and it is an “absolute honour” to be able to do so. 

She said loves how music can help to heal or give people a sense of calm. 

She retells a moment when a student who was having a hard time, heard a piano song she had written for the first time and said to her “finally some peace.”

“Giving moments of peace in all the chaos, that’s why I do it.”

Liz is releasing an album of her original songs, many of them a result of the “huge lift” from the piano’s arrival. 

“Recording the piano songs, there is a realness to them, nothing that replaces a real person and a real instrument, it can’t be edited out.”

She said the album contains love songs and life songs, written in the context of being a mum, friend and wife in this community. 

They are piano or guitar based with a vocal accompaniment, and some recorded together with husband Jono.

“I record, mix and do everything myself… a lot of my songwriting happens in the evening, sitting and taking creative time. [It’s] hard to shift into [that] discipline to get [a song] to a form of completion.”

Liz is playing an evening of acoustic guitar, piano and vocal music next week at Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery.

Find out more here: Jono & Liz Conway Live in Concert.