HOLLAND, Ruby

In 1958, Martha Ruby Holland (nee Nicholson) founded the first Ruby Holland School of Music in Guyana. She was an avid believer in music education and the art. She believed that everyone possessed creative talent and spent her life providing artistic opportunities for students regardless of their age, social standing or financial means.

Martha’s approach to teaching music (the piano) was unique and quite enriching. She offered her students a rich array of artistic experiences in performance, vocal pedagogy, piano techniques, poetic interpretation and theatrical acting. Musical plays were always a part of the recital program. She was a caring and dedicated teacher who touched the lives of many in her community. One of her greatest gifts was the ability to bring out hidden talents in each of her students. Her teaching principles were patterned against the graded-curriculum guidelines of the Royal School of Music, London, England.