For us, music is more than just a passion, it’s a way to connect with others, express ourselves, learn greater focus, and create a sense of personal accomplishment. We are a growing music community, constantly expanding our program offerings to include more exciting performance opportunities and optimal family involvement.
All of our instructors are seasoned musicians with higher education who understand that learning to play an instrument requires structure and discipline mixed with the right balance of fun and enthusiasm. They understand that learning should be enjoyable but also present a challenge, and they pride themselves on catering to the individual learning needs of each one of their students. It is our goal to create a nurturing, supportive, and encouraging environment for our students, where they feel comfortable being themselves and inspired to push their abilities to the next level.
With the right balance of inspiration and thoughtful instruction, every child can develop into a capable and expressive musician. Our students will receive exceptional training in an inclusive and rewarding environment, where everyone is encouraged to achieve their personal bests. Skills taught at our school will provide positive and long-lasting benefits to our students, both in and out of the classroom. Problem-solving, perseverance, dedication, self-discipline, and resilience are only a few.
We welcome you to our school community and look forward to being a part of your family’s arts education.
Office Hours
Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Studio Reception Hours
1461 Gerrard Street East
Danceandmusic.ca
Info@danceandmusic.ca
416.807.1997
Our facilities have been designed with the needs of our students and their families in mind:
Registration Deposit: When registering for music lessons, you must submit a method of monthly payment. In order to secure your chosen teacher and timeslot, we require a deposit of 1 month’s tuition in advance. This will be paid at the time of registration and will be used towards your last month of lessons. It is understood that when you register for music lessons, your intention is to commit to attending your weekly lessons until the end of the school year in June.
Billing: Your account will be billed a prorated amount based on the number of lessons in the month, on the 1st of every month. This monthly tuition is charged to your credit card or debited from your bank account using autopay, our monthly pre-authorized payment system.
Cancellation: If you choose to cancel your lessons before the end of the 10-month school year, you will need to provide 30 days’ written notice (by email) and your pre-paid registration deposit will be used to cover your last month of lessons. For any questions related to payments, refunds, and cancellations, please contact our administrative staff.
Statements: Transaction history may be viewed online in your Parent Portal at your convenience.
Potential Expenses: In order to maximize the benefits of your music lessons, additional materials may be required. Your teacher may recommend certain books or sheet music for purchase throughout the school year. Information about recommended materials will be communicated to parents before the family account is charged.
There will be opportunities to perform throughout the school year. Students are welcome to attend one (or both) of our Music Play Day Workshops. And we will host our year-end recitals in June. These events may require purchasing tickets or paying participation fees. Any payment required will be communicated in advance by email or written notice.
Who to Contact
Should you need any assistance, please consult the information below about who to contact.
Daphne MacDonald, School Administrator: daphne@danceandmusic.ca
Kristen Dennis, School Director: kristen@danceandmusic.ca
General Inquiries: info@danceandmusic.ca
Music School Terms
Lessons will begin in September and end in June to correspond with the school year. Our instructional year is divided into 2 terms. The dates for this year’s terms are as follows:
Summer Music Lessons
For some students, taking an extended break from music lessons in the summer can cause a major setback in progress or leave them without a weekly outlet for their stress and personal enjoyment. The regular school year will conclude in June, however, we offer a limited number of spots each summer for private music lessons. In order to secure a summer music lesson time slot, a minimum 6-class commitment over the 8-week session is required. The schedule for our summer classes will be shared in the spring. Summer lessons are not eligible for make-up lessons or refunds due to the limited number of spots available.
Trial Lessons
A one-time trial lesson may be scheduled for students who would like to test out an instrument or teacher before committing. The first trial lesson is free, however, if you need to cancel a trial lesson, 24 hours’ notice must be provided to be eligible for another trial lesson at no cost.
Music Play Day Workshops
Music Play Day Workshops will run twice per school year. These classes are low-stress, student-only performance workshops where students prepare and perform a piece of their choice for their peers. The purpose of the class is to give students experience performing in front of an audience and to increase confidence with their instrument. A small participation fee is required to attend these workshops. Details about registration will be communicated throughout the school year.
Parent Viewing Week
Parent Viewing Week presents an excellent opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher, ask questions, and get updates on your child’s progress. During this week, parents are invited to sit in for the last 15 minutes of their child’s music lesson. Information about Parent Viewing Week will be communicated throughout the school year.
Year-End Recital
At the end of every school year, we host recitals for our music students. The year-end music recitals can be both exciting and intimidating for some students. But, the benefits of pushing boundaries and gaining a sense of achievement, and the personal pride that comes with participating, are invaluable parts of their development. The recital provides a focal point to work towards throughout the year, offering an opportunity for students to show off their skills, increase their self-confidence, and be inspired by their fellow students and teachers.
The recital will take place in the second-floor ballroom of our school and is free for performers, but tickets will be required for audience members. We encourage all students to participate in this recital regardless of skill or experience level. At the recital, each student will be treated with compassion and care as they are gently encouraged to achieve their personal bests.
While attending classes or waiting at the school for students to begin or finish classes, we kindly ask that students and parents please adhere to the following studio etiquette:
In the Music Studios
For an optimal learning experience, it is important that we keep our music studios clean, safe, and distraction-free. Food and beverages, with the exception of water, will not be permitted inside the music classrooms. Please finish eating snacks or meals before attending class. Toys and cell phones will also not be allowed in music classrooms, as they are distracting. If you bring a cell phone into the studio, we ask that it remains on silent and tucked away inside a bag or jacket. Students are also asked to thoroughly wash their hands before their lessons.
Parents in the Music Studios
Unless invited into the classroom by the teacher, parents must remain outside the music classroom, in the music hallway, for the duration of the music lesson.
Our instructors work privately with their students in a one-on-one environment. Parents wishing to sit in on lessons will be invited to do so during our designated Parent Viewing Week in December. If you have concerns about your child’s lessons, progression, behaviour, or anything at all, please email the school at info@danceandmusic.ca to discuss. Some parents may be invited to sit in on lessons more frequently, but this is at the discretion of the individual instructor.
In the Hallway
While waiting for lessons, please remain quiet in the hallway and please refrain from gathering outside of the classroom doors. Sound transfers easily and we would like our students to be able to learn without distraction. If you have questions for your teacher, please initiate a conversation at the beginning of the lesson to avoid running over into the next student’s lesson time. If further communication is required, it is possible to arrange a discussion with the teacher via the School Administrator or School Director.
Attendance
It is important for students to attend their lessons every week and to arrive on time in order to ensure steady progress. Students are expected to arrive on time with lesson materials in hand. Failure to show up consistently for lessons will result in slow progress and make achieving goals very difficult. Long interruptions in attendance can lead to frustrating setbacks where students must spend extra time reviewing material in order to catch up.
Student Behaviour
During lessons, students are expected to listen to their teacher’s instructions and behave in a polite and respectful manner. Proper lesson etiquette includes: listening and completing exercises as asked, using respectful language, remaining seated unless instructed by their teacher, and treating their instrument with respect.
Picking Up Students on Time
We cannot offer childcare beyond lesson times. Please plan to meet your child at the door of their music classroom to pick them up exactly when their lesson ends. Should the teacher not see you when your child’s lesson is over, the child will be asked to sit in the music corridor to wait for you, however, they will be unsupervised. If there is a chance that you won’t make it back before your child’s lesson is over and they are not old enough to be left unsupervised, please plan to remain on-site for the duration of the lesson. In the past, some instructors have walked children who are not picked up on time upstairs to sit with our reception staff, however, this will no longer be possible, as it cuts into the next lesson.
Class Cancellation
Classes may be cancelled easily by submitting an absence through your Parent Portal. In order to secure your 1 make-up credit per term, you must cancel your lesson with at least 24 hours’ notice. Please see the section on make-up credits for more details. If the student can no longer attend their regularly scheduled lesson time, please inform the School Administrator as soon as possible to find a new suitable time.
Make-Up Credit Policy
Each student is entitled to 1 make-up credit per school term. There are 2 terms per school year, one ending in late January and the second ending in June. To qualify for a make-up credit, you will need to cancel the original lesson with at least 24 hours’ notice. Students who do not provide at least 24 hours’ notice will not be eligible for a make-up credit. If you are eligible for a make-up credit, please call or email the school administrator, who will apply the credit to your account.
Student Illness
If a student shows up ill for a lesson, jeopardizing the health of other students and the teacher, the teacher may opt to send the student home and the missed lesson will be treated as a late cancellation with no make-up credit available.
Teacher Absence
You will be notified in advance if your teacher plans to be absent from your lesson. A studio-approved substitute teacher will be provided, and your lesson will continue as usual at your regular lesson time. Teachers will communicate student information to the substitute teacher to keep students progressing as planned. If your teacher is sick, an attempt will be made to find a studio-approved substitute teacher until your teacher is well enough to return to teaching. If a substitute cannot be provided, a credit will be issued to the student’s account.
Inclement Weather Days
In the event of dangerous weather conditions, the studio will close. Notification of school closures will be delivered by email no later than 12:00pm on the day of the event. Lessons will be cancelled and a credit will be issued to the student’s account.
Guitar & Bass
Classes in acoustic or electric guitar and bass are offered at the studio. Beginner students first learn to interact with the instrument (strings, frets, finger placement), learn basic technical concepts, and from there move into either a tab-based song stream or a sheet music-based structure. Your teacher will select a program based on the student’s interests and tailor the lesson structure based on the student’s learning style and pace.
Ukulele
The ukulele is a fun instrument for beginners or anyone who would like to take up a new and enjoyable hobby. The ukulele is small and easy to handle, which makes it a great option for any student whose fingers aren’t quite ready for a guitar or would prefer an easy-to-carry instrument. Students will begin by learning basic chords and strumming patterns for their favourite songs and then continue on to learn to pick melodies and play along with fellow students. The ukulele is also an excellent instrument to learn the basics of music and music theory.
Drums
Drum lessons focus on technique and musicianship. During lessons, students will focus on building strength, learning to read and understand rhythms, and learning to play along and keep time with their teacher. Method books are often used for beginners in addition to music or short rhythms your teacher will select based on the student’s personal music preference or goals. Opportunities for student collaboration will be offered throughout the school year.
Voice
Many students come to vocal lessons with an idea about a particular song they want to learn or an artist they admire and want to emulate. Teachers will listen to their ideas but guide them in a direction that will teach them to sing in a safe and gradual way, slowly improving their ability to build a real foundation without damaging vocal cords. Vocal lessons teach students to sing with confidence and use the correct technique. Exercises and warm-ups are key, and students will be taught how to execute these on their own to practice at home.
Piano
Learning to play the piano is a skill that is appreciated at all ages. The piano is an excellent instrument to begin your musical journey because of the ease of creating a pleasing sound quickly, the depth of options in musical styles available, and the transferability of musical knowledge from the piano to other instruments. There is something for everyone in learning the piano, from taking RCM piano exams to learning to play the melody of your favourite pop song; or taking a classical course to improve coordination, relaxation, and a state of mental focus, and to gain a sense of personal achievement. Our instructors take the time to learn your goals and musical style before they decide on the appropriate curriculum for your lessons.
Instruments Available for Use: Although we encourage you to rent or purchase an instrument for practice at home, we are happy to provide a drum kit, pianos, electric and acoustic guitars (including child sizes), electric bass, and acoustic ukuleles for in-studio use.
Musicians show respect for themselves by:
Musicians show respect for their teacher and art form by:
Musicians show respect for the school by:
Parents show respect for the music lesson, teachers, and school by:
Together we can continue to keep our outstanding community strong!
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