In honor of International Music Day, started in 1975, I’m sharing my love for a local music studio in North Burnaby that has been a staple in introducing my children to their love of music. Staccato Studios and I go way back. When my daughter was wee, way back in 2005, I attended a Music and Baby class at the local community centre. I liked the price and the short 4 week commitment so I could test the waters. From that first class on, Amy’s love for music bloomed and I did not hesitate to sign her up for the 10 week Music Together class at Staccato Studios that our music leader Kera Doherty was teaching.
We fell in love with Kera and the Music Together program which packs a lot into a short amount of time. Starting the class off with the Hello Song and ending with the Goodbye song were great for learning names, having audio cues to help with the routine of class, and it is beyond cute to see all the different reactions from the children as everyone sings their name. Every class also has a free play song where instruments are dumped out for exploration, a dance or three, lots of rhythms and tonal patterns and a lullaby to settle in for a snuggle after all the musical fun.
And to add to the whole experience, each child is sent home with a song book and 2 CDs of all the songs used in that session! With nine sessions that follow in sequence, that is years of different classes should you choose to continue. We did nearly all of them!
Fast forward a handful of years and Amy has participated in 2 school musicals, Lunch box Theatre and a talent show. When she asked us about voice lessons, we immediately thought of Staccato Studios, now owned by Kera and her husband, as they provide not only early childhood music classes, but classes for all ages in voice, piano, drums and string instruments. Always wanting to do a trial period lest my darling daughter change her mind part way through, we enrolled her in a summer group singing camp at Staccato where she had a blast preparing a pop medley for the recital at the end. It’s wonderful to hear your child sing…in the shower, in the car, on stage, it doesn’t matter. As parents we love it, and it made us ultra proud to watch her perform. We were sold on a year (Sept-June) of voice lessons and were not disappointed. Her instructor really got to know her, help her work on her weaknesses and point out her strengths.
The students are given a lot of control in their song selections and are given a few opportunities to show off what they have been working so hard at in front of other Staccato students and families at their recitals at the studio. I can’t say enough about these recitals and the students in them – they really are a talented bunch and it is so wonderful to see them show off their progress and be acknowledged by a huge round of applause. I also love that some of the instructors are students themselves! To have such a passion for music that you not only teach, but strive to learn more yourself and pick up other instruments, to me, shows a wonderful dedication and makes for an incredibly supportive learning environment.
This fall will be the beginning of Amy’s second year of voice. She is pretty keen to start piano as well which reminds me of something I heard from Imagination Mover Scott Durbin at their recent concert here in Vancouver: “If I have one word of advice for you guys it would be to learn a musical instrument…you’ll thank us for it later.”
Don’t forget to enter to win a semester of Music Together or private piano lessons at Staccato Music Studios! There’s no better time to start introducing music.
On the frugal side of things; don’t forget to take advantage of the Arts & Physical Activity tax credits, each child receives up to $500 in tax credits per year; per category, so hold onto those Staccato Studios receipts!
