2012-01-20

Motif Practice-a-thon

Thank you to all the students who were involved with our first ever practice-a-thon at Motif! 

We were so excited by the great response of students and families to set aside time to come and practice at Motif to raise awareness and funds for Compassion International. Motif students practiced a total of 17 hours and 15 minutes on October 22nd, 2011. Students raised $987.00 and were able to fully sponser a child for the full year (clothing, food, education) as well as purchase 1 cow, 2 goats, 5 chickens and 5 mosquito nets for various families in the some of the 26 countries the benefit through Compassion International. THANK you for your participation!

Meet Filimon Gebregiorgis

We would like to introduce you to Filimon, our school's new sponsored child.  He is 8 years old and lives on the plains of Mekelle in Ethiopia, home to approximately 230,000 residents. Typical houses are constructed of dirt floors, stone walls and tin roofs.  The primary ethnic group is Tigre and the most commonly spoken language is Tigrigna.

The regional diet consists of maize, sorghum and wheat.  Common health problems in this area include malaria, typhoid, pneumonia, waterborne diseases and HIV/AIDS.  Most adults work as day laborers and earn the equivalent of $24 per month.  This community has water, electricity and telephone service but needs scholastic materials, income-generating activities and libraries.

Our sponsorship allows the staff of Mekelle Mekane Yesus Church Child Development Project to provide Filimon with Bible teaching, health screening, supplementary food, health and hygiene education, sports, hygiene supplies, tutoring, tuition, educational materials and skills training.  The center staff will also provide hygiene education and opportunities for project involvement for the parents or guardians of your sponsored child.

2011-10-14

Fall 2011 Newsletter - Opus 4

Welcome to Motif Music Studios. We are excited to be working with so many wonderful families this year and are enjoying being back into routine that Fall brings.  Please browse our Fall newsletter to stay updated about our upcoming studio events.

We will happily respond to your calls or emails throughout the year if you have any questions.  We look forward to a wonderful year of learning and enjoying music together.

Jeff & Amie Webster

KIDS HELPING KIDS

PRACTICE-A-THON for Compassion International

We are excited to be hosting our first ever PRACTICE-A-THON.  In advance of the event, students are invited to recruit sponsors for their practice time on Saturday, October 22nd at Motif.  Students may sign up for a scheduled practice time between 9:00am and 3:00pm.

Sign up for a practice time and take home a sponsor sheet today.  All funds raised will go towards helping children through Compassion International.

FALL WORKSHOPS

November 19, 2011 - Stan Hagen Theatre, North Island College

2:00-3:00pm – Composer Celebration
Featuring piano & guitar composers (Ages 5-10, All Instruments)

3:00-4:00pm – Performance Preparation Workshop
(Beginners & Junior Level Students, All Ages / Instruments)

4:15-5:15pm – Workshop Theme - TBA
(Early Intermediate - Advanced Students)

5:15-6:15pm - Performance Class
(Intermediate & Advanced) 

SAVE THE DATE

Christmas Recital:  Friday, December 16th at 7:00pm

Exam Registration Dates (RCM)
Registration Deadline:  November 1, 2011
Theory Examinations:  December 9 & 10, 2011
Practical Examinations:  January 16 - 28, 2012

The North Island Festival of the Performing Arts
Registration Deadline:  November 30th, 2011

Holiday Schedule - NO LESSONS
November 11th, 2011:  Remembrance Day
December 19th 2011 - January 2nd, 2012:  Christmas Break 

SARAH HAGEH IN CONCERT

Sarah Hagen is a fantastic pianist and a dedicated supporter of the arts.  She also has a passion for introducing young people to the world of classical music. Sarah has kindly offered complimentary tickets to all MOTIF students for this term. Students wanting to attend a specific performance must contact us no less than 2 days in advance of a performance.  Motif student names will be added to a list and students can pick up their tickets for FREE at the concert!

We are so thankful for this generous offer and hope that students will enjoy this wonderful opportunity.

CONCERT TIMES

Sunday, Oct 16, 2011 @ 2:00pm
SOLO CONCERT - Campbell River

Monday, Nov 21, 2011 @ 10:30am
with Sharon Stanis (Violin)
Courtenay

Friday, Nov 25, 2011 @ 7:30pm
SOLO CONCERT - Courtenay
 

THEORY CLASSES AT MOTIF

 Introduction to Jazz Theory
with Timothy Croft, M.M. in Jazz Studies

6:30-7:30pm TUESDAYS
$20/per 1 hour class (12 instructional hours)
4 student minimum
*Course materials not included

Intermediate Theory Rudiments
with Julianne Wolfe

5:00-6:00pm FRIDAYS (November – May)
$15/per 1 hour class (22 instructional hours)
4 student minimum
*Course materials not included


Introduction to Music History
with Amie Webster, ARCT Teacher, RMT

6:15-7:15pm FRIDAYS (November – May)
(Required course for Grade 9 Piano)
$20/per 1 hour class (22 instructional hours)
4 student minimum
*Course materials not included


Elementary Pedagogy
with Cindy Taylor, ARCT Teacher/Peformer, AVCM, RMT

2:00-3:00pm TUESDAYS (November – May) --OR--
3:45-5:45pm EVERY 2ND FRIDAY (November - May)
$20/per hour (22 instructional hours)
4 student minimum



Music as an Art and a Discipline

Music is both an art and a discipline. In the early stages of learning an instrument it takes discipline to set aside time for consistent, daily practice to learn notes & rhythms. It also takes time and patience to build the technique required to be able to play your instrument.

The art of music takes shape as students learn to truly hear the sounds they are creating. Even a young student can be encouraged to listen for short sounds that sound like rain drops or listen for the resonance their instrument creates when playing long sounds.

Creativity can be nurtured as students listen for high sounds, low sounds, mysterious minor sounds or cheery major sounds. The art of listening as you play is a valuable skill to develop in students of all ages.  We look forward to inspiring students as they learn lifetime skills of perseverance and discipline and enjoy the art of creating music.  -- Amie Webster


A Little Night's Music
November 27, 2011 @ 7:00-8:30pm
At Motif Music Studios

Adult students will enjoy playing a solo or duet to share as background music.  All Instruments and levels welcome.

2011-04-07

Spring Newsletter - Opus 3

The first days of SUNSHINE have arrived in the beautiful Comox Valley. We know that the increased activities of Spring can sometimes make it trickier to get in those practices, but it is a great time to ENJOY the success students have achieved, REVIEW favorites pieces from the year and set GOALS for the last few months of lessons.

THANK YOU for a great first year at MOTIF.  We applaud the commitment that each of you have made to your / your child’s music education. Music is both a beautiful art and a discipline and we understand the perseverance and effort that playing an instrument takes.

Thank you for entrusting us with the honor of sharing our passion with you.

Jeff & Amie

Spring EVENTS at Motif

MOTIF students have enjoyed a variety of opportunities this year to ENRICH their music studies. Among them have been 2 recitals, 8 workshop choices, Coffee Shop theory and the opportunity to participate in 2 festivals!

To finish up the year, there are a few additional classes being offered for the following student groups at MOTIF:

ADULT Students

"A Little Night’s Music" - April 15th - 7:30pm

MONDAY Student Workshops
APRIL 30th from 1 - 2pm (Ages 5-12) & 2:30 - 3:30 (Teens & Adults)

EXAM Students
EXAM Prep Class - MAY 27th from 6:00-7:30 at MOTIF

COFFEE SHOP THEORY
Sunday, MAY 1st, 2:00 - 5:00pm @ SERIOUS COFFEE
All RCM theory exam students are welcome to join us to write a mock exam and enjoy a small drink of your choice!  Sign up with your teacher!

Kid's Corner

CONGRATULATIONS to all MOTIF students for their participation in our 6-week practice challenge. Students practiced 81,024 minutes.  This would take playing day and night for 56 days if you had all shared one piano!

MUSIC & TECHNOLOGY
Looking for a fun way to practice ear training, note reading or just have some fun online and call it 'practicing?' Check out these music websites to brush up your skills before your next lesson!
www.musicalintervalstutor.info — EAR TRAINING
www.dsokids.com — KIDS games and COMPOSER facts
www.pedaplus.com — NOTE naming & Ear games

Pre-Registration for the Fall

FALL 2011 LESSONS
We have reserved June 21st - 25th just for you! Drop by the studio office to pre-register for the 2011 / 2012 music year.  During this time, current MOTIF students will have first opportunity to reserve a spot in next year's schedule before we open up registration to new students.

SUGGESTED LESSON LENGTHS and PRACTICE TIMES

SUMMER MUSIC PROGRAMS
Are you looking for a summer music program? Let us know if you would be interested in a week-long summer camp program or private lessons at MOTIF MUSIC STUDIOS!



MOTIF WELCOMES...
ANITA GALLAGHER (Classical Guitar)
RACHEL FULLER  (Clarinet & Saxophone)
JEFF DRUMMOND (Guitar - Jazz, Folk, Blues & Rock)
Let us know if you are interested in SATURDAY lessons for any of these instruments!

Important Dates

April 30th   
MONDAY student workshops

May 1st
Coffee shop theory for exam students

May 13th & 14th
RCM Theory Exams

May 27th
Exam Prep Class

June 15th & 16th
RCM Practical Exams

June 21st - 25th
Fall Registration opens for current MOTIF students

2011-01-11

Winter Newsletter - Opus 2

Our winter season is here at Motif and we are excited to welcome the New Year! Stay informed by checking notebooks weekly for practice tips, holiday schedules and upcoming events.

Want to thank your teacher? Send a 'bouquet' in the form of a teacher reference. These short testimonials can be emailed to motifmusicstudios@gmail.com, and we will add them to your teacher's website profile.

Please call or email in advance to let us know if you have to miss a lesson.  We can then offer these times to other students and put your name on a list for times that come up throughout the year with your instructor.

We value each of our students and encourage you to call or email with any questions you may have throughout the year.

Best wishes for a wonderful year in 2011!

Jeff & Amie Webster

Winter Workshops

We hope students will enjoy our next series of workshops. These are a great opportunity to expand your music knowledge, meet friends and inspire your music making in 2011!

January 29, 2011
Stan Hagen Theatre, North Island College

1:00 - 2:00pm - Composer Celebration: Haydn (5-10)
2:00 - 3:00pm - Boys Only (all ages)
3:00 - 4:00pm - Performance Preparation (all levels/ages)
4:00 - 5:00pm - Lecture Recital with pianist Sarah Hagen (teens/adults)  

Students can discuss which class they would like to attend and  sign up with their teacher in the coming weeks.  Alternatively, parents may email us at motifmusicstudios@gmail.com.

Guests may sign-up for these workshops by email. (A $20.00 drop in fee per class will apply) 

Kids Corner 

Ask a COMPOSER

Thank you to all the students who asked a question in our November 'Ask a Canadian Composer opportunity. Here are answers to some of the questions you asked Stephen Chatman, Anne Crosby and Glen Barkman.

Q: Did you ever play an other instrument other than the piano? (Sydney B)
A:  Percussion, viola briefly  (Stephen Chatman) 

Q:  Is composing fun?  (Timothy M)
A:   Oh gosh, composing is great fun! Have you tried it, Timothy? I love it when you can imagine a story or a picture and turn it into music.  (Anne Crosby) 

Q:  Dear Anne Crosby;  How old were you when you composed your first song?  (Juliana P)
A:  Dear Juliana, I think I was about 8 years old when I composed     and wrote down my first composition. I remember it was about     cows eating hay.  (Anne Crosby

Q:  We just saw a play about Mozart and his music. My Daddy is my favorite composer, who is your favorite composer? (Kieran M)
A: Mozart.  Who is your Daddy?  I may know him!  (Glen Barkman) 

Q:  What inspires your songs?  (Maya S)
A:  Inspiration comes from different things I either experience or imagine.  For example, the song On My Morning Run, the water was rippled and the sun sparkled on the waves and I thought...hmmmm how could i make a song depict that?  And so that's my starting point.  Songs from the book "The Planets", i did some reading up on them.  I found out the origins of the names and sometimes applied those sounds - Saturn - i made to sound like circles.  Jupiter i made sound large.  Pluto - distant etc.  Venus - to sound like love.  So I usually take a concept or idea and try and translate that into music.

Practice CHALLENGE

Are you ready to have fun working together with other students to see how many minutes you can practice in the month of February? Start writing down your weekly minutes in your notebooks. Not only will you see your pieces improve and discover how much you can learn when you are practicing daily, but there will also be some prizes for the top 'practicers' in each category!

Your teacher will record your practice time throughout the month of February! Also, we will see how many minutes Motif Students can play in one month!

DID YOU KNOW?

We now teach Saxophone, Clarinet, Double Bass and Classical Guitar!

GOT THEORY?

Intermediate Rudiments

Cost:  $46/mn
Running: January - May Time: 5:15-6:15, Fridays
Instructor: Julianne

Important Dates

January 29th
Motif Winter Workshops

February 14 -16th & 18 -19th
North Island Festival (Piano Classes).

March 1st
RCM EXAM  Registration Deadline.

March 12th
Motif Spring Student Recitals.

March 20 - 27th
Spring Break - No lessons

2010-11-23

Snow Day Policies

With the recent arrival of winter conditions we have come up with a plan to let students know about any changes in regular studio hours. Because our music school provides lessons for students from many different schools and many areas of the Comox Valley & Campbell River, we will do our best to stay open in the event of safe, but 'wintry' conditions.

If a specific teacher is unable to teach at the school because of extreme snowfall we will do our best to call and email students before their lesson begins.

Please Note:

 
Here are some ways you may check to see if the studios are open, if you are experiencing significant snowfall:

• Call our studio at 250.792.3065 and we will have our message updated to let you know the status of lessons for the morning / afternoon / evening.
• Check our 'twitter' feed on the homepage of our website at www.motifmusicstudios.com . If you have a twitter account be sure to add "motifmusic" to receive important studio updates.
   

In the event that all lessons are cancelled at Motif and your teacher has the day off teaching, we will either let teachers use a 'teacher day' (which you are not charged for) or we will do our best to offer times to make up lessons at appropriate times during the year.

If your teacher is teaching for the day, then you will have to make your decision based on the conditions in your area. We will do our best to assign swap lessons, but these cannot be guaranteed.

All the best for a wonderful & safe winter season!

2010-10-05

Fall Newsletter - Opus 1

Fall has arrived at Motif!  Thank you for joining us this year.  We are excited to be working with such a fantastic group of parents, students and teachers!

Your input is important to us.  Please contact us by email or phone with any questions at motifmusicstudios@gmail.com or 250-792-3065.

Your teachers are also happy to hear your feedback regarding student progress, questions about assignments, practice tips or your encouragement as well.  We look forward to a wonderful year!

Jeff & Amie Webster

Fall Workshops

Are you ready for a fun way to connect with other music students and enjoy learning together in a fun group environment?  Our first workshop choices are on October 23, 2010.  Choose the class that suits you best and sign up with your teacher later this month to get your workshop tickets.  Workshops will be held in the Stan Hagen Theatre at North Island College and will be held between 1:00pm and 5:00pm.

Coffee Shop THEORY

December 5, 2010
2:00pm - 4:00pm
@ Serious Coffee

This workshop is especially for students preparing to write a theory exam in the Winter 2010 RCM session.  A medium drink of your choice is included.

Canada Music Week

To celebrate the 50th year of Canadian Music week, the North Island Registered Music Teachers Association invites MOTIF students to participate in a day of FUN with music.

Students will enjoy a variety of different classes including RHYTHM, COMPOSING and VISUAL ARTS. Students will take in these workshops at their own levels. Pizza and drinks are included.

Come Join the Fun!

November 27th
9:30am - 3:45pm
Cost: $5 / student
@ Campbell River United Church

Parents are invited to join us at 2:00pm to get ready for our Canadian Music Concert from 2:30pm - 3:45pm.

Kids Corner

Ask a Composer

Do you have a question that you would love to ask a Canadian composer? This is your chance! Email your question to motifmusicstudios@gmail.com and we will select some questions to be answered by a Canadian composer in our next newsletter!

60 Second Challenge

October is the month to sharpen up your note naming skills! How many notes can you name in 60 seconds? See how much your team can improve this month as you add your scores together for your team score. Check out the poster on the bulletin board to watch your team improve!

Stay Connected

For your convenience, Motif Music Studios has a few ways to keep in touch and keep you up-to-date with our most recent news.

Our WEBSITE - www.motifmusicstudios.com - includes updated studio info, contact details, teacher profiles, studio calendar and more. This is also a great spot to send your friends who are looking for more information about piano & theory lessons and to check out our TWITTER feed.

Like to stay in the loop on FACEBOOK? Check out www.facebook.com/motifmusicstudios for our news feed, upcoming concert information and to enter our upcoming facebook contest!

Got Theory?

Sign up today for theory classes with Julianne.  Classes will be held on Fridays from 5:15pm-6:15pm.

This will be a fun, interactive group class covering basic and intermediate rudiments.  This 27 week course runs from October to May.

Cost:  $46/mn  (October - May)
OR
Class Drop In Fee:  $15

Important Dates To Remember

October 11
Thanksgiving Monday.  No Classes.

October 23
Workshops at Stan Hagen Theatre.

November 2
RCM Exam Registration Deadline.

November 11
Remembrance Day.  No Classes.

November 25
Festival Registration Deadline.

December 5
Coffee Shop Theory 2:00-4:00pm

2010-08-10

Getting Ready For The Fall

We hope you have had a wonderful summer and are starting to think about piano lessons for the Fall. Whether you are new to lessons, or have been taking lessons for many years, here are a few things to think about to help you get ready for a great year of music.

1) Get Inspired
No matter how wonderful your teacher is, you will get the most out of your lessons if you are excited about music. Listen for songs you would love to learn and make a list. Also, start thinking about some goals for the Fall, whether it is a grade you would like to complete, composing your own song, focusing on theory or attending your first classical concert. Let your teacher know and be ready to chat about some possibilities.

2) Get Organized
Learning to play the piano can be a lot of fun, but it can also be challenging. To improve, you will need to get organized and make sure you have time each day to practice. If you run out of practice ideas, be sure to ask your teacher. All of our music teachers have spent many years as students themselves and can give you tips and ideas.

3) Get Your Instrument Ready
Dust off your piano! Check it over to see how the keys and pedals are working. Take note of when it was last tuned and if it needs some help to be ready for the year of music. We are happy to recommend a piano technician in your area. We look forward to a wonderful year of music together.

2010-08-07

Open Studio

We are excited to celebrate the opening of Motif Music Studios, a new music school in the Comox Valley.

Please drop by to see our new studio location, enjoy refreshments and enter our prize draws.

Saturday, August 21, 2010
11:00am - 4:00pm
2384 B Rosewall Crescent

2010-08-03

Registration Days

Students will need to register at Motif Music Studios before lessons begin on September 7th.

Our office is open for registration on the following days:

• August 17, 24, 31 from 3:00 - 6:00pm
• September 1, 2 from 3:00 - 6:00pm

You will need:

• current student information
• registration fee of $20/student, $30/family
• post-dated cheques for September 2010 to June 2011

You can confirm scheduling, see our new studios and discuss curriculum/materials for the Fall.  We look forward to seeing you there.  Please call or email if you have any questions.