Meagan&Amy Masterclass

Last week we were so proud to present a ‘meagan&amy’ Masterclass, aimed at providing tips and suggestions on ways to enhance pieces for some of our violin and piano students heading to festivals and recitals.

Meagan & Amy are a vibrant Canadian duo consisting of violinist Amy Hillis and pianist Meagan Milatz; they share an intense passion for innovative programming and fearless music-making. Their individual strengths – Meagan’s interest in the fortepiano and Amy’s in contemporary music combine in their wide range of repertoire. During the masterclass both Meagan & Amy focused on the importance of bringing emotion and playing from your soul to tell a story in your piece—no matter who the composer is. Understanding the societal times of when a piece was composed can make it easier to visualize emotions behind the notes on the page, thus engaging the audience in a way that makes them want more as they are leaving. Music is about making that connection to a piece and stirring the passion, joy or despair within us.

Thank you to all of the students who participated, it felt like a truly special morning; the rooms were full of energy, enthusiasm and knowledge!

Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023
Meagan&Amy Masterclass, 2023

Successful Children’s Festival

Over Spring Break, some of the faculty from the Music School were asked to participate at the Children’s Festival, which happened at the Performing Arts Centre. Participants were able to go on a Nursery Land adventure by moving, rhyming and singing their way through Nursery Land together. This workshop was led by our Suzuki violin teacher Ardeth Erikson, and was full of laughter, learning and adventure!

Children’s Festival participants were also able to activate their imaginations by expressing themselves! Our performing arts instructor Rachel Wyatt presented a magical movement journey, where we were able to enjoy dancing to different styles of music. We explored the many different shapes, rhythms and sounds you can make with your body! We also became your favorite animals, and had so much fun for the whole family in this half hour of creative play.

Eager participants were also able to join our Suzuki violin teacher Natalie Kober for a 30-minute workshop exploring and creating a kaleidoscope of sound. It was a jungle in there! Through story and song, participants had the chance to explore and experience a variety of percussion instruments. We were all able to test and hear the differences between the different types of instruments, and some of us danced throughout the workshop! It was so much fun to be a musical explorer!

We are so looking forward to the Children’s Festival next year! Thank you to the Performing Arts Centre for organizing this festival, and thank you to everyone who came out and participated in these really fun workshops; we are so grateful to be a part of such a vibrant, fun and musical community.