The Vernon Community Music School (VCMS) is a non-profit organization and registered charity dedicated to musical learning, enjoyment and excellence.
Membership is open to all, on payment of an annual registration fee, which helps cover essential operating expenses. The Board of Directors is elected annually from the membership and the School relies heavily on its members for volunteer help. Your membership is a reflection of your support – it assures the Board, government and granting agencies that the School has broad community involvement.
Various philosophies of instruction give students of all ages an appreciation, enjoyment and knowledge of music. The Music School offers a wide variety of private and group instruction by well-qualified teachers, thus providing the members of the community with an excellent opportunity for obtaining a good musical education in the disciplines of their choice.
People are always excited to play an instrument and love to learn in a community setting, but what does the Vernon Community Music School really do? What do we focus on? Why are we so passionate about our students and why do we care about their success? The Music School is a community organization that is passionate about guiding and developing future community leaders. We know that students learn in an environment that is fun, supportive and inviting. It is important to us to start developing these skills in early childhood, so that children involved in our programs can be leaders within their own social and familial spheres. We also know that when we foster positive self-esteem and self-confidence through work and creativity, children exhibit this behaviour and portray it in their academic studies as well. The Music School not only has to ability to help build self-esteem and foster creativity for children, but it also creates a musical element for parent/child engagement to help set the child up for success. When parents are engaged in their children’s musical abilities, students have the support and knowledge they need to not only learn and complete new pieces, but also develop a lifelong love of learning music. It is a great way to create a positive learning environment for every student. Speaking of a lifelong love of music, we are so fortunate to have such a variety of teachers at our school who are just as passionate about teaching adults as they are about teaching children. They will tell you that it is never too late to form bonds over music and good conversation. What’s another reason music is so great?
Music is also effective as a stress reliever and stress management tool. Listening to music can have a tremendous relaxing effect on our minds and bodies; it can slow the pulse and heart rate, lower blood pressure, and decrease the levels of stress hormones – all added benefits to our physiological functions and something we could all use.
After reading all of the above, you may be thinking “this sounds really great, and I know that my mental health is worth it, but I really can’t afford lessons this year because of our tight finances.” One more great thing about our Music School is that we have a bursary program that may be able to help you out. We also have monthly payment options, to make payments a bit easier and more feasible. We are truly focusing our efforts on “community”, and we believe so strongly that you belong here. Join our community, we would love to see you!