Concert Rehearsals & Registration - Sunday 5th March 2017

CONCERT REHEARSALS AT STAFFORD GATEHOUSE THEATRE

On Sunday 5th March, all songs will be rehearsed at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre between 10am-1pm prior to the shows in the afternoon.  

Rehearsal times can be found below.

Performers should arrive 15mins before their rehearsal, through the entrance nearest the coffee shop (not the box office) and register at the bottom of the stairs.

Performers will be registered at the stairs and staff will escort each group into the theatre in readiness for their rehearsal. After rehearsing, they will be escorted back to parents and de- registered at the bottom of the stairs. Parents and guardians will be asked to wait downstairs during rehearsals.

CONCERTS - 2PM & 4.30PM START

Performers should arrive 35mins before their show time (1.25pm or 3.55pm) and be registered in the Mountbatten Suite. Staff will escort performers into the theatre via backstage.  Performers will be seated in the theatre throughout the show.

For those children aged 7 and under who will be seated with parents throughout the show, they will still need to register in the Mountbatten Suite and then enter the theatre to be seated with parents.

Parents and guardians can then enter the theatre and take their seats from 30 minutes before (1.30pm/4.00pm).

At the end of each concert, performers will leave with staff, one group at a time and be de registered and released to parents in the Mountbatten Suite.  We ask that only one parent or guardian collects each student from the Mountbatten suite and that other family members wait in the bar area to avoid congestion.

CONCERT REHEARSALS AT STAFFORD GATEHOUSE

SUNDAY 5TH MARCH 2017

10.00 SUPERSTITION

10.15 FEELING GOOD

10.30 GRENADE

10.45 POPCORN

11.00 BRAVE/CUPS

11.15 SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE

11.30 AFRICA

11.45 CANON

12.00 CHASING CARS

12.15 OTTER/PANDA

12.30 BUILT THIS CITY

12.45 M JACKSON

Tickets for the show are still available and can only be purchased from the box office at the Gatehouse.

Please get in touch if you have any questions or are unsure which show you or your child are performing in. Most students will be performing in just one of the two shows, with the exception of some of our vocalists. 

New Vocal Classes

From Monday 30th January we will add another afternoon and evening of vocal tuition to our teaching schedule. On Mondays and Tuesdays we have a variety of vocal classes for different ages and stages and limited space now for one to one tuition. 

If you have are looking to improve your vocal style, want to take exams or just sing for fun, our experienced teachers can work with you to improve technique, confidence and performance skills. Many youngsters attending local theatre groups come to us to focus on their singing style and confidence. Our teachers are able to work with them ensuring a fun session with structure and improvement each week. We encourage students to take part in live performances with our annual Stafford Gatehouse show (this year in March) and the Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary's Church.

For more information or to book a place in one of our classes, please get in touch via our contact us page or call 07940 228000.

Important Concert Information - Sunday 5th March 2017

Concerts will take place on Sunday 5th March at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. There will be two performances at 2pm & 4.30pm and most students will only perform in one of these shows. Please check with reception or your teacher as to which you concert you will perform at.

Students will play in groups with teachers on stage to help and conduct.

Each concert should last about 1hr 30mins each and we will have a variety of musical styles, with singers, guitarists, keyboardists and pianists combined.

Tickets go on sale from Monday 30th January and will be priced at £8.50 adults, £4.50 Concessions (Senior Citizen/Under 16) plus a booking fee of 50p per ticket. Tickets can ONLY be purchased directly from the Gatehouse at the Box office situated at the Gatehouse or via the website www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk.

All performers AGED 8 & OVER will be seated in the theatre in a designated section throughout the concerts and will not need to purchase a ticket.

Performers AGED 7 & UNDER will be seated with parents throughout the concert. You should ask for a ‘performers free ticket’ when booking. Members of staff will escort students from the audience to the backstage area to perform.

Rehearsals will take place at the Music School on Sunday 12th February. Please see the timetable below. Junior Play for Keeps classes will rehearse in class and ONLY need to attend the Gatehouse rehearsal.

On the day of the concerts, there will be short rehearsals between 10.00am – 1pm at the Gatehouse Theatre, to enable sound checks and to give students the opportunity to play through the songs. It is very important that as many students as possible attend these rehearsals, so that they feel comfortable with the venue and we can ensure the best sound quality.                                          

If there are any parents who would like to help out either during the concert, or with moving equipment to the theatre, please let us know.

Photography

We ask that there is no flash photography while the students are playing as it can disturb the performance.  We will film both concerts and produce a DVD of which you may reserve at reception, after the shows take place. If you do not wish your child to be filmed, please let us know.

Important information regarding the concert will be posted on Facebook (search for Stafford Music School) and Twitter (@musicstafford), as well as our website www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk. So please keep an eye on these pages to keep up to date.

Further information will follow regarding registration on the day of the concerts.

After the success of last year’s concerts, held at the Gatehouse for the first time with a completely live format, we are really looking forward to seeing our students perform again. For our new students, there is a short teaser on our You Tube channel from 2016 to give you idea of what to expect.

If you have any queries at all, please let us know. 

Rehearsals at Stafford Music School

Sunday 12th February 2017

10.30 AFRICA
11.00 BRAVE/CUPS
11.30 GRENADE
12.00 SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE
12.30 BUILT THIS CITY
1.00 CHASING CARS
1.30 LUNCH
2.15 FEELING GOOD
2.45 CANON
3.15 M JACKSON
3.45 SUPERSTITION

Happy New Year!

After a busy first term we are all pleased to be back after the Christmas break. 

This term we have our annual concert at Stafford Gatehouse on Sunday 5th March followed by Rock School Guitar and Trinity Piano & Keyboard exams before Easter. 

From the end of January we have a brand new night of Vocal lessons on Mondays and a new keyboard class on Wednesdays has already begun. 

A letter has gone out this week to all of our current students. If it hasn't made its way home yet, you can access it here. 

Christmas Tree Festival

After such a festive start to December last year, we are once again very happy to be taking part in the Christmas Tree festival at St Mary's Church on Saturday 3rd December.

We are looking forward to some solo performances on the grand piano, another trio of guitars and vocal performances from our singing students. After our live band shows at Stafford Gatehouse earlier this year, we are looking forward to a smaller, more intimate concert, which gives our students the opportunity to perform solo or take part in smaller group performances. 

Please come along on Saturday 3rd December to view the many christmas trees on display and hear our students perform in a really stunning setting. Our students will perform between 10-10.30am and will hopefully give your December a most festive start! 

Yamaha/Trinity Exams - 6th & 7th November 2016

Hopefully all of our students are fitting in lots of extra practice time in preparation for the forthcoming exams.

Don't forget to practice all elements of the test across the week- Scales, Broken Chords, Arpeggios, Joggings, Percussion, Improvisation, Chord Playing, Sight Reading, Aural Awareness, Music Knowledge and those all important three songs with hands together! If you need any new ways to practice or help with how to practice, please speak to your teacher - we can help! 

You can find exam timetables below, so you can check the time of your exam and make arrangements to be there. Most of our Grade 6 students and a few students taking Grade 2 and 4 will take their exams on the Monday, so please check your date and time carefully.  Please arrive 15 minutes early and don't forget your book! 

 

Sunday 6th November Exam Timetable

Monday 7th November Exam Timetable

 

New Courses starting soon!

New classes will commence in October on Keyboard and Guitar courses.

Free trial sessions will be available in September with guitar lessons available to students ages 7 and over and keyboard lessons for ages 5 and up. 

Spaces are limited and must be booked IN ADVANCE. Please call 07940 228000 or email office@staffordmusicschool.co.uk to book your place. 

We also have limited space in our vocal groups which take place on Tuesdays. If you are interested in singing and would like to improve your technique and skills we can help. Get in touch for further information. 

 

Stafford Arts Festival - Saturday 17th September

We are very pleased to be taking part in this years Stafford Arts Festival. 

On Saturday 17th September we will be offering free music lessons on Guitar and Keyboard and hosting a 'Coffee Concert' at the end of the day at the music school. 

Lessons are available for aspiring guitarists from the age of 7 and keyboard lessons are for children aged 5 and up. Spaces for free lessons are limited and must be booked IN ADVANCE. Please call us on 07940 228000 or email office@staffordmusicschool.co.uk to book your place. 

Click for further information on Stafford Arts Festival

 

Summer is Coming & Term Dates 2016 -2017

We have had a fantastic year at Stafford Music School.  Four exam sessions on piano, keyboard and guitar (ALL with fantastic results!).

Festive performances at St Mary's Church at Christmas and two show stopping concerts at Stafford Gatehouse in June - we almost don't want to break up for summer!  

The current term finishes on Saturday 30th July and we return on Saturday 3rd September, refreshed and raring to go! We would like to thank all of our students and families for their support this year and wish you a restful summer break. 

Below are the term dates for next year. We follow Staffordshire School term dates fairly closely, but do guarantee 43 lessons per year. Please note we do teach through half terms. 

Term 1

Saturday 3rd September - Monday 19th December 2016

Term 2

Tuesday 3rd January - Saturday 8th April 2017

Term 3

Monday 24th April - Friday 28th July 2017

Important Concert Information!

IMPORTANT SUMMER CONCERT INFORMATION

We have less than two weeks to go before our Summer Concerts on Sunday 26th June at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. 

There are two performances at 2pm & 4.30pm. PLEASE ENSURE you have the CORRECT TICKETS as there are very few students performing in both shows. 

All performers will be seated in the theatre in a designated section and will not need to purchase a ticket.

Performers under the age of 7 will be seated with parents throughout the concert and will need a ‘performers free ticket’. 

Chaperones will escort students from the audience to the backstage area in preparation for their performance. 

On the day of the concerts, there will be short rehearsals/sound checks between 10.15am – 1.30pm at the Gatehouse Theatre. A timetable is attached and students should arrive 15 minutes BEFORE their allocated rehearsal time. Students should report to our reception staff at the bottom of the stairs after entering the main doors of the Gatehouse. Here they will be registered and then escorted backstage. 

The doors will open 25 minutes prior to the start of each show. Performers will again need to report to our reception staff at the bottom of the stairs and be registered before chaperones escort them to seats in the theatre.

We expect each show to last no longer than 1hour 30minutes. 

Please check our Facebook page (search for Stafford Music School) and Twitter (@musicstafford), as well as our website www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk for updates and information. 

If you have any queries at all, please let us know.

Many Thanks,

Laura Thatcher

Principal

Stafford Music School

Concert Rehearsal Timetables

Concert Rehearsals will take place at the Music School on Sunday 15th May and Sunday 12th June. These rehearsals are for students performing with a full band. Please check with your teacher if you are not sure. Those students not involved in these rehearsals will rehearse in their usual lesson times. On the day of the concert, there will be sound check rehearsals for ALL STUDENTS at the Gatehouse Theatre. Please click the button below for your rehearsal times. 

Summer Concert 2016 - Information

Dear students and parents,

IMPORTANT SUMMER CONCERT INFORMATION

Our Summer Concerts will take place on Sunday 26th June at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. There will be two performances at 2pm & 4.30pm and most students will only perform in one of these shows.

 This year, the students will have the opportunity to play as part of a ‘live’ band (complete with a drummer!), which is an important part of playing an instrument and a great deal of fun!

Most students will play in their class groups with teachers on stage to help and conduct. Each concert should last about 1hr 30mins each and we will have a variety of musical styles, with singers, guitarists, keyboardists and pianists combined to perform ensemble pieces including ‘Eye of the Tiger’, ‘One Day Like This’, ‘Kashmir’ and even some Justin Beiber!

 Tickets go on sale from Monday 9th May and will be priced at £8 adults, £4 Concessions (Senior Citizen/Under 16) plus a booking fee of 50p per ticket. Tickets can ONLY be purchased directly from the venue at the Box office or via the website www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk.

All performers will be seated in the theatre in a designated section throughout the concerts and will not need to purchase a ticket. Performers under the age of 7 will be seated with parents throughout the concert and you will need to ask for a ‘performers free ticket’ at time of booking. Members of staff will escort students from the audience to the backstage area in preparation for their performance. The Gatehouse requires that a parent or legal guardian is present at the venue for any child under 16 who is performing.

As there are ‘Live band’ performances this year, there will be rehearsals for the students to attend prior to and on the day of the concert. Rehearsals will take place at the Music School on Sunday 15th May and Sunday 12th June. There will be allocated times for each performance. On the day of the concerts, there will be short rehearsals between 10.15am – 1.30pm at the Gatehouse Theatre, to enable sound checks and to give students the opportunity to play through the songs. It is very important that as many students as possible attend these rehearsals, so that they feel comfortable with the venue and we can ensure the best sound quality. 

If there are any parents who would like to help out either during the concert as an usher, or on the Sunday morning to help us move equipment to the theatre, please let us know.

As in previous years, we will film both concerts and produce a DVD of which you may reserve at reception. If you do not wish your child to be filmed, please let us know. We ask that there is no flash photography while the students are playing as it can disturb the performance. 

Important information regarding the concert will be posted on Facebook (search for Stafford Music School) and Twitter (@musicstafford), as well as our website www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk. So please keep an eye on these pages to keep up to date.

We hope you are looking forward to the concerts as much as we are and if you have any queries at all, please let us know.

Learn to Play Day - Sunday 13th March 2016

The charity 'Music for All' hold an annual event which gives everyone the opportunity to have a free lesson on a musical instrument. 

At Stafford Music School, we are offering free Keyboard and Piano lessons for all ages between 10am & 1pm on Sunday 13th March.

Each session lasts for around 30 minutes and must be booked in advance. 

So, if you, or someone in the family has always had a burning ambition to be the next Jamie Cullum or Jools Holland - give us a call 07940 228000 or email office@staffordmusicschool.co.uk and book your free lesson today!

Term Dates 2016

Happy New Year to all our students and their families!

We hope you have had a lovely break over Christmas and are looking forward to a new musical start for 2016. 

Below are the term dates for the year so far. We follow Staffordshire School term dates fairly closely but do guarantee 44 lessons per year so there will be some lessons taking place once schools have finished their term. Please note we do teach through half terms. 

Term 2

Tuesday 5th January - Thursday 24th March 2016

Term 3

Friday 8th April - Saturday 30th July 2016.

 

Christmas at Stafford Music School

We are really excited to be taking part in the Christmas Tree festival at St Mary's Church this year. A few of our piano students will have the opportunity to play on the Grand Piano, two of our guitarists will perform with teacher Ben as trio and our groups of vocalists will entertain us with some christmas songs. We are very much looking forward to this! 

Please come along on Saturday 5th December to view the many christmas trees on display and hear our students perform in a really stunning setting. Our students will perform between 10-10.30am. 

On Saturday 19th December between 12-1pm, our vocalists will perform in the Market Square as part of 'Carols around the Christmas Tree' in the Town centre.  We hope if you are in the town, you can come along and support us and we can leave you feeling festive!