Term Dates 2019 - 2020

We are looking forward to another exciting year of music making!

Lessons continue through half terms but we do close for the main school holidays, teaching on 43 weeks of the year. Please see below for this years term dates.

Term 1

First day of teaching : Monday 2nd September 2019
Last day of teaching : Saturday 21st December 2019

Term 2

First day of teaching : Saturday 4th January 2020
Last day of teaching : Saturday 4th April 2020

Term 3

First day of teaching : Monday 20th April 2020
Last day of teaching : Friday 24th July 2020

New Guitar Classes September 2019

From September 2019, we are pleased to be able to offer Yamaha Guitar Classes for beginners on Wednesdays and Thursdays, in addition to those classes already running on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The Yamaha Guitar Encounters Course is a rock and pop based course available to ages 8 up to adults. Students learn different styles and techniques and the course teaches all the necessary skills to become a confident musician. From improvising to arranging, learning to read tab as well as standard notation, each one hour lesson has a variety of activities to help all students to improve and progress.

Exams are available as part of the course with Rock School (RSL Awards) and there are regular opportunities for live performance, including our annual concert at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre each year in March.

FREE taster lessons will be available in September for keen guitarists to experience a lesson on the Yamaha Guitar Encounters Course. Spaces are limited and must be pre booked. Simply fill out the enquiry form and we will be in touch to arrange a suitable time.

Newsletter - June 2019

The Summer Holidays are nearly here… So, here is a quick update of important information and events for the remainder of this term and from September.

Exam Sessions

The next session of Rock School exams will take place on Sunday 7th & Monday 8th July at the Music School. There were such a large number of students wishing to take exams at this sitting that it is necessary for the exams to take place across two consecutive days. Trinity Piano & Keyboard exams will take place at the exam centre in Stone on Thursday 4th July. Timetables are now available here and will require a password to open. Please call or text us if you need the password.

Remember, daily practice is essential from now until the exams and make sure you work on the areas that need the most work, as well as the elements you feel happy with. 

Please speak to your teacher if you need any help or ideas to make practice more fun and improve your confidence!

Concert Videos

Many of you have already purchased the concert videos via a link to download the content. Whilst we are no longer able to offer the videos as a download option, we can still transfer the files to a USB stick if you would like to have a copy of one or both of the shows. Please let us know and we can arrange this for you. The cost for one show is £10 and £15 for both shows.

Concert Photos

Photos from the concerts are now available to view and purchase at https://threefivethreephotography.smugmug.com/Music/Gigs. Thanks to Garry at 353 Photography once again for some fantastic images at some of the rehearsals and both shows.

End of Term Performance - The Sun Deck

On Sunday 21st July, we have arranged a relaxed afternoon of live music on the Sun Deck at The Sun Inn. There will be a mixture of performances from some of our students and hopefully the sunshine will also be in attendance!

St Mary’s Concert

We were unable to fit in our usual ‘Summer Performance’ at St Mary’s Church this year so we are planning a similar event for September, which gives small groups and some soloists the opportunity to perform live in this beautiful setting. Please let us know if you would like to take part.

New Classes

From September, there will be new classes available for Guitar (Age 8+) Junior Play for Keeps (Age 6-7) and Play for Keeps (Age 8+) and Vocals (Age 7+). Our Yamaha Keyboard classes cover both Piano and Keyboard skills and have a variety of styles and songs to enjoy. The Yamaha Guitar Course covers all aspects of guitar playing, with students learning many different styles as well as learning traditional notation and TAB. Please let us know if you would like any further information on our courses and remember that we still offer our immediate family discount or for students learning on more than one course.

Summer Holidays

We break up for the summer holidays after lessons on Friday 26th July and return for the new term from Monday 2nd September. Full term dates for 2019-2020 can be found on our Facebook page and in the reception area. All current students should now have received information regarding re enrolment for September and a change to our payment system. Please let us know if you have any queries and ensure the form is completed and returned to us BEFORE Friday 19th July.

We hope you all enjoy the remainder of the term and would like to wish you all a relaxing break!

Important Concert Information! Sunday 10th March 2019

On Sunday 10th March, all songs will be rehearsed at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre between 10am-1pm. Rehearsal times can be found below.

Rehearsals

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

• Parents and Guardians will be asked to wait downstairs during rehearsals. Staff will escort each group into the theatre. After rehearsing, they will be escorted back to Parents and Guardians and de-registered at the bottom of the stairs.

• All Vocalists are required from 11.35am – 1pm. Students can be dropped off, registered and remain in theatre with Chaperones until you collect them at 1pm.  

• We suggest a packed lunch for students who are with us during most of the rehearsals to eat after rehearsals in the Mountbatten Suite before the show starts. The coffee shop will be open for hot drinks and snacks.   

• We suggest bringing a book or something to keep occupied and a small bottle of water. Food is not allowed in the theatre during rehearsals.

  Concert 

• 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.  Performers will be seated in the theatre throughout the show.

• We ask that performers only bring essential items with them to the Concert (no large bags or valuables please).

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

• At the end of each Concert, performers will exit the theatre with Chaperones who will de-register them when released to Parents/Guardians in the Mountbatten Suite.  To avoid congestion in this room we ask that only one Parent or Guardian go through to collect each student.

  Students Aged 7 & under seated with parents

•  All performers need to be registered in the Mountbatten Suite before taking their seats in the theatre.  

• Parents will escort their children to Charlotte and Alison to the stairs at the stage door (on the right at the side of the theatre) a song but one before their song. They will be escorted backstage and returned back to parents once they have performed.

• Tickets can only be purchased from the Gatehouse box office. If your child is sitting with you in the audience, please ask for a ‘performers free ticket’ as these seats are in a particular area of the theatre and let us know the seat number you purchase.

  CONCERT REHEARSALS AT STAFFORD GATEHOUSE THEATRE

  SUNDAY 10TH MARCH 2019

  10.00 COME ALIVE

  10.15 HERO

  10.30 LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD

  10.45 FOUND WHAT I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR

  11.00 GREASE

  11.15 I WILL FOLLOW HIM

  11.25 RIDE

  11.40 FLY FAR SPACESHIP/EVENING STAR & ALL VOCALISTS REQUIRED IN THEATRE

  11.55 STAND BY ME

  12.10 MADNESS

  12.25 HOW FAR I’LL GO

  12.40 SAY SOMETHING

  Please get in touch if you have any questions or are unsure which show you or your child are performing in.

Gatehouse Theatre Seating Plan

Our Annual Concerts will take place on Sunday 10th March at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre.

Tickets can only be purchased direct from the box office at the Gatehouse or via their website.

Please follow the link below to see where we think would be best to sit when buying your tickets.

Seating Plan

Please be aware that we use two levels of Risers on stage so the view would not be best when seating too close to the stage.

Performers aged 7 and under will be seated with parents in the area marked on the plan. When purchasing these tickets, please ask Gatehouse staff for a ‘performers free ticket’, to ensure the children are seated in the correct place for us to collect them for their performance. After purchasing your tickets, please advise us which seat numbers you will be seated in. You will need to speak the Gatehouse staff directly on the telephone or in person to order these tickets and will be unable to purchase them online.

Most of the students will only perform in one show. Please ask your teacher or contact us to check which show you or your child will perform in. The time may be different to the one performed in last year.

We hope you are looking forward to the concerts. Rehearsal timetables for the 10th March will be available from Monday 11th February.

If you have any questions at all, please give us a call!

Annual Concert Important Information - Sunday 10th March 2019

Concerts will take place on Sunday 10th 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 concert you will perform at. Vocal students will generally perform in both shows, unless advised otherwise.

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

Each concert should last around 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 4th February and will be priced at £10 adults, £5.50 Concessions (Senior Citizen/Under 16). 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.

There will be a seating plan in reception and on our website before tickets go on sale. This will indicate what we feel to be the best areas to sit in the audience according to where the performers will be on stage. Please be aware that we do use two levels of risers on stage, so sitting too close to the front may hinder the view of keyboard and guitar students.

Rehearsals will take place at the Music School on Sunday 10th February. Please see the timetable below. Younger performers of ‘Evening Star’ and ‘Fly Far Spaceship’ 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. A timetable will be available on our website from 1st February at www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk/news. 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.

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.

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

We are really looking forward to seeing our students perform again at the Gatehouse Theatre. For our new students, there is a short video on our YouTube channel to give you an idea of what to expect.

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

Many Thanks,

Laura Thatcher

Principal

Stafford Music School

CONCERT REHEARSALS AT STAFFORD MUSIC SCHOOL

SUNDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2019

12.00 RIDE

12.30 FOUND WHAT I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR

1.00 GREASE

1.30 HOW FAR I’LL GO

2.00 MADNESS

2.45 BREAK

3.15 STAND BY ME

3.45 HERO

4.15 SAY SOMETHING

4.45 LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD

5.15 COME ALIVE

Newsletter - November 2018

Dear Students & Parents,

As we come to the end of the year and approach the Christmas break, we would like to update you on various things going on at the Music School. 
We break up after lessons on Saturday 22nd December and have three exam sessions and a performance at St Mary's Church before we close for the Christmas break. 

Exams
Rock School Exams for Yamaha keyboard students and vocalists will take place at the Music School on Sunday 9th and Monday 10th December. Trinity keyboard and piano exams will take place at the exam centre in Stone on Thursday 13th and Saturday 15th December. The timetables can be found here and are password protected. Please contact us for the password.

Christmas Tree Festival
For the last three years, we have performed during the Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary's Church. We have a 30 minute slot at 10am on Saturday 8th December and a few of our keyboard, guitar and vocal students will perform a variety of songs. It is usually a relaxed and enjoyable performance and a great opportunity to view the Christmas trees on display with some live music to leave you feeling festive.  

Vocal Lessons
We are very pleased to have the amazing Kit Henson now on the team at the Music School, joining Jenii and Jayne as our third vocal teacher. The demand for singing lessons continues to increase and we have now opened up spaces with Kit on Monday evenings for one to one lessons. Spaces are limited and already we have filled most of the available times. If you know anyone who might be interested in starting vocals on a one to one basis, please let us as soon as possible. 

Adult Vocals Group
On Mondays at 6pm we have a vocals group Just for Adults! All levels are welcome, whether you have no singing lesson experience at all, or have previously worked with choirs or vocal groups, the class is a fun way to improve your vocal abilities and work towards group performances. Please get in touch for more information. 

Christmas
You may have seen a fabulous looking Snowman on our noticeboard in reception. This Christmas at the Music School, the staff have together decided not to send gifts or cards to each other, but instead to sign the snowman and make a donation to The Douglas Macmillan Centre, who have very recently supported one of our young students who sadly lost a parent to cancer. Instead of the token chocolates we usually gift each student, we will also donate the equivalent to the charity. Please feel free to join in if you wish and leave a message or make a donation. All money raised will go to The Douglas Macmillan Centre who looked after the family. 

Annual Concerts - Sunday 10th March 2019 
Once again, we will commence preparations for our live shows at Stafford Gatehouse theatre once we return from the Christmas break. We will have two concerts at 2pm and 4.30pm on Sunday 10th March with live performances combining our guitar, keyboard and vocal students. A professional drummer will join us to provide a full afternoon of live music.

A rehearsal will take place at the Music School on Sunday 10th February, with final rehearsals at the Gatehouse on the morning of Sunday 10th March.  Please let us know if students are unable to take part as soon as possible, so that we can prepare our groups. We are always most grateful for any help offered when organising an event of this scale. If there are any parents or relatives who would be happy and available to support us on the day of the concert, by acting as a chaperone or supervising adult, please let us know. We would very much appreciate any help offered! Further concert details to follow soon. 

Facebook/Twitter/Website
Please keep checking our website, facebook page and on Twitter (@musicstafford) to keep up to date with any important information. We understand that letters sometimes struggle to find their way home and we will always post letters sent home on our website. Please like our facebook page or follow us on Twitter.

Reminders of all the important dates are included below.

Please get in touch if you have any queries or questions

________________________

Term Dates 2018-2019
Term 1
First Lesson: Monday 3rd September
Last Lesson: Saturday 22nd December
Term 2
First Lesson: Saturday 5th January
Last Lesson: Saturday 13th April
Term 3
First Lesson: Monday 29th April
Last Lesson: Friday 26th July

Dates for your diaries

• Saturday 8th December @10am: Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary's

• 9th & Monday 10th December: Rock School exams at Stafford Music School

• Thursday 13th & Saturday 15th December: Trinity Exams at Stone

• Sunday 10th February : Concert Rehearsals at Stafford Music School

• Sunday 10th March: Annual Concerts @ Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Newsletter - September 2018

Welcome!!

We hope you all enjoyed a break over the summer and we would like to welcome you all to a new academic year at the Music School.

As usual there are plenty of plans for the new term and beyond and we would like to keep you informed of all the important dates and events coming up.  

Please see all term dates for the rest of this academic year below. 
 
Exam Success!
Before the summer break, we had a number of exam sessions for Keyboard, Piano, Guitar and Vocal students, taking exams with Rock School and Trinity college. We are pleased to report that all students passed their exams and we are extremely proud of their achievements. Well done all! 
 
Forthcoming Exam Sessions
Later this term, there will be an opportunity to take Rock School exams for students on Yamaha Courses and also our vocalists. These exams will take place at the Music School at the end of November or early December. The closing date for entries is Monday 1st October and we would ask that all forms and payments are returned to us by Wednesday 26th September, in order for us to complete the entries in time. 

Piano & Keyboard Exams taken with Trinity college will take place at the exam centre in Stone, during the week commencing 10th December. All forms and payments for these exams should be with us by Wednesday 17th October. 

A separate exam letter will be handed out to those students currently working towards exams. 

New Classes
Throughout September, we have free taster lessons available for group keyboard, guitar and vocal courses. 
From October we will have new classes for beginners at the following times :

Wednesday 4pm - Guitar Encounters Course (Age 7+)
Thursday 4pm - Junior Keyboard Course (Ages 5-7 years)
Thursday 6pm - Keyboard Course (Age 8+)
Saturday 9.30am/4pm  - Guitar Encounters Course (Age 7+)

If you know anyone who might be interested in starting a new class, please get in touch to book a free taster lesson. Don't forget we offer our immediate family discount if more than one family member joins the music school or when enrolled onto more than one course, making it even more affordable to enjoy music lessons. 

Adult Vocals Group
On Mondays at 6pm we have a vocals group Just for Adults! If you are looking for a new hobby or already sing and want to improve technique and confidence, you can book in for a FREE taster lesson during September. All levels are welcome, whether you have no singing lesson experience at all, or have previously worked with choirs or vocal groups, the class is a fun way to improve your vocal abilities and work towards group performances. Please get in touch for more information. 

Live Events
Our last event was our 'Live Lounge' which took place at Redrum in Crabbery Street. We heard some fantastic performances from our vocal students, led by one of our vocal teachers, Jayne, in a great live music venue. It was an incredibly hot day and a new event for us, but so far we have had some fantastic feedback from those who attended. There are a selection of performances on our You Tube channel to give you an idea of the event and we hope to arrange another 'Live Lounge' very soon. 

Christmas Tree Festival
For the last three years, we have performed during the Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary's Church. It is a great opportunity to view the Christmas trees on display and hear some live music in a fantastic setting. We have a 30 minute slot at 10am on Saturday 8th December, which usually gives us time for a small number of performances from our students. Please let us know if you would be interested in performing. 

Facebook/Twitter/Website
We post regular updates on our website, facebook page and on Twitter (@musicstafford). We understand that letters sometimes struggle to find their way home and we will always post letters sent home on our website. Please like our facebook page or follow us on Twitter and keep up to date!
 
Reminders of all the important dates are included below. Please get in touch if you have any queries or questions.
 
Term Dates 2018-2019
Term 1
First Lesson: Monday 3rd September
Last Lesson: Saturday 22nd December

Term 2
First Lesson: Saturday 5th January
Last Lesson: Saturday 13th April

Term 3
First Lesson: Monday 29th April
Last Lesson: Friday 26th July

Dates for your diaries

• Monday 1st October: Closing Date for Rock School Exams

• Friday 19th October: Closing Date for Trinity Exams

• November/December: Rock School exams at Stafford Music School

• W/C 10th December: Trinity Exams at Stone

• Saturday 8th December @10am:  Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary's Church.

• Sunday 10th March: Annual Concerts @ Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Happy Summer Holidays!

We hope you are all enjoying the summer break and looking forward to returning in September for some more fun learning new songs and taking on new challenges. 

Here are the important dates for next term and we look forward to seeing existing and new students in September! 

Term 1

First Lesson:    Monday 3rd September

Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary's Church - Saturday 8th December at 10am

Last Lesson:     Saturday 22nd December

Term 2

First Lesson:     Saturday 5th January

Annual Concert at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre  - Sunday 10th March

Last Lesson:     Saturday 13th April

Term 3

First Lesson:     Monday 29th April

Last Lesson:     Friday 26th July

Exam Timetables - 24th & 25th June & 5th July 2018

We have a busy few weeks coming up at the Music School! 

On Sunday 24th June & Monday 25th June, we have Rock School exams taking place at the Music School for keyboard, guitar and vocal students. Timetables can be found below. 

Sunday 24th June 2018 - Guitar & Vocals

Monday 25th June 2018 - Keyboard & Vocals

On Thursday 5th July we have students taking exams at the exam centre in Stone for Trinity Piano & Keyboard Exams. Please check the times and address details below carefully and let us know if you have any questions. 

Thursday 5th July 2018 - Piano & Keyboard

Remember, daily practice is essential from now until the exams and make sure you work on the areas that need the most work, as well as the elements you feel happy with. 

Please speak to your teacher if you need any help or ideas to make practice more fun and improve your confidence!

Newsletter - May 2018

Exam Sessions

The next session of Rock School exams will take place on Sunday 24th & Monday 25th June at the Music School. There were such a large number of students wishing to take exams at this sitting that it is necessary for the exams to take place across two consecutive days. We are awaiting a timetable from Rock School and as soon as we have the schedule we can inform students of their exam time. For those students scheduled on the Monday, we can provide a letter for any school that may request evidence for the absence.

Concert DVD

After the success of our annual concerts on Sunday 4th March, we are pleased to inform you that DVD’s are now available and can be purchased from Reception for £15. We can only accept cash payments for DVD’s.

Photos

Photos from the concerts are now available to view and purchase at https://threefivethreephotography.smugmug.com/Music/Gigs. Thanks to Garry at 353 Photography for some fantastic images at some of the rehearsals and both shows. 

Summer Concert at St Mary’s Church

We have once again arranged a summer concert at St Mary’s Church to take place on Sunday 1st July at 2pm. In contrast to our Gatehouse shows, where we invite all students to take part as a live band, the summer concert will be an opportunity for any guitar, keyboard and piano students to perform what they might currently be working on, in small groups with a few solo performances. There is very limited time available for students to perform but everyone is welcome to attend and tickets will be available from the beginning of June from the music school.

Vocal Performance

For our vocal students, we are looking into finding a venue where we can offer a regular opportunity to perform and we will update you as soon as we have more information on this.

Maternity News

We are pleased to inform you that our vocal teacher Jenii is expecting a baby in July. Jenii will continue to teach until the start of July and the remainder of the term will be covered by Jayne who also teaches on Tuesdays. Jenii and Jayne will work together closely to ensure a smooth transition until Jenii returns, hopefully in September.

 Re Enrolment

As we near the end of this term, we will begin the process of re enrolment for all students. This is an opportunity to make changes to current lesson days and times, particularly with changes in schools etc for some of our students. As we are currently full on all courses, we would appreciate as much notice as possible if you require a change of day or time in September, or will not be continuing with lessons. This helps us to plan any merges in classes and establish where our spaces will be for both new classes and one to one students. In June we will send out a data collection sheet to each student containing the information we currently hold on our system. It is essential that all information is checked carefully and amended where necessary, before returning to us with or without changes.

 Facebook/Twitter/Website

 Our website is regularly updated and you can find us on facebook (search for Stafford Music School) and Twitter (@musicstafford). We understand that letters sometimes struggle to find their way home and we will always post letters sent home on our website. Please like our facebook page or follow us on Twitter and keep up to date!

Reminders of all the important dates are included below. Please get in touch if you have any queries or questions.

Dates for your diaries

Sunday 24th & Monday 25th June: Rock School Exam session at Stafford Music School

Sunday 1st July: Summer Concert at St Mary’s Church

Friday 27th July: Last lesson of term

Welcome to the Summer Term!

We would like to welcome back all of our students after the Easter break. We hope you are feeling refreshed and recharged and ready for the Summer term!

Our Annual Concert at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre took place on Sunday 4th March 2018 and we are all so proud and pleased with both shows. All students worked hard to deliver some fantastic band performances and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we all did! 

As usual, we ask you to provide any feedback to help us improve on this years success. Please click to complete a short questionnaire and give us your views and suggestions.

We have already booked a date for next year so please add Sunday 10th March 2019 to your diaries! 

If you would like to 're-live' this years concerts, the DVD is now available to buy at £15 each. Please ask at reception and we can have a copy ready for you at your next lesson. 

This term we have Rock School exams for guitar, keyboard & vocals taking place at the Music School on Sunday 24th & Monday 25th June. A timetable will follow shortly from Rock School and in the mean time, keep practicing! 

Important Rehearsal & Concert Information!

REHEARSALS

On Sunday 4th 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.

CONCERT

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 will escort their children to a member of staff at the stage door prior to their performance.

Parents and guardians can 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 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 4TH MARCH 2018

10.00 DON’T STOP ME NOW

10.15 SHAKE IT OFF

10.30 MR BLUE SKY

10.45 WAKE ME UP

11.00 CRY ME A RIVER

11.15 SCHOOL OF ROCK

11.30 FLY FAR SPACESHIP/I’M A BELIEVER

11.45 WHITE WEDDING

12.00 HALLELUJAH

12.15 IM STILL STANDING

12.30 HOLD BACK THE RIVER

12.45 DON’T YOU WORRY

The rehearsals at the musics school were fantastic and we hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did.

Tickets for the show are still available and can only be purchased from the box office at the Gatehouse. If you require a ‘performers free ticket’ so that your child is seated with you before and after they perform, please be sure to ask the Gatehouse for these seats which are in a particular area of the theatre. Please let us know the seat number you purchase.

Please get in touch if you have any questions or are unsure which show you or your child are performing in.

Concert Tickets - On sale Friday 2nd February!

IMPORTANT CONCERT INFORMATION

Concerts will take place on Sunday 4th 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 concert you will perform at.

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

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

Tickets go on sale from Friday 2nd February 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 11th February. Please see the timetable below. Saturday Keyboard classes at 11am & 2.30pm 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. Please check our website for these times www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk/news. 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.

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.

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

We are really looking forward to seeing our students perform again at the Gatehouse Theatre. For our new students, there is a short video on our You Tube channel from last year to give you an idea of what to expect. If you have any queries at all, please let us know.

Concert Rehearsals - Timetables now available!

Our next concert will take place at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre on Sunday 4th March 2018. 

There will be one day of rehearsals at the music school on Sunday 11th February. Each song will have an allocated 30 minute slot for students to practice together as a band. Please check the timetable for your times. If you are performing in more than one song, you may need to come in twice on that day. 

On the day of the concert, each performance will have a short 15 minute sound check and practice at the Gatehouse Theatre in the morning, before the concerts in the afternoon. We would ask that all students arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled time to allow us to register them and escort them backstage in readiness for their rehearsal time. Please find times for the Gatehouse Rehearsals here. 

Tickets for the concert can only be purchased from the Gatehouse Theatre Box Office and will go on sale from Friday 2nd February. Most of the students will only perform in ONE show, so please check with us first as to which show you need to purchase tickets for. 

We hope you are looking forward to the concerts as much as we are and please let us know if you have any other questions. 

We're back! Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! We are all very excited to be back after the Christmas break and have lots to look forward to before the Easter holidays.

Exam Success!

Well done to all of our piano and keyboard students who successfully passed their Trinity exams taken in November & December. We are all over the moon with the results (all merits and distinctions!) and very proud of you all!

 Future Exam Sessions

From January 2018, we will be able to hold exam sessions for our guitar and vocal students at the music school. Previously, our guitar and vocal students have needed to travel to Wolverhampton to take examinations. We are pleased to say that from the next exam session in the summer term, provided we meet the minimum requirements, we can hold an exam session at the music school for all Rock School exams, which will also include students on our Yamaha Keyboard courses. Piano & Keyboard Exams taken with Trinity college will continue to take place at the exam centre in Stone.

Lesson Payments

From September, we introduced a discount for all students paying by Standing Order and the majority of students pay lesson fees in this way. Lesson fees are due at the first lesson of each month and the amount remains the same each time. If you don’t currently pay by standing order and would like a form, please ask at reception.

Annual Concert – Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

There will be two concerts on the afternoon of Sunday 4th March 2017 at the Gatehouse Theatre at 2pm & 4.30pm.

Students will perform as part of a live band and there will be a rehearsal at the Music School on Sunday 11th February, as well as at the Gatehouse during the morning of the shows.  Each song will have an allocated time for rehearsal. Most students will take part in only one of the shows. However, some students may be asked to appear in both.

The concerts take a great deal of organisation and we would be grateful of any help from parents or relatives. Please let us know if you think you can help, either as a chaperone to escort performers to and from the stage at the concerts or with setting up before and during the shows.

Facebook/Twitter/Website

Our website is regularly updated and you can find us on facebook (search for Stafford Music School) and Twitter (@musicstafford). We understand that letters sometimes struggle to find their way home and we will always post letters sent home on our website. Please like our facebook page or follow us on Twitter and keep up to date!

Reminders of all the important dates are included below. Please get in touch if you have any queries or questions.

Term Dates 2017-2018

Term 2

First Lesson: Wednesday 3rd January 2018

Last Lesson: Thursday 29th March 2018

Term 3

First Lesson: Friday 13th April 2018

Last Lesson: Friday 27th July 2018

Dates for your diaries

• Sunday 11th February : Concert Rehearsals at Music School
• Sunday 4th March : Annual Concerts @ Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
• Summer 2018 : Rock School Exam session at Stafford Music School

Merry Christmas!

Our last day of term 1 was Monday 18th December 2017 and we return to teaching on Wednesday 3rd January 2018. 

We have had a fantastic term with two new guitar classes, two new keyboard classes and a number of new vocalists joining the school. We have had three exam sittings taking place in Stafford, Stone and Wolverhampton and for the third year running we performed at the Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary's Church. 

In the new year, we have our big event to look forward to - the Annual Concert at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, which will take place on Sunday 4th March. Two concerts at 2pm & 4.30pm, and all of our students are welcome to take part and experience playing live with a band. 

More information to follow at the start of next term, but for now we would like to wish you all a very 'Merry Christmas' and we look forward to another successful, music filled year in 2018! 

Trinity/Yamaha Exams Sunday 15th October

Our next session of exams will take place on Sunday 15th October at the music school. 

The timetable can be accessed here and all students must arrive 15 minutes before the start of their exam with their books, memory sticks and written arrangements. Only students taking exams at Grade 5 and above will need to bring written arrangements for one of their pieces. 

All students should be practicing daily and there is still time to improve on areas such as sight reading and chord playing, just by doing a little each day. Please speak to your teacher if you need any help with a practice routine or schedule. 

New Classes and FREE taster lessons - September 2017

Welcome back to all our students returning after the summer break. We have lots of plans for the forthcoming year and we will also have some new classes!

If you have an aspiring musician at home, or someone that loves to sing and would like to improve their skills, we're sure to have a class or lesson to suit you. Play an instrument already but would like to start another? No problem  - we have different levels for all abilities. 

New Classes starting September & October 2017

Yamaha 'Guitar Encounters' (Age 7+)

Wednesdays at 6pm 

Saturdays at 12pm

Yamaha Keyboard Course (Age 8+)

Saturdays at 12pm

Yamaha Junior Keyboard Course (Age 6-7)

Saturdays at 2.30pm

Vocals Course (Age 7 +)

Mondays and Tuesdays after school

We can offer a FREE taster lesson on our Keyboard and Guitar Courses in September. Places are limited though, so please contact us soon to book your place. Fill out the online form or give us a call on 07940 228000.

Take a look at our You Tube page to see how these courses work and how much fun we have while learning! 

There are also limited spaces for one to one lessons on Keyboard, Piano, Guitar and Vocals. Please contact us for further information. 

Music School is OUT for SUMMER!

Our last day of teaching for this academic year was Friday 28th July.

It was a busy year as always and we are very thankful for our incredibly talented students, supportive parents and a wonderful team of staff. Thank you all!!

We will start a brand new term on Saturday 2nd September and already have a number of exciting plans for the coming year. Please see our term dates below along with some other dates for your diaries. 

Wishing all of our students and families a wonderful summer break and we look forward to seeing you in September!

Term 1

First Lesson:     Saturday 2nd September

Yamaha/Trinity Exams - Sunday 15th October

Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary's Church - Saturday 2nd December 10am

Last Lesson:     Monday 18th December

Term 2

First Lesson:     Wednesday 3rd January

Annual Concert at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre  - Sunday 4th March

Last Lesson:     Thursday 29th March

Term 3

First Lesson:     Friday 13th April

Last Lesson:     Friday 27th July