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April 2022
“The first blooms of spring always make my heart sing.” S. Brown
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In This Issue
• Mark Your Calendar
• Musical Ladder Festival Award Ceremony
• How the Summer Works
• Picture Day is Back
• Summer Recital
• Student of the Month
• Musical Ladder Achievements
• Teacher With a Waiting List
• Welcome New and Returning Students
• New Referral Contest
Got news for the MFAA Newsletter? We welcome and encourage all submissions!
Summer Recital 2022
As you may have already heard, our Summer Recital will be happening IN PERSON on Saturday, June 25th and Sunday, June 26th. For many of you, this may be your first in-person recital with MFAA and for others, it may be your first recital ever, so we want to make sure that you know what to expect. For those of you that have done recitals in person, please use this email as a reminder of what happened over two years ago!
Our in-person recitals happen in the Living Arts Centre in the Rogers Theatre. As we have over 500 students at the Academy, this recital will take place over two days in multiple 1-hour time blocks. We will be putting students in different recital blocks based on their teachers. For students with multiple instruments or siblings taking lessons, we will make sure to put all of your recital blocks together, but you may not be with your teacher. If there are any specific days or times that do not work for you for the recital, please let us know and we will be sure to keep this in mind as we are doing our scheduling process.
We are keeping a very close eye on COVID-19 restrictions, however, at this time there will be no limits to which students can perform. Students of any instrument are able to perform in person if they would like! At this time there are no restrictions on family members coming to watch; students are able to invite whomever they would like to attend. There are still a large number of students attending lessons online, and we want to be able to give you the opportunity to do what you would like. Online students are still more than welcome to attend the recitals in person, however, if you are unable to do so and would prefer to do a virtual recital please let us know and we will prepare everything accordingly. Similar to the last two years, these online recitals will be streamed through YouTube and Facebook, and will likely happen on July 2nd and 3rd; the week after the in-person recitals.
In order to prepare the program for the recital, we will need to know which students are performing and which pieces they are playing. There is no limit to how many students can perform — even students that have been playing for only a few lessons may wish to participate! In order to ensure all students have their time to shine, each student can perform up to two pieces or a total of five minutes. For many violin, vocal, cello, woodwind, and brass students it is common they will need an accompanist for their pieces. The teacher is more than welcome to play the accompaniment for them, they can have a friend or another student play for them, or for $35 we can hire one of our other amazing teachers to be the accompanist for them. If an accompanist is hired, and you would like to do additional classes we can schedule those as well.
Now’s the best time to start talking to your teachers about all of your options for the recitals! If you have any questions about the recital, need an accompanist (other than your teacher) for the performance, or have any scheduling concerns please speak with us at the front desk.
Continue to practice every day as you have been, and we look forward to seeing you on stage at the Living Arts Centre on June 25th and 26th!
Mark Your Calendar
Picture Day – May 18th, 2022
Victoria Day – May 23rd – CLOSED
Summer Recital – June 25th, 26th, 2022
Canada Day – July 1st, 2022 – OPEN
Musical Ladder Festival Award Ceremony
Congratulations to our Musical Ladder Festival Participants on their great achievements!
Lisa M
Kim N
Ana T
Avani G
Gavin W
Sreejaya J
Natalia B
Vanessa L
The Musical Ladder System was created to encourage music students to continuously perform and grow in their lessons. Learning how to set goals is not just a valuable skill in music. It’s an essential skill in all aspects of life!
Creators of Musical Ladder System decided to go the extra mile and organized Musical Ladder Festival exclusively for students who attend Musical Ladder System affiliated music schools and designed to provide valuable performance feedback from professional music adjudicators and the world class musicians.
What makes it special and different from other music festivals is that you are not competing with anyone, but rather presenting your musical skills to your best ability. Getting feedback, and being critiqued by a professional musician adjudicator is invaluable. Adjudication is based on an individual approach to every performer and assessment is done taking into consideration only one student’s skills, level, and ability.
For many years of teaching, I always encouraged my students to play at musical festivals. Every year we were setting the goal and made it a priority to play a certain piece to gain a certain level and work towards that goal. Music gives a sense of accomplishment every time we learn a new song or musical piece. With every musical piece you’ve learned you are climbing up your personal musical ladder and it is your personal achievement. Music is not only about music It’s about all the LIFE lessons that are learned along the way.
Congratulations on your incredible success! We’re incredibly proud of you. This is an amazing achievement that you can use to improve your musical skills even further. You deserve all the attention and opportunities this brings your way.
As our motto says Dream, Believe, Play, Achieve.
Have faith in your dream, believe in your ability, play for the love of it, and achieve greatness.
I am looking forward to seeing you perform at the next year’s Musical Ladder Festival!
Vadim Koltsov
Director
How the Summer Works
ALL ABOUT YOUR SUMMER LESSONS
Summer’s right around the corner. Wait… wasn’t it December yesterday? How did we get here so fast? Well, MFAA doesn’t mind because the summer means just a bit more fun than usual! We have our recital coming up, and creative challenges over the summer months to keep you busy! Here are some frequently asked questions we get during the summer season:
Do you want to stay with the same teacher in the Fall?
Do you need the same day and time that you have now?
Each summer we often get asked these questions:
Q: “How do lessons work in the Summer?”
A: Many parents are looking for summer activities for their children. We‘re glad to announce that the school is open year-round, and we do not close during the summer!
Q: “Do a lot of students withdraw during the summer?”
A. This time around, we have more than 100 people on the waiting list. Some students withdraw, but we get a large influx of students from June to August as many parents want something fun to do for their child during the school break. A large portion of these students continues their classes into the Fall. The number of students travelling in the Summer and stopping classes for vacations is at a record low. We’re now running ads all over the internet, and social media, and are the top music school in Mississauga, so this Summer will be one of our busiest yet.
Q: “How full is the school?”
A. As of today, we are at approximately 90% capacity, and many teachers are fully booked between the hours of 3:30 pm – 8:00 pm.
Q: “If we withdraw for the Summer, can we continue right where we left off in Fall?”
A. Lessons are first come first serve, so if you withdraw for the Summer, we cannot guarantee that we will have a spot for you in the Fall as we will open the spot to new students. As well, your progress on the Musical Ladder will be reset to the beginning.
The big question for all parents and students to consider is:
Do you want to stay with the same teacher in the Fall?
If the answer is YES there are 4 ways to do this:
1. Take advantage of our group make up lessons
We realize that some of you will be away for a portion of the Summer. By signing up for the group make-up classes, you can make up all of your missing classes without withdrawing from the school.
It’s very easy to do!
Sign up for a group make-up lesson at a time convenient for you by speaking with someone at the front desk. If you don’t know when you want your make-up lesson to be yet, don’t worry! Our group make-up classes do not expire, nor do they have any limits.
GET A HEAD START: You can start making up lessons for the Summer in advance at any time.
2. New Option – Pre-recorded lessons
This option is great for those planning to be away for a couple of weeks or even the entire Summer. Let us know that you will be away at least 24 hours before your class and your teacher will record a video with individual instructions tailored to you and upload any necessary materials on the Lesson Mate platform. Students can log in at any time, watch the video and download class materials. The great benefit of this option is that the student receives instructions from their teacher and can have class at any convenient time.
3. You can offer your spot to a family member or friend.
You can send family members or friends to your place for the dates you will miss. Just let the office know who is coming to your place and when so we can let the teachers know ahead of time.
4. Take ZOOM lessons.
It is super easy these days to keep your classes going no matter where you are. If you are planning to travel overseas, Online lessons are a great option to keep your classes going. We offered it in the past and we’ll continue to offer it to accommodate you while you are away.
Each September we get calls from students who have been with us for years but withdrew for the Summer. They want to return to the same teacher, day, and time, but another student has filled the spot.
If you LOVE your teacher, keep your spot by using make-up classes, pre-recorded videos, lending your spot to a friend or taking online lessons!
Let’s make music this Summer!
Picture Day is Back - May 18th
We are very excited to announce that our annual picture day will be BACK this year! On Wednesday, May 18th, 2022, we look forward to having a professional photographer at the academy take photos of our wonderful students. Picture day is a complimentary event at the school, and no additional fees will be required. Some of you may have done a picture day before, like Chelsea in the picture above, but for some of you, this may be the very first time! Here are a few frequently asked questions and answers that will be sure to get you prepared for the special day.
How does it work?: You will schedule a time for your picture day photos. On May 18th, we recommend coming in 5 minutes early to ensure that you do not miss your time slot. Please check in at the front desk, and we will show you where to go! Each time slot is 5 minutes long and we will aim to get multiple different poses in during this time.
What about masks?: We want to make sure to see each student’s brightest smiles, so masks are not preferred during the actual photographing process. In order to make sure all students are comfortable, we are requesting for the photographer and any other staff in the room to be wearing their masks. If you would like to wear your mask in the halls and before/after the photos you are more than welcome to do so.
Do I need to dress up?: Picture day is meant to be fun! We’ve had students come dressed up to the 9s in their finest outfits, but some feel more comfortable wearing their everyday clothes. Wear what makes you happy!
Do I need to bring my instrument?: We encourage students to bring their instruments if they can! For instruments such as piano, drums, vocal, and guitar we will have props available during the photographic process. If you have any other props you would like to bring for your pictures (other instruments, Musical Ladder/Practice Challenge wristbands, your favourite stuffed friend) you can do so as well!
What about siblings/group photos: For siblings booking time slots, we recommend booking two times in order to make sure you get enough time for the photos. For example, if Jasmine and Alyssa are sisters, I may book 5 pm for Alyssa and 5:05 pm for Jasmine. The photographer will do pictures both individually and together if you would like. If you book a time back to back with your friends, you can do photos together as well!
If there is only a one-time slot available that works for you and you wish to use it for multiple students, we may accommodate that as well however we are not able to guarantee the same amount of photos you would get by booking multiple times.
What if I want to book multiple times for myself/I’m not sure of the best time?: We are doing our best to make sure that bookings will be fair for everyone. If a student book multiple times, we will need to clarify immediately and will cancel the unnecessary times. Please only book one time per student.
How does booking work?: We are doing something new this year! On Monday, May 9th at 9 am the Sign-Up Genius link will be emailed out to all students. Once the link is live, you can book the time you want right away. There will be times available from 3:30 pm all the way to 8:30 pm. All you need to do is sign up using the student’s name (and NOT the parent/guardian’s name), and you’re good to go!
This email will go out automatically at 9 am, so please be ready for it and keep an eye on your email. We will not send this link out early. If you do not get the email on time please contact us via text, email, or phone call on the 9th and we will send you the link as soon as possible.
What if I want to change times/a to a different time?: If you would like a different time than the one you originally booked, please call or text us and we will make a note. We cannot guarantee any changes in time, however, we will do our best to make everyone happy.
What if I am unavailable on this day?: Currently, we are only scheduled to have picture day on May 18th. Picture day will be back again next year if you would like to take more pictures!
We cannot wait to see everyone’s smiling faces on Wednesday, May 18th. Thank you, everyone, and please keep an eye out for the booking email to be sent out on May 9th!
Student of The Month
Jaime L
We are very excited to announce that our April 2022 student of the month is Jaime L! Jamie has been taking ukulele classes with Mr. Maxwell since December of 2021 and is doing a tremendous job. Here’s what Mr. Maxwell has to say about Jamie’s wonderful achievements:
“Jaime has improved so much since our first lesson together! When she started lessons with me, she had never picked up a ukulele before, so, it was difficult for her to get any chords to ring out. She worked hard and was determined to get those chords to ring out beautifully, and she achieved it! Her chords are sounding great, and she is so enthusiastic about learning more. Great job Jaime, keep up the good work!”
We also asked Jaime a few questions. Here are her answers:
What instrument(s) do you play? Ukulele
How long have you been taking lessons? Since December 2021
What’s your favourite song to play? My favourite song to play is “Ode to Joy”
What’s your favourite food? Dumplings
What is your favourite thing you’ve learned in class recently? All the new strings
What is your favourite colour? My favourite colour is Turquoise
Congratulations Jaime! We are so proud of your achievement, we can’t wait to see what you do next!
Musical Ladder Achievements
Audrey is playing piano and her teacher is Ms. Vira
Kavin is playing guitar and his teacher is Mr. Maxwell
Jacob is playing guitar and his teacher is Mr. Henry
Paviit is playing piano and her teacher is Ms. Danae
New Referral Contest
Welcome New and Returning Students
Matthew P
Sharon P
Anna P
Winston F
Ria B
Seva G
Yanbo W
Osmond H
Zylen H
Abbas G
Matthew W
Gordon T
Jayden L
Alyssa H
Mia L
Daniel T
Deepti K
Nicole R
Aaviri P
Jemme G
Shelley D
Samanatha Y
Drew S
Robert C
Lukas B
Armin D
Neha V
Robert R
Is Your Teacher Fully Booked?
Many teachers are very popular, and quickly become fully booked. If you need a schedule change or would like to be added to a waiting list for a particular teacher, day or time, please contact us and we can add you to the waiting list. There are still limited lesson spots available. To inquire about openings in May send an e-mail to info@mississaugafineartsacademy.com or call us at 905-276-0251.
Here is a partial list of who’s currently full:
Guitar
Anjula E.: All days SOLD OUT
Travis M.: All days SOLD OUT
Jack L.: All days SOLD OUT
Michael G.: All days SOLD OUT
Miguel R.: All days SOLD OUT
Henry G.: Only Two spots left
Max M.: All Days SOLD OUT
Salvatore S.: Sunday Open
Bass
Jack L.: Only One spot left
Michael G.: All days SOLD OUT
Henry G.: Only One spot left
Max M.: Only One spot left
Violin
Anastasiya B: Only TWO spots left
Afshin E.: All Days SOLD OUT
Vira B.: All days SOLD OUT
Ukulele
Geoff M.: All days SOLD OUT
Jack L.: All days SOLD OUT
Henry G.: Only Two spots left
Max M: Only TWO spots left
Piano
Anastasiya B: All Days SOLD OUT
Anjula E.: All Days SOLD OUT
Danae O.: All days SOLD OUT
Geoff M.: All days SOLD OUT
Jack L.: Only TWO spots left
Jerry Z.: Only TWO spots left
Katrina Z.: Only TWO spots left
Lesya K.: Only THREE spots left
Mariana C.: All days SOLD OUT
Michael G.: All days SOLD OUT
Monica V.: Only TWO spots left
Oksana I.: All days SOLD OUT
Robert M.: Only TWO spots left
Sam L.: All days SOLD OUT
Vira B.: All days SOLD OUT
Kyle M.: Only TWO spots left
Alana Y.: All days SOLD OUT
Amjad A.: Only THREE spots left
Maxwell M.: Only TWO spots left
Kostantinos M.: Only ONE spot left
Andrea B.: All days SOLD OUT
Voice
André R.: Only TWO spots left
Anjula E.: All days SOLD OUT
Danae O.: All days SOLD OUT
Alana Y.: All days SOLD OUT
Miguel R.: Only THREE spots left
Sam M.: All days SOLD OUT
Kyle B: Only ONE spot left
Andrea B.: All days SOLD OUT
Drums
Kyle M.: Only Two spots left
Travis M.: All days SOLD OUT
Cello
Afshin E.: All Days SOLD OUT
Sharif A.: Only TWO spots left
Woodwinds
Robert M.: Only TWO spots left
Amjad A.: Only TWO spots left
Andrea B.: All days SOLD OUT
Brass
André R.: Only TWO spots left
Jerry Z.: Only THREE spots left
Alana Y.: All days SOLD OUT
