Frequently Asked Questions

1. Must my child own a keyboard?

No, students are not required to own a keyboard. If you do have a keyboard or piano at home, this is definitely a good thing as your child can use it for home practice.


2. Are there any course fees?

No, there are not any course fees.


3. What materials does my child need for music class?

Students are told to remember the acronym "BERP" which stands for:
          B inder
          E raser
          R uler
          P encil

Students should bring all four items to every class for the entire school year. I highly recommend that students have a separate one-inch binder that is just for music, as opposed to one big binder for multiple subjects. Large binders are quite cumbersome and many students have a difficult time managing them. Also, large binders don't sit well on the keyboard music supports.


4. Is there a required textbook for this course?

No, there is not. The majority of class work will be given as handouts that are created exclusively for your child's class. These handouts are also available on this website. From time to time we will play music from repertoire books that are kept in the classroom and do not go home with the student.


5. How much homework can we expect?

The OCDSB homework recommendation is ten minutes per grade. Therefore, grade seven students should expect 70 minutes of homework per night, which rises to 80 minutes in grade eight. Of these totals, I ask that students devote at least ten minutes per night to music work.


6. How can my child practice without a keyboard?

There are many activities and exercises that are very effective and do not require a keyboard. These are all practiced in class quite regularly so your child should be familiar with them.


7. I would like to buy a keyboard. What model do you recommend?

Most of the keyboards in my classroom are the Yamaha PSR-E353 model. Last I checked, these retail for under 200 dollars. Any keyboard with 60 or more regular size piano keys should be fine.


8. What music stores do you recommend?

Most of the time I buy musical equipment at:
          Fleet Sound
          Long & McQuade
          Steve’s Music
          St. John’s Music