Friendship: The studio works to cultivate friendships within the studio through regular performance opportunities, group classes, and ensemble opportunities. Imagine a trio of six year olds giggling as they decide what fairy costumes to wear for their group performance of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy", or a duo who met on the piano bench participating in each other's weddings. Both have happened here!
High Standards: Students are encouraged to learn persistence, to cultivate the highest possible level of musicianship, to value strong artistry, and to pay careful attention to detail.
Wellbeing: The studio works to push their students to their full potential, but never at the expense of self worth and well-being. Can you be a competition winner AND truly love to sit down at your instrument? Can you prepare for university AND feel empowered and confident? Absolutely! Can you join the studio just to play piano really well without planning a career in music? Definitely, and please do!
Individualized Study: While many students work towards goals such as exams, competitions, and auditions, the path they take is unique to them.
Lifelong Music Making: Which really begins at birth! Candace's exclusive Forest Music programming is the perfect way for families to invest musically in their little ones right from birth until they begin private lessons on their instrument of choice.
Respect for the Art Form: The studio invites students to learn about the inner workings of their music, to respect the composer's intentions, and to remember to include the audience. Students are expected to perform with intention, to prepare carefully, and to go into performance with the goal of inspiring those around them.
Sportsmanship: Student families are expected to conduct themselves with good sportsmanship in competition, to be encouraging to other musicians, and at all times to interact positively with others while representing the studio or at studio functions.
Pedagogy.
Students receive thorough instruction in all aspects of their music. The studio's pedagogical priorities are innate artistry, intrinsic motivation, an in depth understanding of practice and performance prep, healthy, balanced, beautiful technique, and science based fundamental learning skills. Students are thoroughly prepared for their musical endeavors, from university auditions to piano competitions and exams, to festival participation and worship teams/church music, and more. At all levels, students are guided to work towards oustanding results, to perform with the highest possible level of mastery. You can read more about our unique teaching philosophy on the About Our Teachers page.
The Piano Team/Parental Support.
Within the studio, the parent, teacher, and student function as a three part team to achieve musical success. The teacher's role is to facilitate learning, problem solve, guide, direct, help, and empower both students and parents, and to individualize lessons to each student's unique goals and talents. The student's role is to practice regularly, try their best, communicate their needs, to work towards their musical goals, and to play with artistry and enjoyment. The parent's role is to facilitate practice time, attend lessons (young students) communication between student and parent, support, encourage, and help where needed. To help parents feel supported and encouraged in their role, your tuition includes extensive parent education including a studio guide, monthly newsletter, monthly fun assignments for family music activities, twice a year formal student assessments, an up to date Facebook and Instagram page, video help, extra help between lessons, ongoing communication, and more!
FUN!
We want to be that studio where former students talk about how much fun they had taking lessons, and how many cool things they got to do! We believe top level instruction and creativity can totally happen at the same time. We do a lot of fun activities such as practice incentives, group parties, games, studio challenges, learning using manipulatives, and other activities. The other half of our definition of fun is also important. We want our students to develop a deep enjoyment of their instrument, a sense of pride in their music, to use their imagination, and to feel so empowered through carefully scaffolded learning that the music itself becomes fun. That's part of what makes the Candace Hamm Piano Studio different- we want the piano itself to be rewarding and motivating for our students!
Students First.
This is important. When we think of what students first means, it means that our teaching focus is narrow to make sure that we have time to provide the very best teaching we can in those areas- holistic early years instruction, high level classical piano, music theory, and church music. It means that students' well-being comes first. It means that we do whatever we can to incorporate students' unique talents and interests within their lessons. And it means that we spend as much time as we can in professional development because your kids deserve the strongest teaching we can give.
All Inclusive Tuition.
Your tuition doesn't just pay for a lesson slot. Candace believes in holistic education for your children, so tuition includes: your lesson slot, an extensive library of piano music, group classes, preparation for festivals, exams, and auditions, extra help between lessons, practice incentives and activities, games, recitals, ensemble instruction, an extensive library of video lessons, theory instruction, and more!
Students have access to many different opportunities that are generally only available to residents of Southeastern Manitoba through Candace's studio. MRMTA membership makes hers one of the few studios to have access to the MRMTA composition and performance competitions, scholarships, and performance opportunities. Candace is the only teacher offering Music Learning Theory musicianship programming in the Southeast. Students have access to studio only masterclasses, ensemble recitals, and the Conservatory Prep program for university hopefuls, unique in Canada! Early years students and beginner pianists experience the exclusive Forest Music curriculum created by Candace specifically to combine the best of the different piano methods she has used over the years.