Our well-trained, fully qualified Beckett School at Laurier instructors offer music lessons for students of all ages, at any skill level.

Rates are listed according to lesson time. Registration includes 36 lessons across four nine-week terms, unless stated otherwise. For information regarding the registration process and payment information, review our registration page.

Jump to:

• Brass
• Clarinet and Saxophone
• Flute
• Guitar
• Lute
• Oboe
• Percussion
• Piano
• Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)
• Voice

Brass

Lessons are available in trumpet, cornet, trombone, baritone horn, euphonium and tuba. Small brass group classes are available and provide an enjoyable environment for players at a similar level to grow in both individual and ensemble practices and literature.

Instructors:

• Eric Dettweiler
• Susan Follows

Clarinet and Saxophone

Clarinet/Saxophone private lessons are offered from beginner to advanced. Students learn to play all styles of music from classical to pop to jazz. Adults are especially welcome. Students can work towards the Royal Conservatory of Music exams and prepare for college/university auditions.

Instructors:

• Danielle Beck
• Larry Moser

Flute

Flute private lessons are offered from beginner to advanced. Students can learn to play all styles of music from classical to pop to jazz. Adult learners welcome. Students can work towards Royal Conservatory of Music exams, prepare for college/university auditions and competitions or learn to play for their own enjoyment.

Instructors:

• Greg Stroh (Flute, Piccolo and Recorder)
• Laurel Swinden (Flute, Suzuki Flute)

Guitar

Guitar private lessons are offered for all levels of study, for all ages. Instructors teach in a number of different styles including rock, pop, country, acoustic, classical, jazz and blues and offer lessons in reading different forms of notation (tabs, chord charts, standard notation). Several instructors also teach ukulele, beginner bass, and beginner banjo.

Students can also work towards Royal Conservatory of Music exams, prepare for college/university auditions and competitions. Students also have the opportunity to learn recording and production skills and ways to integrate technology and guitar playing and performance.

Instructors:

• Dan Beacock
• Magdalena Tomsinska
• Colin Labadie
• Matthew Rait
• Alex Showdra
• Jacob Steinmann

Lute 

Instructor:

• Magdalena Tomsinska

Oboe

The oboe is a beautiful woodwind instrument that is played with a double reed. Oboists are specialized musicians that not only learn musical techniques, but also the art of reed making. Working with an experienced and knowledgeable teacher on your journey to competence is so important! Private lessons will help students to set goals, build confidence, stay motivated, and learn quickly. There are many elements to consider when learning to play the oboe. Oboe lessons will focus on developing musicianship, a good embouchure, breath control, proper fingering, posture, tone quality, and reed making skills.

Instructor:

• Sarah Cardwell

Percussion

Percussion lessons became a vibrant part of our music community in 2018. Lessons available for all ages and stages of musical development on drum set, with mallet and hand percussion lessons available upon request. Students also can participate in a number of different ensemble experiences at the school and perform in the many performance opportunities on-site and in the Waterloo region community.

Instructor:

• Dave O’Neill

Piano

When the Beckett School opened in 1980, instruction in piano was the foundation of its program. Today, the school is widely recognized for the excellence of its piano teaching. Well-trained, fully qualified teachers offer lessons for students of all ages and levels. In recent years, instruction in jazz piano has been added. Studio activities feature preparation for exams, competitions, performances and auditions as well as ensembles.

Instructors:

• Dorion Carmichael 
• Corinne Dutton
• Catherine Freitag-Hewson
• Cynthia Hiebert
• Rebekah Jordan-Miller
• Kathleen King Martin
• Jessica Khan
• Terry Kroetsch 
• Kevin Lee
• Peter Nikiforuk
• Elizabeth Norris
• Nichole Robertson
• Lorin Shalanko
• Peter de Sousa
• Stephen Tok
• Irene Yong

Piano Facility Workshop

The goal of this session is to assist Laurier Faculty of Music students in attaining facility at the keyboard and enabling them to pass Laurier's keyboard facility exam. Using a methodical approach and suiting the individual needs of students, this will be accomplished through various assignments designed to build technique and sight-reading skills at the piano. The instructor will also help students learn a variety of repertoire. Laurier's keyboard facility exam is administered as part of this workshop. 

Contact beckettschool@wlu.ca for rates.

Instructor:

• Catherine Freitag-Hewson

Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass)

The Beckett School at Laurier string area is comprised of seasoned performers and pedagogues, many of which have taught at the school for over 20 years. Lessons are tailored to suit the needs and learning styles of each student. Chamber and group performances are also available but not required.

Regular performance events such as monthly string area recitals (always well attended), Beckett School at Laurier showcase performances online and in-person, fiddle jams, and our annual non-competitive adjudicated festival, Beckettfest, provide young and seasoned performers with an abundance of supportive performance opportunities throughout the year.

Instructors:

• Alec Catherwood
• Rebecca Diderrich
• Shane Guse
• Mark Norris
• Michael Steinberg
• Jung Tsai
• Kenneth Kwan

Improvisation for Strings

Improvisation can be learned through experience and practice. Using different musical styles from Folk and Bluegrass to Swing and Jazz, students gain an understanding of a variety of playing styles starting with simple melodies and moving towards the more complex chord structures. Lessons combine the creative and the technical in a way to make the art of improvisation more accessible to string players.

Contact beckettschool@wlu.ca for dates and rates.

Instructor:

• Shane Guse

Voice

We offer voice instruction to all ages and abilities. Our highly trained vocal faculty offer a broad range of expertise and provide instruction in a variety of styles, from Pop, Rock and Broadway to Opera, Art Song and Early music traditions.

Our instructors regularly prepare students for university auditions, many of which have continued to study music in undergraduate and graduate programs. Like all other areas of teaching at the Beckett School at Laurier, voice instructors tailor instruction to suit the needs and abilities of each student, focusing on overall vocal wellness.

Regular performance events such as voice area recitals and masterclasses, Beckett School at Laurier showcase performances online and in-person, and our annual non-competitive adjudicated festival, Beckettfest, provide young and seasoned performers with an abundance of supportive performance opportunities throughout the year.

Instructors:

• Daniel Cabena
• Hayden Kerry
• Rebecca McKay
• Amy Moodie
• Joanna Mountry
• Katherine Neeb 
• Stephen Tok