Learning to love music is an underpinning philosophy of Pleasant Mountain Music. Music is the only universal language that can be learned at any age and can be pursued from a number of different approaches. No matter the starting goal of our students, we aim to support all students inclusive of the older beginner, mature students, and even seniors (our eldest client is 72 years young)! When in lessons with us we will encourage listening to music, choosing level-appropriate repertoire, and exploring a range of genres for your instrument of choice. We know that some students love opera or 20s jazz, and that some love ska or death metal. And that’s okay!
Whatever your goals might be, we are confident in our ability to support your development of the necessary skills to match the musical self-expression you seek; whether you aspire to learn a specific piece of music, understand the nuances of hybrid time signatures, listen to music with intention, or want to sing and play around the campfire with your friends, building music into your day to day life is what we aim to do. Let us help you learn to love music in your own unique way.
In our Love to Play stream, students are not required to take exams, or participate in festivals and competitions, however to provide a healthy amount of structure to class, our teachers may still recommend some method books or materials to students, especially during the first few months of learning.
Recommended Method Books
PIANO: Piano Adventures, My First Piano Adventures, Alfred’s Premier Piano Course, Suzuki method, Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), BC Conservatory of Music, and more
VOICE: Hal Leonard Voice series, Vocal Technique, Alfred’s Teach yourself to Sing, RCM, ABRSM.
GUITAR: The Hal Leonard Guitar series, The FJH Young Beginner Guitar Method book series, BC Conservatory of Music, RCM.
BRASS INSTRUMENTS: Measures of Success, Essential Elements, Standards of Excellence, ABRSM Jazz, RCM (classical), Sound Innovations.
VIOLIN: RCM (classical), Sound Innovations, Essential Elements, Standards of Excellence, Suzuki Method.
UKULELE: Essential Elements, Hal Leonard Ukulele Method, Easy Ukulele Method (Gempler), The Big Book of Hymns for ukulele, The First 50 songs you should play on the ukulele.
PERCUSSION AND DRUMS: Measures of Success, Essential Elements, Standards of Excellence, Hal Leonard Drum method, Alfred’s Drum method, Steve Weiss Music.
Embark on your journey today!
If you’re excited to begin learning, you can book your first lesson using our simple online calendar. Getting started is easier than you think.
If you’d like to talk through your goals or figure out the best fit, we’re happy to help. We love meeting new students and answering any questions.