Dianne Smith

Hi! I'm Dianne Smith in Barrhaven, Nepean. [email protected] Welcome to my website! If you would like to bookmark this site, put this URL: http://www.myc.com/teacher/DSmith in the Address field of your browser before you create the bookmark. If you forget, you can also find me using the "Search for a Teacher" tool under Teaching Locations. I love teaching group music lessons to young children.  The children learn to play the keyboard and piano.  My goal as a music teacher is to help children create the happy habit of music. My musical background includes a Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree and Associate diplomas (all First class Honours) with Royal Conservatory of Music in both teaching & performing piano and pipe organ. I've been a church organist and choir director for twenty-five years, directed a hand-bell choir for five years, and have accompanied many soloists and community choirs.  I've taught private piano lessons for over twenty years, and began teaching the Music for Young Children (MYC) program in 1998.  My MYCC certification means that I have taught every level of the program and participated in all programs of professional development offered by MYC. Your child will enjoy learning all aspects of music including playing by ear, note and rhythm reading, keyboard geography, composing, theory, singing and playing in two informal recitals per year alongside you.  Some children really enjoy the social aspect of learning in a group. My son was a finalist in the composition contest in 2004 and 2005, an MYC graduate, is a published composer with CNCM (Canadian National Conservatory of Music) and is currently in Royal Conservatory grade ten piano, and in the music program at Canterbury High School playing alto saxophone. The MYC program is specifically geared to the age of the child, with three to six year olds using more puppets, stories and action songs than older children. The parent attends the group lesson with the child for the duration of the course (three to five years depending on the age of the child when he begins). Each class of mine begins with circle time, followed by keyboard playing of scales and chords. This is followed by another circle time of theory or ear training, etc. The children usually do not sit for more than five minutes at a time. The keyboard pieces are usually played ensemble at the beginning of the year with more solo time developing as the children progress.  Each student will need a piano or touch sensitive keyboard to practise on at home. Please contact me for more information or if you wish to view a class. The teaching year runs from the Tuesday after Labour Day to the end of May.