We offer fun and engaging lessons after school for students at Montcrest.

Lessons are available one-to-one or in group settings, depending on the instrument being taught.

All of our lessons include:

Music Theory + Composition

Students will develop their technique while also being introduced to music theory, composition and reading musical notation.

We integrate this into all instrumental and vocal lessons, as learning these elements of music helps students understand the fundamentals and apply them to their playing and singing.

Structured Learning + Familiar Music

Students can work towards their RCM performance grades or, for guitars and drums, we offer a syllabus created by the Rockschool series (grades 1-8). 

We encourage students to engage with familiar music, as genres and songs they hear at home can help connect them more deeply with their learning. Accessing popular music and contemporary playing techniques also helps to create fun and engaging lessons!

End of Year Recital

Performance opportunities are available for students to take part in at the end of the school year in the form of a recital. For more information on our recital on June 12th 2025 please visit here.

We teach a variety of lessons, including:

  • Drum lessons are offered to beginners to advanced students. Our tutors are familiar with a range of musical styles including Pop, Rock, Hip Hop and Jazz.

    Drum students will:
    • Develop sticking techniques, coordination and rhythmical awareness
    • Methods for reading standardized Drum notation
    • Improve music theory

    Did you know...
    Alongside musical learning, playing the Drums is a great way to exercise the brain and body. A university study (you can read the study here) presented that Drummers have improved brain function in areas responsible for motor planning. Drummers had thicker fibres in the important connecting tract between the two different sides of the brain.

    Lesson Types: One-to-One & Paired

  • Just picked up your first Guitar? Starting your finger-picking with a Ukulele? No matter if you’re brand new or looking to up your skills to the next level, we can get you there. Our tutors will teach you what you want to learn, whether it’s learning how to strum some of your favourite pop songs, or how to solo on the Electric Guitar.

    Guitar & Ukulele students will:
    • Develop their technique and finger patterns
    • Be introduced to reading a range of musical notation such as TAB, chord charts and Western notation
    • Improve music theory skills

    Ukulele lessons are a great way for younger students to develop their musicality and for eventual progression onto other instruments.

    Lesson Types: One-to-One & Paired

  • Are you learning Piano for the first time? Or do you want to refine your skills and gain confidence playing songs and études? All of our tutors have a wide range of experience playing and teaching in many different genres, from Jazz improvisation to Classical pieces.

    Piano students will:
    • Learn how to read musical notation
    • Develop proper keyboard technique
    • Improve on music theory and musical literacy

    The Royal Conservatory method (RCM) method can be taught if specified. Please tell us when signing up!

    Lesson Type: One-to-One

  • Vocal lessons allow you to sing with more volume, better pitch and grow your confidence with singing in front of others.

    Vocal students will:
    • Establish vocal technique: improve diction and breathing techniques to sing with ease
    • Learn proper posture
    • Be introduced to reading musical notation
    • Improve music theory skills

    Training in various styles including Musical Theatre, Classical, Jazz, Pop, R&B, and Folk. We offer preparation for RCM vocal grades and tailor lessons to include songs and styles that resonate with students.

    Lesson Types: One-to-One & Paired

  • We currently offer individual lessons for the woodwind instruments below. If the instrument you’re wishing to learn isn’t listed, let us know, as we can most likely accommodate it!

    • Clarinet
    • Saxophone (Alto/Tenor)
    • Flute

    Our teachers also teach the Royal Conservatory method (RCM). Please specify in your sign-up form notes if this is the method you prefer.

    Lesson Types: One-to-One & Paired

  • We currently offer individual lessons for the brass instruments below. If the instrument you’re wishing to learn isn’t listed, let us know, as we can most likely accommodate it!

    • Trumpet
    • Tenor Horn
    • Trombone
    • Tuba

    Our teachers also teach the Royal Conservatory method (RCM). Please specify in your sign-up form notes if this is the method you prefer.

    Lesson Types: One-to-One & Paired

Pricing & Scheduling

Individual one-to-one lessons are priced at:

  • $58 for a 1:1 30-minute lesson

  • $78 for a 1:1 45-minute lesson

  • $95 for a 1:1 60-minute lesson

For more information on our Pricing & Lesson Policy please visit the bottom of this page, or visit here.

Group & Paired Lesson prices start from $42 per student for a 30-minute lesson, depending on the type of lesson (paired lessons vs clubs, and lesson length).

Please get in touch for more information on availability and pricing.

2026/2027 School Year Details

Families who reserved a lesson time during Term 3 of the 2025/2026 school year will be contacted at the end of July with the opportunity to re-reserve their current time slot for the upcoming school year. New students interested in starting lessons in September are welcome to complete the Student Sign-Up form. We will begin processing new registrations in August.

For all information regarding term dates for the new school year please see below ⬇️:

📅 Term 1: September 14th - December 10th

Please note there will be no Music lessons scheduled on the following dates:

- Monday, October 12th 2026 (Thankgiving Long Weekend)
- Thursday, October 22nd 2026 (Parent-Teacher Interviews).

📅 Term 2: January 4th - March 4th

Please note there will be no Music lessons scheduled on the following dates:

- Thursday, February 25th 2027 (Parent-Teacher Interviews)
- Monday, February 15th 2027 (Family Day Weekend)

📅 Term 3: March 30th - June 10th

Please note there will be no Music lessons scheduled on:

- Monday May 24th (May Long Weekend)

- 🎶 End of Year Recital: Full event details will be announced later in the school year. We typically hold our end-of-year recital during the final week of scheduled lessons. Please note there will be no music lessons scheduled on the day of the recital. Families will be notified well in advance.

To see our previous recital details from June 1st 2026 please visit ➡️ here..

Lessons are available after school on the following days:

🥁 Drums: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
🎸 Guitar & Ukulele: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
🎹 Piano: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays
🎤 Voice: Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays
🎷🪈 Woodwind: Mondays & Thursdays
🎺 Brass: Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays

🎸 Guitar Club: Thursdays (subject to demand)

Lessons are scheduled at the same time and day each week, during after school hours from 3:30pm-6:00pm

Please note lessons are subject to demand and availability, with times allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis. In the event that the lesson schedule is filled, additional lesson dates will be offered depending on demand.

How to Book Your Lessons:

📋 Step 1:

Fill out our sign-up form, letting us know about the instrument you’re interested in learning, your experience level and any other details.

🗓️ Step 2:

From there, we’ll look over your answers, and send you a link with our available time-slots to reserve your lesson time.

✅ Step 3:

Once you’ve selected your preferred time, we’ll confirm your lessons and send you the term’s invoice to get you officially booked in!

sign up for lessons

🎨

Aftercare Details

Montcrest School students are required to be enrolled into Aftercare if they need to wait for their lesson. This will allow them to wait in Aftercare until their tutor arrives to collect them for their scheduled lesson. After each lesson, students will be brought back to reception to be picked up by their parent/guardian, or brought back to Aftercare for a later pickup time.

Please Note: You do not need to notify the school of your music enrolment as this is communicated with the Aftercare team However, if your child’s lesson starts after 4:00PM, please register them for Aftercare to ensure they are supervised until their instructor arrives. Aftercare registration opens in July on MyMontcrest. For any questions regarding Aftercare, please contact the After School Program Coordinator.

Beats and Bars Music School is not responsible for organizing or coordinating the Aftercare program at Montcrest School, neither do we assume responsibility for this service as it is not managed by Beats and Bars Music School.

Policies & Common Questions:

Cancellations & Make-Up Lessons:

  • A minimum of 24 hours' notice is required to cancel a lesson and receive a Make-Up credit, otherwise, the lesson will be billed as-is. These lessons will then be made up at a later date.

    Please email us at info@beatsandbars.ca to let us know about any cancellations.

    Beats and Bars Music is not responsible for changes in the Montcrest calendar, for example, sporting practices/events and other extra-curricular clubs. If there are any scheduling conflicts that arise, please notify us as soon as possible. Lessons that are cancelled without 24 hours' will be non-refundable.

  • Two (2) lessons can be cancelled per term if needed, with a maximum of two Make-Up credits able to be passed to the next term.

  • We always reserve the last week of the term for make-up lessons, and if any lessons are not made up and the term has ended, then the credit(s) will be added to the following term.

Invoices & Payments:

  • Payment must be made prior to lessons taking place. Lessons will be invoiced termly or to your desired term length. Typically you will be billed for 8-14 lessons at a time.  

    For payments overdue by 14 days, a 5% late fee will be applied to the total invoice amount.

  • Invoices will be delivered via email with a link to pay prior to the term commencing.

  • We accept credit, debit, Apple Pay and Google Pay right from within your invoice via the “Click Here to Pay Online” button. 

    Interac e-Transfer is also accepted (please send payments to info@beatsandbars.ca).

General Queries:

  • If you do not currently have access to the instrument you've chosen to have lessons for, then now may be a good time to start looking at purchasing or rental options! Renting can be a better option if you don't want to commit to buying an instrument straight away.

    We recommend renting through Long & McQuade as they stock quality and reasonably priced products. You can contact your local store for help with sizing or choosing the right instrument for your needs.

  • Email reminders are sent out 24 hours before each lesson.

    You will also be given a login to our portal where you can synchronize your lesson schedule to your calendar application (click here for instructions). You can log into the portal here or via the Log In button in our website navigation.

    For students in middle school and above, we recommend they synchronize their lesson schedule with their calendar as well.