Music Merriam-Style

It can be fairly said perhaps that the fun, spirit and extraordinary success of Oakville’s Merriam School of Music are due in large part to an unhappy experience.

It was owner/director Alan Merriam’s frustration with the taut and tedious music lessons of his youth – not to mention the fright of being thrown in at the deep end in public recitals – that spurred him to create an innovative and relevant curriculum wrapped in a learning environment that’s relaxed and supportive.

He remembers the traditional music lesson being “a very private, introspective, unenjoyable thing,” a rueful sort of memory shared by a number of his contemporaries and many of the parents he meets, he says.

No surprise then that the school’s mission is to keep its students engaged in music in ways that make them lifelong musicians and music appreciators. Means to that end include making it a social experience from Day 1, ensuring that every youngster gets the right teacher and the right pedagogy, instilling the confidence to play in any situation, and encouraging lots of parent involvement.

And it obviously works! Established more than 20 years ago by Merriam, a professional pianist and performing artist, the school is now the largest of its ilk in North America, with 3,000 students and an extremely low attrition rate. Another 400 young musicians-to-be study at a second site which opened its doors 18 months ago in Vaughan.

A stylized treble clef on the front door welcomes visitors to the main campus, a facility that boasts a sophisticated, year-round recital hall, a resource library filled with books, games and computer programs, and 40 soundproofed rooms varying in size to accommodate private tuition and small group and ensemble activities.

Featured on the corridor walls are cartoon personality icons emblematic of the nine areas of concentration in Merriam’s unique Keyfest curriculum: Peter Pitch (ear training), Ivonna Read (sight reading), Professor Noteworthy (theory), and a cast of characters touting technical skills, improvisation, rhythm, repertoire, technology and ensemble performance. But pride of place goes to a jaunty, top-hat-and-tails Keymaster, representing musical literacy and excellence in performance – the aim of every student.

The school welcomes everyone from the hobbyist to the career oriented, and provides vocal training as well as instruction in all major instruments. And it all begins with an in-depth interview with parents to determine the student’s goals.

The idea, says Merriam, is not to hatch short-term plans, but to chart a course for the next five to seven years. Is the student to be musically immersed in the advanced studies program or channelled into a specific stream of interest – classical, jazz, pop, band, musical theatre?

The Merriam way emphasizes the importance of fun (theory through games), social stimulation (group activities) and the chance to perform in a stress-free situation.

The students are encouraged to play in a non-competitive Holiday Season show in the recital hall; and everyone is expected to take part in a grand festival, watched by top calibre adjudicators from across Canada, at the end of the school year.

Keyfest sets clearly-stated goals and levels for the students to work towards and provides a comprehensive examination system and regular report cards to keep parents advised of their child’s progress.

The large teaching staff is carefully selected by the school’s director of human resources. New additions are actively recruited on university campuses and must have at least an undergraduate degree and professional experience. Candidates (350 résumés received for 25 new positions last year) are auditioned for technical proficiency and screened for professional demeanour, musical passion, and the ability to transfer that passion to others.

Once chosen, new staff members undergo 160 hours of rigorous training in music Merriam-style.

For further information, including details of summer camp programming, visit www.merriammusic.com.