We’d like  to welcome Gary Forbes to our teaching staff.   Gary will be teaching Piano, Theory, and Trumpet.

Gary is a staff accompanist with Brock University . He is also the organist for Grantham United Church. Gary was music Director for Canadiana Pianist production in “Oh Canada Eh”, “Rocky Horror Show”, “.Jump Jive and Wail”  “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown”, and many more.

Gary has a Bachelor of Music in Organ and Trumpet performance.

Come and meet Gary and get you started playing and plan your music career for the future.

Welcome Aboard Gary,
Anne & Staff.

BUCKET DRUMMING is growing in Popularity . What an inexpensive opportunity for all ages to develop and enhance rhythm and reading skills. Bucket Drumming becomes very impressive and always leaves the student cheery with satisfaction.

 RYSONS is offering Bucket Drumming lessons Wed and Thurs. of next week 2.00pm to 3.30pm.  Group training $15.00 session for a hour and half Buckets supplied.

 Sticks on Sale for $4.50 a pair. A great way and reasonable price to try your skills for drumming.

 At Rysons the Beat goes on. A great way to introduce students who might like to take drum lessons at a reasonable price. Excellent teachers on staff to show you a rudimentary and rhythmical approach to Bucket Drumming and independence approach to a complete drum set as well. and lots of fun.

 Join our musical family on Jan. 4th and 5th for a drumming Good time. Musically yours Anne Deyme 905 682-6832 Please call to set up your time. . A great way to start the New Year> Happy New Year to all.

Check out this video…

Can you believe that we’re less than 10 weeks away from Christmas 2011?!

Hope you like this little video…

 So, at Ryson’s, we’ve begin to prepare for the Christmas Season.  We’ve got exciting new musical instruments, accessories, and sheet music arriving daily.  Plus, we’ve already begun offering some special deals.

 A Ryson’s Gift Card is a great Christmas gift for your favorite musician.  You can use the Gift Card for musical instruments,

musical instrumentaccessories, music books and sheet music, music instrument repairs, and music lessons.  We’ll also put your chosen gift on Layaway if you wish.

Check out this new MK962 Electronic Keyboard complete with 61 keys, fully digital with 100 rhythms – 8 demonstration songs – Rhythm programming – record/playback – LED Digital Display and many more great features.  To top it off, add our exclusive Ryson’s 2 year warranty.

From “Love Me Do” to “Revolution”, and “Yellow Submarine”, you guessed it…The Beatles!  We’ve got 10% off Beatles guitar straps, perfect for your little Beatle guitar player.  We have a large supply of Beatle Books as well.

Your Little Drummer Boy will love finding the new Typhoon Electric Drum Kit on Christmas morning.  This great little set has got to be seen to be believed.  This set is the perfect solution for “quiet practice” at home.

Christmas Music has arrived; Reader’s Digest Christmas, Glee Christmas. Christmas Pop, Season Greeting, Elvis Christmas, and many more with all of your Christmas Favourites.

Looking for a great deal on a guitar?  We’ve got awesome Typhoon packages from Daddario  including; Guitar, Amp. Strap. Cord, Picks, Bag- and our 2 year warranty.  These great guitars have arrived in all colours  red-blue-black and sunburst.  These are a terrific price thanks to our very own Santa Larry at Daddario.

Ever heard of  Beavercreek guitars?  If you’ve been around Ryson’s for awhile you have.  Well now you can get your favorite guitar player a great guitar at a very reasonable price. They all come with our 2 year warranty.  The Elves at Santa Larry’s workshop are busy making all the Beaver Creek Travelling guitars…a great gift for all ages .

Is your favorite guitar player a young lady?  Well in that case you’re going to want to check out our great selection of Daisy Rock Guitars .for Christmas.   You simply must see the Daisy,The Star, The Heart Guitar and all the new products.

Hey… Santa helpers have just dropped off a  sleigh full of great brass and woodwind musical instruments; flutes, saxophones, trumpets, trombones,and lots more at terrific prices and a great warranty.

Music Lessons are a great gift for Christmas. It is the gift that keep on giving for a lifetime.  Interviews are always available.  Our music lessons are Accredited and we do provide Tax Receipts.

This year our Ryson’s Christmas Concert will be on Dec.18th  Please Call 905 682-6832 for information or drop in at the Studio  5 Court St. St. Catharines.

At Ryson’s, we are a large, musical family we’d love to have you join us in the future!  Christmas is a Homemade Holiday It is the most wonderful time of the year with homemade cookies, gift giving, birth of our Lord, relatives and friends  and the enjoyment of music.

 We hope you’ll come visit us at Ryson’s. In the meantime we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

 Anne.

Ryson’s Music has just finished the Kiwanis Guitar Festival for this year.  

Here is a list of our winners:

Class 401– Telstar
•    Edynn Murphy         90%
•    Josh Crysler            87%

Class 405- Kokomo
•    Nathan Hoang            92%
•    Dexter Sonier            88%
•    Noah Wright            88%
•    Maeghan Bunting        86%

Class 411- Pretty Woman
•    Jessica Campbell        90%

Class 417- Layla (duet)
•    Jessica Campbell        90%
•    Jessica Zugic            90%
•    Cameron Stewart        90%
•    Maxwell Stewart        90%

Class 407- Sunshine on Your Shoulder
•    Evan Dim            88%
•    Lindsay Fulcher        85%

Class 408- Guitar Boogie
•    Natasha Kowalenko        85%

Class 730- Stand by Me (duet)
•    Lucas Wainwright        85%
•    Noah Wainwright        85%

Class 414A- I Love Rock&Roll
•    Sarah Marshall        84%

Class 406- Free Bird
•    Evan Dim            90%
•    Dexter Sonier            90%
•    Nicholas Grude        88%
•    Trent Gilmour            88%
•    Jake Stevenson        80%

Class 412- Summer of ’69
•    Alex Bragg            84%

Class 409B- Malaguena
•    Jared Gilmour            87%
•    Lauren Lidstone        86%

Class 745- Bands
•    The Golden Hammers    94%

Class 803- Bands- Taylor Swift
•    Lucas Venneri
•    Evan Dim
•    Dexter Sonier
•    Cailen Rotz
•    Edynn Murphy
•    Josh Crysler
•    Basil Sonier
All Participants in 803 received 90%

Class 414B- I Love Rock&Roll
•    Jessica Campbell        87%

Class 410- I Shot the Sheriff
•    Emma Crawley        86%

Class 835- Bands- My Generation
•    Laura Lidstone
•    Olivia Dim
•    Graham Crawley
•    Matthew Bradley
•    Joey Bourassa
•    Mike Rogers
•    Jessie Gold
This band received 87%

Class 491-Bands- Day Tripper
•    Katie Green
•    Jared Gilmour
•    Lucas Venneri
•    Trent Gilmour
•    Gabriel Baloga
•    Noah Wright
•    Emma Stevenson
•    Jake Stevenson
This band received a mark of 91%

Class 492-Bands- Flight of Icarus
•    Alex Macpherson
•    Cameron Ethier
•    Jessica Campbell
•    Mike Merny
•    Mike Deschamps
•    Natasha Kowalenko
•    Jordan Phelan (instructor)
This band received a mark of 92%

Congratulations to all of our participants in the Kiwanis festival; well done!  A big thank-you to our judge, Guy Cayen who is an accomplished musician and school teacher.

———————————————————————————————————

If you or your favorite music student are busy preparing for RCM Examinations, a recital, or concert, this will help.

The Royal Conservatory of Music Accompaniment CD’s let you play along with other musicians just like you will in a live concert.  The RCM cd’s include; piano accompaniment for violin, piano recordings, or piano accompaniment for vocals.

We’ve just received some of the best selling Royal Conservatory cd’s just in time for your rehearsal.

Give us a call to reserve yours today.

Another muscial, educational , rewarding and fun year for our students is about to begin.

To Register: send a note to anne@RysonsMusic.com or give me a call at 905-682-6832. - Anne.

Once agian this year we are pleased to offer music lessons for the following musical instruments; Piano, violin, voice, flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, french horn, tuba, drums, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, classical guitar, and bass guitar.   All of our lessons contain music theory, history, harmony, and counterpoint.  And of  course we are rapidly becoming known as the Home of FiddleFest and Fiddle Lessons, and groups.

Our brass and woodwinds students will have the opportunity to take the Royal Conservatory Exams, and on the fun side, they’ll be able to participate in our many band groups playing for local Festivals and Concerts.

Last year our music teachers and students set many new standards and records of accomplishment.

We’re very proud of; Brian Heximer (grade 8 tuba). Brian has been accepted at Western University this fall; Ferhus Grundy received grade 6 trombone; Tyler Versluis received grade 9 oboe; Brianna Wing received grade 9 oboe and is working on grade 10; Susan Wassill was the Kiwanis Festival winner in flute; Spencer D’Amore won in trumpet; and many more students have accomplished their credits for high school and university in brass and woodwinds.

We believe that students who invest hard work and real dedication to their music lessons, deserve to have a little fun as well.

A couple of years ago we began to form student bands. This gives the student first hand experience in playing with other musicians, and in public

Of course our most famous student band in the last couple of years has been the Golden Hammers.

This year the Hammers have performed at several different functions, and their popularity continues to grow.  Some of their performances included;  Friendship Festival Ft. Erie, Canal Days, Pt. Colborne, GM Car Show, Knights of Columbus Centennial, and several school fun fairs.  The Golden Hammers were also nominated for the Niagara Music Awards, and won the Downtown Association “In The Soil”.
They will be performing once again at the Grape and Wine Festival at Montebello Park, and for the Pied Piper Parade on  September 19th.  They’ll also be at the Community Living Center in Queenston Heights on Sept. 12th.

We also have a new group called the Rockin’ Daisies.  This is an “All Girls” rock group with members ranging from ages 12 to 15. These gals have a lot of attitude and have already caught the attention of the local community at Canal Days, and the GM Car Show.

The Rockin’ Daisies will  be playing at Climate, at Montebello Park for Grape and Wine Festival Sept. 19th., and for Community Living in Queenston Heights on Sept. 12.

Both the Golden Hammers, and the Rockin’ Daisies are under the musical direction of Dave Tufford and myself. They are available to perform at public functions. Just give me a call at Ryson’s or send me an email to anne@rysonsmusic.com.

Our Rock Bands under the direction of;  Dave Tufford, Torry Doyle, Jordan Phelan, Tim Popek, and myself performed extremely well in the Kiwanis Music Festival.
We received a lot of compliments from the adjudicators and parents of the students.

• The Senior Band played ThunderStruck by ACDC for a score of 96
• Intermediate Band played Back in the  USSR for a 95
• The Junior Band scored a 93 for their performance of Every Breath you take. All guitar solos were outstanding.

Our vocal students were not to be outdone by their instrumental counterparts.  Last year’s Junior Idol winner, Natalie Vurro successfully defended her title as the Junior Idol for 2009.  You may know Natalie as the very talented female singer who appears with the Hammers. Also Kayla McGowan won the Mini Idol in vocals. Both of these young ladies are under the direction of our vocal teacher Lauren Gasbarini.

Several of our voice students completed and passed their Royal Conservatory Exams; Samantha Allison, Abby Cryer, Natasha  Kowalenko, Karen Hart, and many more.

Piano Achievements; Sarah Vanderzalm just completed her grade 9 and Tyler Versluis passed his grade 8 piano in addition to grade 9 oboe  as mentioned above. Then there was Kristopher Grude ,Lindsay and many more who reached their goals and working towards their  credits for university.

Our Violin Lessons are excellent. Private lessons at Royal Conservatory Standards and Suzuki studies as well. Larissa Milar  is working on grade 8 violin, as well as Allison Scholten and Ben Abrahams and many more serious violin students.  Trisha  Gorman who has turned into a fine player, overcame some techique problems and has worked very hard this year.  Trisha deserves a  big bouquet and a great round of applause for her accomplishment.

As you can see, Ryson’s Studio is our Musical Family. We work very hard to achieve our musical goals and credits, but we also  have a lot of fun which we believe is the reason our students accomplish so much.

No boredom here. Our students enjoy the  opportunities to play in public for the community which in turn supports them.

If you’d like to become a member of our family, simply send me a note to anne@rysonsmusic.com, or give me a phone call at 905-682-6832.  We’re open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 9:00pm, and on Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm.

New at Ryson’s Music!
Summer ukulele classes with professional teachers.

• Learn to chord along to all-time favorite uke songs such as “Amazing Grace”, “Will the Circle be Unbroken”, “Hey Jude”, “Danny Boy”, “Rivers of Babylon” and many more.

• New instruments with cases supplied for class.

• Day classes from 10:00-4:00.

• Cost for the day is $50 and the ukulele is yours to keep!

Come and have fun with the ultimate summer instrument you can bring camping, to the beach or to the cottage. Get a jump-start on the elementary school ukulele classes too.

This is an inexpensive way to get your feet wet in musical education and to open doors to the enjoyment of music in the future at Ryson’s Studios.

To register give me a call  at Rysons 905-682-6832 or e-mail at anne@rysonsmusic.com.

Anne.

I think that one of the wonderful things about many musicians is their willingness to help others in a time of need.

Brian Roman, a Toronto Vocalist, is trying to help out a little boy, Justin Grant, who’s going through a very bad time.

Justin has cancer, and if that wasn’t bad enough, his father died just months ago.

Brian Roman heard about Justin and decided to do a benefit concert to raise funds for him and his mom.  It looks like the concert will be a sell-out and they could raise as much as $100,000.00.

What a wonderful story to share with our music students.  Sure, it’s great that the’re learning to play an instrument for their own enjoyment, or perhaps, they have higher goals. But imagine what our music students can accomplish when they understand how they can actually help people who really need it through their musical talents.

I’ve never met Brian, but he’s obviously a guy with a huge heart.
I hope you’ll join me in applauding his effort to help Justin and if you’re so inclined, you might want to contribute to the Justin Grant benefit. Here’s the story; Justin Needs Our Help.

The Brian Roman Story is a must-read for every music student. You can read it here; Brian Roman.

Brian, if you ever read this I want you to know that you are a credit to the music industry, and I sincerely hope that young musicians everywhere will pay attention not only to your incredible personal story, but to the selfless manner in which you share your talent to benefit those in time of need.

Anne
P.S. I hope everyone who reads this will pass it on to others. You can help Justin by simply letting others know about this story.

The popularity of the Dexter Guitar video was absolutely overwhelming.  If you haven’t seen the video as yet, you can click on this link: Dexter Video.

As luck would have it, Murray, from our web design company, (yes that’s a plug), happened to be in the studio today taping some video for our website when Dexter came in for his lesson.  I was showing Dexter all of the wonderful comments that he received from his video.

Well, here’s Dexter’s response…

[flvplugin flv=http://rysons.s3.amazonaws.com/Dexterresponse.flv player=17-Bonus_Player_7 buffer=5 autoplay=false loop=false border=true preload=false redirect=]

Hey Dexter, it’s us who are thanking you.  It’s moments like this that remind us at Ryson’s what music lessons are all about.  Study, yes.  Practice, yes.  FUN, YES…YES…YES.

Please feel welcome to keep the comments coming in.  And if you really want to share Dexter with the world, be sure to click on one of the social bookmarking icons below this post.

Anne.

Our music students really do enjoy their music lessons.  Here’s an example;
Dexter, of the Golden Hammers wanted to do a school presentation like his brother was however he couldn’t because of his age.

Well that didn’t stop Dexter.  He wrote his project on guitars and then proceeded to tell us about it at the store.  We just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to video the session.  This may be hard to believe but he really did write all of this himself!  By the way, the Beaver Creek Guitar people were so impressed that they told us they’re going to put Dexter on their website.  We’ll let you know when that happens.

In the meantime…..Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeer’s Dexter!
Remember while you’re watching this…
He’s 8 years old!

“All music lessons should be FUN!“