About Richmond Music School
Our Vision
Richmond Music School aspires to provide excellence in music qualifications as a national and international hub.
Our Mission
Richmond Music School provides the highest quality music education meeting the needs of all ages through private and group lessons in both practical and theoretical domains enriching the lives of students, teachers, the community and society.
Our History
The Richmond Music School is a committed contributor to the cultural life of Richmond. Founded in 1979 by a group of parents who wanted quality music education for their children, the School became a registered charity in 1980. The Richmond Music School is pleased to have delivered quality music education to over 10,000 students and brought music enjoyment to ten-thousands of residents in the City of Richmond through its four-decade-long of service in the community.
As a founding member of the BC Association of Community Music Schools, the Richmond Music School must adhere to a high standard of professional criteria to which commercial schools are not bound. Our focus is on the accessibility of music education to all sectors of the Richmond community with an emphasis on program excellence and community work.
As the Canadian representative for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) in the United Kingdom, the Richmond Music School offers a place for students across Canada to take their ABRSM exams in all levels while providing a strong educational contribution to local teachers through the workshops it hosts. Completion of ABRSM examinations are recognized by the government of British Columbia for approved external credits for secondary students in Grades 10-12.
The Richmond Music School offers instruction to all age groups and abilities in a broad range of styles: classical, jazz, rock and pop. Similar to the structure of music conservatories, it primarily offers private lessons and ensemble classes on a weekly basis. Most of the instruction is geared towards the completion of the Canadian Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) examinations or the U.K. Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) as well as preparation for local music festivals and competitions.
Through our ‘Share Your Music’ philosophy, our faculty members and students perform throughout the year at recitals and other special events to increase the awareness of music education and arts participation. We can often be seen performing in malls, schools, community centres, senior living facilities and festivals. Notable performances include Culture Days, Winter Wonderland at Richmond City Hall and our 2010 music marathon, in which we performed 40 hours of music to welcome the Olympic athletes to the 2010 Olympic Games.