Northwest Music Academy

At our studio, growth in music is never accidental. We believe in a structured pathway that develops not only strong performers, but disciplined, thoughtful, and responsible young musicians.

This term, we’re pleased to welcome another one of our senior students, Olivia Tran, into a Student Teacher role. This is an opportunity earned through years of consistent preparation, musical maturity, and reliability. Offering mentorship positions like this is an important part of how we help dedicated students take the next step in their musical development.

Olivia is now opening a small number of beginner lesson spaces, working under the guidance of our senior faculty. For young beginners, this provides a supportive and carefully supervised introduction to lessons within our studio’s established training approach.

Beginner openings are limited. Please contact the studio for current availability.

Curious what actually happens in a free trial lesson at Northwest Music Academy?

We begin by getting to know the student; their musical background, their interests, and what they’d like to get out of lessons. We then introduce our teaching approach, outline the different pathways available (including examination and non-examination options), and explain what performance opportunities look like within the studio.

From there, we listen. Students play whatever they can, if anything at all, and we assess where they are musically. By the end of the session, they leave with a clear plan of how we would build technique and music-reading skills so they can eventually play music with ease and artistry.

Thoughtful, structured, and pressure-free, these trial lessons are designed to give students a clear sense of what ongoing weekly lessons would look like. They’re also an opportunity for both student and teacher to determine whether the fit is right.

If that sounds interesting to you, you’re invited to book a complimentary trial lesson here:
https://wix.to/lJY2HeZ
🎶

What a great interview with Evgeny Kissin - my favorite living pianist!
At one point the interviewer says something like "What strategies have you developed to recharge your creative energy?"
Mr. Kissin replies so earnestly "I have never felt like I need to recharge my creative energies. Physical energy, yes, but the creative energy is always there. It comes from the music itself."

Evgeny Kissin on Finding Yourself in Life, Music, and Love Preeminent pianist Evgeny Kissin joins host Zsolt Bognár on location at Verbier Festival for a discussion about his musical beginnings, his teacher, and what...

Shout out to our wonderful student-teacher, Nathaniel Chiang!
Nathaniel specializes in teaching beginner piano students and is currently accepting new students.

Nathaniel has been studying with Leila Noonan for 5.5 years and has enjoyed preparing for various RCM piano and theory exams. He is currently working toward his level 7 piano exam this fall.
He enjoys working with kids and takes a fun, laid-back approach in his teaching.

Dm for details on lessons with Nathaniel!

Our second illustrious guest instructor is Colleen Iversen! She will be teaching our voice and guitar masterclasses on Nov. 22nd.
There are still a couple of slots available for anyone interested (not just NW Music Academy students)!

Colleen Iversen is a classically trained musician who shares her love of music through performing, composing, teaching, conducting, and recording. She teaches privately, providing lessons in voice, guitar, and ukulele to all ages as well as general music lessons to children through a song-based approach. She received her DipMus in Voice and BMus in Vocal Performance with a focus on classical art song and opera.

An avid supporter of versatility in technique, she sings with Calgary’s Vocal Group Kiva (8-part vocal jazz a ca****la), and professionally records with film composers, conductors, and artists such as Leanne Lightfoot and onemillionthousand. Colleen composes and arranges vocal music and works as an assistant conductor, vocal coach and clinician for choirs, leading sectionals and workshops on vocal technique and musicality. She refines her choral pedagogy with Erica Phare-Bergh and The Good Vibes Memory Choir, a choir that supports people living with memory loss and dementia, as well as their caregivers, students, and volunteers. Colleen also performs as a folk singer-songwriter under the artist name Ainslie Ayres.

We're getting excited about our annual Ready-Or-Not Masterclass on November 22nd!
This year, we have two fabulous guest instructors who we would like to share a bit more about.
Sonia P**n will be leading our (now FULL) piano classes.

Sonia works passionately with students both privately and in group sessions. She specializes in intermediate/advanced piano, and in contrast, also loves to work with her Music Explorers preschool group programmes. 

After many years of private lessons, performance, and exam participation, Sonia attended the University of Alberta. Here, she studied with Marek Jablonski, Alexander Sandler and Jean-Paul Sevilla. After completing her Bachelor of Music she went to Paris, France to continue her studies at Schola Cantorum L’Ecole des Beaux Arts for piano solo, chamber music, and also analysis with Narcis Bonet. In 2001 Sonia founded Forte Music Studio, and currently serves as the Vice President of the Alberta Piano Teacher’s Association. She is also a standing member of ARMTA the Alberta Registered Music Teachers Association and is a registered Royal Conservatory of Music teacher.

She has three wonderful and demanding children- Sascha, Luka, and Camila who play guitar, piano and violin. When possible Sonia also loves to play tennis, listen to podcasts, read and sleep in.

🎶 Discover the transformative power of music education! 🎶
At Northwest Music Academy, we believe that, through music lessons, anyone can cultivate discipline and artistic skill.
Join us in NW Calgary for a free trial lesson with Eli Noonan or Nathaniel Chiang!
Check out our offerings: https://wix.to/3VTGtK9

Learning an instrument can be a powerful way to build confidence and express yourself. At Northwest Music Academy, we offer a supportive environment and a variety of performance opportunities designed to help you grow as a musician. Explore our options and begin your musical journey. 🎶 Visit us at https://wix.to/niAd3fU

Northwest Music Academy | Develop the Mind Through Music | Calgary Music Lessons Explore Northwest Music Academy! Fun, structured music lessons in piano, guitar, ukulele, and voice. We host several masterclasses and recitals each year, and help our students prepare for RCM examinations.

🎶 At Northwest Music Academy, we are committed to excellence in music education. Whether your child is just beginning their musical journey or seeking to advance their skills, our thoughtfully designed approach supports every stage of growth. Discover how we nurture disciplined musicianship and a lifelong love of music.

Learn more at https://wix.to/yFB7P81 — we look forward to welcoming you.

Northwest Music Academy | Develop the Mind Through Music | Calgary Music Lessons Explore Northwest Music Academy! Fun, structured music lessons in piano, guitar, ukulele, and voice. We host several masterclasses and recitals each year, and help our students prepare for RCM examinations.

At Northwest Music Academy, we offer thoughtful, individualized instruction guided by experienced educators. Whether you're beginning your musical journey or refining your skills, we provide an environment where musicianship is cultivated with care.
Learn more about our programs and approach at https://wix.to/bcjVl3U

The winners of the

☆Best Practice Habits☆ award were:
Elijah Kudding
Jennifer Price
Kaitlyn Somers

Excellent work, students! ✨️