ABOUT
THE CHAPLEAU PIANO ACADEMY
The Chapleau Piano Academy is a private music studio located in the heart of Chapleau, Ontario, Canada. Piano instructor and business owner Kassandra-Anne Demers has proudly pioneered this fully equipped professional music studio space to allow students from age 6 and up to gain access to high quality music education with a modern flair. Students studying at the Chapleau Piano Academy can expect to learn some of their favourite tunes while simultaneously following a structured curriculum based from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Every lesson is tailored to the students’ individual needs, goals and learning styles. Our studio is a safe, accepting and stress-free learning environment. While we have many opportunities to share our music in virtual concerts and live settings, none of our students are forced to be performers. We recognize that music serves many purposes in our lives and there are many rewarding avenues one can take to experience fulfilment in this art form. Wether you want to be a highly skilled pianist, need help preparing for an audition, music exam or to simply have an outlet to express yourself and reap the many benefits of music, the Chapleau Piano Academy will be there every step of way with positive guidance to help you achieve it!
Our students have the opportunity to study music theory, composition, history, critical listening, music production, playing techniques, ensemble playing, cover many genres of music and more!
Lessons are offered weekly in a private one-on-one setting. Group classes such as: piano ensembles and performance classes are also available for willing participants. Lessons can be taught in French and in English.
The Chapleau Piano Academy has been proudly serving students for in-person and virtual learning since September of 2019! We have local and international students that have become a very close and supportive music family throughout the years.
Find out more: (lesson times, rates by contacting us)
Get in touch → Email: chapleaupianoacademy@gmail.com
Check out the playlist below to see your teacher in action!
TEACHER BIOGRAPHY
Pianist, Kassandra-Anne Demers was born and raised in Chapleau, Ontario. She was largely self-taught up until the age of 18 due to the lack of music education available in her community at that time. This background has been the fuel behind the creation of the Chapleau Piano Academy. Kassandra-Anne is a strong advocate for the importance of music education in her community.
Kassey began her classical piano studies at Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario under the guidance of Dr.Charlene Biggs. She earned an Advanced Diploma in Music Performance in 2012. Soon after, she was selected as part of twelve international students to study in Edinburgh, Scotland with Kenneth van Barthold and Nicolas Pope for a three-week intensive classical piano performance program. Additionally, she has earned many awards; these include a Top Pianist and Most Outstanding Performance Award received in 2011 at Cambrian College. She also won the Memorial University Concerto competition in 2016, which gave her the incredible opportunity to perform Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto no.1 with the MUN chamber Orchestra in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
In 2017, Kassandra-Anne Demers graduated with honours earning a Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance and Composition from Memorial University of St. John’s,Newfoundland where she studied with professor Timothy Steeves.
In 2019 she acquired a Master’s Degree in piano performance at the University of Ottawa under the tutelage of professor David Jalbert.
Kassey’s self-taught background combined with a decade of rigorous classical training has provided her with a unique pedagogical perspective with capabilities to teach many genres of music at a high detailed level.
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It can take up to one year or more to be accepted at the Chapleau Piano Academy as we often rely on graduating teens to open up new slots. We promise it's worth the wait! Keep emailing us to check in on availability and to show your continued interest.
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Please email us on more specific details but you can expect the following average cost in 2024-2025.
30min lesson = average cost: $112 a month
45min lesson = average cost $160 a month
60min lesson = average cost $180 a month.
All lesson materials are provided in the interest of making music lessons as affordable as possible. There are no additional fees. Above amounts may vary depending on the amount of scheduled lessons in a given month. -
Absolutely NOT! Age doesn't matter. If you are willing to learn and apply your newly acquired knowledge through practice time, anything is possible! It's all about putting the work in and the results will follow. Music also has many positive health benefits so why not learn something new!
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This can vary depending on age and personal goals. You should try and practice everyday if you can! Make it part of your routine. Find a time where your brain works best. For me, I aim for mornings at the same time every day. I treat my SACRED piano practice time with just as much importance as a doctors appointment (I don't want to miss it).
Here are some following suggestions:
Kids age 6-8 = aim for 10-30min per day or every other day. Parents may need to encourage/supervise.
Kids age 9-11 = 30min per day or every other day.
Preteen/teens = 45min to an hour per day or every other day.
Adults: 30min - 60 mins per day or every other day.
If you really want to get better, the more time spent the better! Professional pianist often dedicate 3 to 6 hours a day. Make sure your practice time reflects your goals and desires. The music won't learn itself, you have to put the WORK in! -
Our business hours are purposely not posted publicly to avoid random drop-ins and lesson interruptions. PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT.
For students looking to practice at the studio you can send a text to your teacher to check for availability. Business hours are also posted in the studio for students to plan their practice/study time. Students can enter quietly during lessons and practice on the Roland FP-10's digital pianos with the provided noise cancelling head-phones. -
If you don't have the budget or the space for an acoustic piano - don't worry! A good digital keyboard will do just fine. For a good instrument, prices range between $800 to $5000 depending on what features you want.
Brands I typically recommend for digital pianos: Yamaha, Roland , Korg. Yamaha are by far my favourite brand for acoustic pianos and digital keyboards.
Important specs to look for:-Full size - 88 keys: Avoid purchasing lower key numbers / smaller keyboards as you may be falling into the "toy category" or synthesizer category. This can prove to be disorienting to students of any age and it will require an upgrade in the future as assigned music may have notes that don't exist on smaller instruments.
- Damper pedal : This is the most popular pedal used at the piano - you can purchase these on amazon or music stores if your keyboard doesn't currently have one. Purchase a pedal with the "Dual-polarity function/switch" to assure its compatibility with your digital instrument.
- Weighted keys / touch sensitivity This allows for dynamics (loud vs. soft sound exploration) and the action feels similar to that of an acoustic piano. Please be aware that cheaper keyboard models may not be able to produce dynamics (loud vs. soft) which is incredibly discouraging for students at any level. Music is brought to life with sound exploration and tone control. A piano that can't produce dynamics is like listening to someone who speaks in a mono-tone voice - BOOoooring!
If you are investing in music lessons - consider investing in a quality instrument! It's worth every penny and if well taken care of it can last you a life time of fun.
You can email us if you need instrument purchasing advice: chapleaupianoacademy@gmail.com -
A digital organ is NOT a piano. Ideally it is best that you invest in a piano. Organ's may have a similar keyboard layout to a piano but it is an entirely different instrument. It's like comparing a banana to an orange - yes, they are both fruit but they are also VERY different!
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Short answer is: NO.
From September through the end of June all students are required to pay their full invoiced amount. Your tuition is carefully calculated to meet the financial budget to run this business. Your family vacations and other commitments should not affect your teachers income. Remember your tuition pays for a lot more than your lesson time! Even if you do not attend your lesson your piano teacher is still working!
Flex-billing (billed according to bookings) is only an available option for July and August - Summer Semester.
All stat. holidays and academic breaks (i.e March Break) are taken into account in an invoice. -
Short answer: NO
Rescheduling lessons are not available at the Chapleau Piano Academy. Due to high student enrolment there are NO ADDITIONAL times to offer this service. It is the students’ responsibility to attend their weekly lesson times. In-person lessons can easily be converted to online mediums under very short notice. You can make up for your lost time by utilizing our studio in other ways like attending performance classes, practicing in our studio, signing out books ect… Your monthly tuition fee covers a lot more than your lesson time, make the best of it! :)
