We were very honoured to be elected Co-Presidents of BCRMTA Vancouver Branch again. We have been trying very hard to provide different musical activities for the last year and are very happy to hear feedback from you about the program. We will continue to work toward our goal to provide more musical activities for you and your students in the coming year. After the AGM in January, our Branch hosted a few events in February and March. On February 13, we had a workshop “Maintenance of Your Piano” presented by the staff of Tom Lee Music. Then on February 29, Peter Friesen, author of “Take the Lead”, presented a Jazz workshop. In March, we had our annual Celebration of Excellence recital which was held on March 4. 34 students from 13 teachers participated in this event. Then, on March 19, we had a piano master class with Janina Fialkowska.

Upcoming events will include a piano master class with Sara Davis Buechner on May 28 and a student recital will be held on May 27. We haven’t had a student recital for a long time. After talking to some teachers, especially those new teachers and teachers with smaller studios, we see the necessity of hosting a student recital. Of course, don’t forget our Year End Luncheon at White Spot Restaurant. Please keep on reading the newsletter for the details of these events. We are looking forward to seeing you there.

At this time of year of filing tax returns, we may realize some of our students are facing financial difficulties which may stop them from taking music lessons. One of our goals is to help our students to pursue their dream in learning music. Our bursary program is for those who need financial assistance. The bursary application deadline is May 15.

It is our pleasure to have the opportunity to serve the Vancouver Branch of BCRMTA. We would like to thank the members of the branch executive for their support and encouragement. We are working closely to plan our programs and organize different events. We would like to welcome some new board members. Daisy Chu will be our Membership Chair. Josephine Leung will be our Student Recital Convenor. We also welcome Blair Galston, Elisabeta Podut and Nancy Chang as our Workshop Assistants. Both Blair Galston and Daisy Chu will be our Executive Committee Members At Large as well. Our executive and committee board are growing. Thanks to everyone for sharing your time, talents and skills to help the branch run smoothly as we expand our programs.

Sincerely,
Jammy Smith & Keiko Alexander
Co-Presidents, Vancouver Branch