Richmond Music School Society

The Richmond Music School is the largest and oldest non-profit music school in Richmond. Since it was established over 40 years ago in 1979, the school has been a committed contributor to the cultural life of Richmond. Founded by a group of parents who wanted a quality music education for their children in the community, the School was formally incorporated as a Society and received its charitable status in 1980.

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 at all levels while providing a strong educational contribution to local teachers through the workshops it hosts. Completion of ABRSM examinations is 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 centers, 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.

Richmond Music School welcomes volunteers to join our organization all year round as it is with the generous support from volunteers our school is able to continue to grow our programs to accommodate the demand and enable students of all ages and abilities to pursue their passion for music through inspired teaching and learning.