Music Schools: Studio E Music And Arts, Stoney Creek

Teresa Cirillo, Principal
Studio E Music And Arts

Teresa Cirillo, owner and principal of Studio E Music and Arts in Stoney Creek, has created a strong, family-friendly learning community for young musicians, and it’s tangible from the moment you set foot inside the studio at 105 Arvin Street in Stoney Creek.

At Studio E the two waiting areas for parents and students are a necessity. Within the first 13 months of moving to the present location in 2009, the business grew from 20 to 60 students. When inquiries were made about other disciplines, new teachers were hired. Now there are 17 teachers and 300 students with further plans for expansion. Cirillo credits the studio's quick growth on word of mouth and student-centred content on the website and social media. A parent sitting nearby adds, “The personalities of the people at the studio are friendly and reassuring. The second I walked in I knew it was the right place. It was somewhere I felt good about bringing my six year old child.”

By employing 17 local music instructors, Studio E can provide a wide selection of lessons in the disciplines of piano, voice, guitar, drums, woodwinds, brass and music theory.

GHM: What qualification do your teachers have?

Brent Wirth

Sean Filice

Patricia Currie

Amanda Candela

Lisa Marmora

Cirillo: All of our teachers have credentials. Our most senior teacher, Lisa Marmora, has 23 years of teaching experience, and is licensed to teach our Kindermusik program. Sean Filice has been an instructor with the cadets and is assistant instructor for the 2012 provincial champion M.M. Robinson drumline. He and his brother Jesse are both graduates of Mohawk College's applied music program. Brent Wirth, multi-instrumentalist, has experience in the industry as a performer, song-writer and producer. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts at York University. Amanda Candela, vocal instructor, has trained at Heritage College and Seminary in Cambridge. Vocal instructor Patricia Currie trained at McMaster. Instructors Lillian Do (violin and piano), Ines Efendic (piano), Artur Kapron (piano, guitar and theory), Robin Klein (vocal, flute and rudiments), Joanna Kula (vocal), Jessica Lovnicki (piano), Jacob Sinclair (guitar, bass), and Mike Soyka (guitar) each have Royal Conservatory certification of grade VIII or higher, and/or they are graduates of the Mohawk College or McMaster music programs.

GHM: What special events do you have to motivate your students?

Cirillo: Last year we had six recitals over the course of a few days. We had mixed age groups of 35-40 kids for each show. Next year it looks like it could become a week long event! We do fun days like crazy hair day, and another big motivator is to sing O’Canada with the Hamilton Bulldogs school program.

GHM: What are some other incentives and special programs Studio E offers?

Cirillo: We do summer camps, and each camp program prepares the students to do a show. To help prepare our students for competitive festivals, we have a special competitive team. This is an extra workshop that takes place each month. Students who pay the fee to get involved will have opportunities to be coached in their performance by an instructor and their peers. The students take turns performing for each other. It gives them an opportunity to learn about how they respond to the challenge of performance jitters. Students also need to learn how to move on stage, what to do with their hands, how to stand, and how to acknowledge the audience.

GHM: How do you stay connected to the community?

Cirillo: I volunteer one day a week at Parkview Secondary during lunch hour to provide a music program, which really enriches the opportunities for those students. Last year the Studio E a capella group assisted with the school visits and it went over really well. We raised $1250 for the Breast Cancer Society and were a collection depot for Coats for Kids.

http://studioemusicandarts.com