Explore educational insights, concert and competition highlights, upcoming Vancouver music events, and stories from our music community on the C&K Music Studio blog.
C&K Music
October 26, 2026
When comparing RCM and ABRSM, consider your child’s current playing, learning goals, and preferred exam format. For piano and violin students, the differences affect repertoire, technical preparation, theory requirements and how the exam is taken. RCM practical exams and ABRSM Practical Grades combine prepared music with technical, reading and listening tests. ABRSM P...
C&K Music
September 25, 2026
Learning how to hold a violin starts with a comfortable setup. Bring the instrument to your left shoulder and collarbone, rest your jaw lightly on the chinrest, and keep your left hand free to move. The bow goes in your right hand, with a curved thumb and flexible fingers. Work through the two holds separately at first. If you're helping a child practise, you can use...
C&K Music
August 28, 2026
Sheet music can look crowded when every line, symbol and note seems to ask for attention at once. A beginner does not need to understand the entire page before playing the first measure. To learn how to read sheet music , start with a few dependable clues: the staff, the clef, the position of each note and its duration. Read those layers separately before trying to pl...
C&K Music
July 17, 2026
A child may practise the same passage many times and still struggle to keep a steady rhythm, remember what comes next, or continue after making a mistake. In our experience at C&K Music Studio, this is not always caused by a lack of effort. Often, the student has not yet learned how the music is organized. This is where music theory becomes valuable. Music theory conn...
C&K Music
June 18, 2026
So, it finally happened. Your child is putting their foot down and refusing to practice their instrument. Whether its piano lessons, violin lessons, or cello lessons, one week they may seem excited to learn, and the next week they are throwing a tantrum over practice. This can be an emotionally charged experience for both parent and child, and it’s easy for parents to...
C&K Music
May 20, 2026
Many parents continue piano lessons for months, sometimes years, while still wondering one important question: Is my child actually making progress? This is especially hard to judge if you do not play piano yourself. Your child may attend weekly lessons, practice at home, and learn new pieces, but that does not always tell you whether they are building real musical sk...
C&K Music
April 17, 2026
Every parent shares a quiet, persistent hope: that the choices we make today will give our children a sharper, more capable mind for tomorrow. As parents, we strive to find that one activity that doesn’t just fill their time, but truly builds a foundation for success. You might notice your child rhythmically tapping on the table or humming along to a song. These are o...
C&K Music
April 1, 2026
At C&K Music School, we see music learning as more than weekly practice and technical training. While violin lessons, RCM theory , and structured preparation build a strong foundation, stage performance is what brings everything together. From classroom learning to real concerts in Vancouver, students begin to understand music as something to be shared, not just pract...
C&K Music
March 5, 2026
A student practices confidently at home. The notes are clear. The rhythm is steady. But the moment they step onto the stage, everything feels different. Hands tremble. Breathing changes. Thoughts race. Feeling stage frightened is one of the most common experiences among students learning musical instruments. It happens to beginners, experienced performers, and even we...
C&K Music
February 19, 2026
For many families in Vancouver, music lessons begin with curiosity. A piano, a violin, or other musical instruments spark a child’s interest. As learning progresses, parents often ask: Should we follow a structured system like the RCM syllabus ? Do graded music exams really make a difference? The answer is yes. When approached correctly, RCM exams provide far more tha...