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Learn Your Favorite Songs. Join a Real Band. (Re)ignite your musical passion.
Multiple Styles | All Ages | Learn To Perform And Record As A Band
THE BAND ACADEMY
Ground-Breaking Band Programs For Students Of All Ages & Levels
For over 30 years, Merriam’s Band Academy has built a national reputation for excellence, with its top bands performing at major festivals each year, and its top students going on to successful and chart-topping music careers.
The Band Academy features four different programs & courses, each tailored for students of different ages and experience levels. In all cases, you’ll be coached by leading studio and session musicians, and given multiple real-life performance opportunities throughout the year.
If the idea of playing in a band is a dream, then it’s time to stop dreaming and hop on stage. Welcome to the Band Academy at Merriam School of Music
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YOUR NEXT MUSICAL EVOLUTION
INSIDE THE CONTEMPORARY MUSIC PROGRAM
The Band Academy at Merriam School of Music has been a leader in performance-based learning for over 20 years. Under the direction of master musician and renowned educator Mike Siracusa, the program has produced more graduates accepted into top university and college music programs than any other private school in Canada.
Notable alumni include Liz Lokre, Isaiah Gibbons, Shanaya Patel, Armando Leidbeck, Jacob Kovacevik, Jeremy Hucal, Sophia Tice, and many others.
But the Band Academy isn’t just for the next generation of professional musicians—it’s also a dynamic space for adults seeking a creative and social outlet, as well as younger students looking to add excitement and real-world experience to their regular music lessons. It’s a place where musicians of all ages and levels can come together, grow, and perform.
LOOK INSIDE...
A sneak peak, behind the scenes
Check out this sneak peak of our facilities, what the lessons look like, some of our bands and their performances, along with short interviews with the faculty and students of the Contemporary Music Program.
MERRIAM's Band Academy Department
OUR PROGRAMS
01
AGES 7-13
BAND START
AGES 7-13, Bi-Weekly
BandStart is a bi-weekly (every other week) program perfect for younger students with some experience playing an instrument (or singing). These are less structured sessions than the more advanced streams, with a focus on fun application of the students’ existing musical knowledge.
Students will learn to play several different parts, and in some cases on multiple instruments, as they discover what it means to be a part of an ensemble, all while learning some of the 20th and 201st century’s biggest pop and rock songs. Open to Merriam & Non-Merriam Students, and subject to a short audition and placement interview.
02
Ages 12 - Adult
BAND CHOPS
Ages 12 - Adult, Weekly
Band Chops is perfect for students who want to make contemporary music the core of their musical study and experience, and go at it with some intensity. Students are expected to work on their parts and practice between band rehearsals, and can look forward to weekly feedback on both their individual parts as well as their band’s collective performance. Many Band Chop students maintain private lessons as well, while for students who are strong independent learners may find success just from their weekly Band Chops lessons.
Band Chops students perform two concerts per year, which include live audio/video recordings, as well as professional photo shoots. The final concert is a “Battle of the Bands” format, in which the winners receive a major trophy.
03
Ages 12 - 18
ALL STAR BAND
Ages 12 - 18 (By Audition/Invite Only)
The All-Star Bands are reserved for our most committed and accomplished students in the program. Members receive up to 2 hours of weekly instruction and coaching, enhanced performance opportunities, recording studio time, and additional public performances. The songs are more complex, the arrangements more polished and sophisticated, and the industry connections are real. Many All-Star members wind up participating in paid performance opportunities, and the connections they make with both fellow students and industry pros help open the door to a future in the musician/creator/entertainer economy.
Virtually all All-Star Band members began in either Band Start or Band Chops, and is a realistic aspiration for our young contemporary musicians.
04
Adults
GARAGE GROOVES
Adults Only
Musical fun isn’t just for kids. Our thriving Garage Grooves program pairs up like-minded adults looking for guided band experiences at an affordable cost. The program runs every-other-week for one hour, and adult students get full use of our band room facilities as well as some specialized casual performances throughout the year, separate from our younger band streams.
Think of these ‘supervised jam sessions’, with as much or as little coaching as each group’s dynamic and aspirations calls for.
MEET THE GURU
Mike Siracusa, Program Director
Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and program director Mike Siracusa founded the BandAcademy in 2000, and since that time has touched the lives of thousands of students, as both an educator as well as an important source of inspiration and leadership at the school.
His gift for teaching is immediately evident: the student’s joy is his joy; the mentorship is selfless, and above all, his musical talents reside at a rare altitude. While his primary instrument is drums, he can frequently be found with guitars, basses, and microphones in his hands as well. This versatility is what makes his coaching and mentorship so potent, as the musical experience transcends any specific instrument.
Mike has been performing for over 30 years, and over that time, he has toured and recorded with many internationally-acclaimed artists. And for the past two decades Mike has also been a Faculty Member of IMC Camp Rock and Guitar Workshop Plus. These camps have allowed Mike to perform with such artists as Alex Lifeson, Orianthi, Rik Emmett, Duke Robillard, Bernard Fowler, Dave Grissom, Andy Timmins, Wayne Krantz, Lorne Lofsky, Gary Hoey, Sue Foley, Guthrie Govan, Johnny Hiland, Brent Mason, Dave LaRue, T. M. Stevens, as well as many others. Mike also produces, arranges and composes for many bands, artists, TV and radio shows. He has been writing and recording his own music for over nearly 4 decades.
Parents, adults, and students looking for a musical guru will certainly get that with Mike and those he surrounds himself with; but they’ll get far more than that, they’ll get a truly life-changing experience.
Good Fit Guarantee
Love Your Kid's BEND CHOPS CLASSES, or It’s Free
Your first lesson with a new tutor is protected by Merriam’s Good Fit Guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your lesson, you don’t pay. No questions asked.
Expert Instructors
Our preschool instructors are passionate, nurturing music educators. All members of our preschool department have early childhood education training, and the curriculum fully aligns with the provincial ELECT framework.
Convenient Scheduling
Preschool classes are offered throughout the week, and at convenient times for moms and dads. As parents ourselves, we get the importance of well-timed class offerings!
Specialized Facilities
You and your child will enjoy our brand new Studio C / Preschool Centre, fully equipped with the right musical and percussion instruments, physical activities, and visual aides - tied together with our fully conceived and proprietary preschool music lesson plans.
First Performance
Children who perform early in life, in fun and engaging settings, develop confidence, self-discipline, and long-term goal setting faster than those who don't. Enjoy seeing your child on stage for the very first time with us!
Performers & Educators
We introduce different musical instruments and bring expert performers and educators in to add even more excitement and depth to the experience. How better to fall in love with a new instrument than with those who have made it a career?
Materials Included
Many preschool programs require parents to purchase expensive books and worksheets - our preschool programs includes the cost of all materials and worksheets; no surprises, and tons of value.
No Long-Term Contract
We’re confident you’ll be with us for years. But for any reason, if you need to end your journey with us, 30 days' written notice is all we require to stop lessons, penalty-free.
5-Star Google Rating
The most reviews, the highest rating. Merriam serves over 3000 weekly students, and our customer satisfaction rating is over 97%.
"Our mission and purpose is to help foster and inspire creative, connected, and well-rounded lives with the power of music."
- Alan Merriam, President of Merriam Music
The Merriam Curriculum
A Complete Music Education
Students at Merriam don’t just learn differently. Their entire experience is broader and more engaging. They learn creativity and free expression while building confidence, self-esteem, and friendships. It all begins in the classroom, but where it takes them, goes far beyond.
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