Sound of Music - Where dreams are... played!

Berry Beat and Larrivee Special July 5, 2010 - July 18, 2010
Hello All, I hope you enjoyed the Berry Beat Festival, I know our performers had an awesome time and gave wonderful performances. In continuing celebration of our 45th year we are running many in-store specials, including Larrivee Guitars at fantastic, once a year, prices! So stop in today and check them out!!
Fun Fun Fun!! June 30, 2010 - July 5, 2010

We had an awesome anniversary celebration! Thanks to everyone who entered the draw! Also we now hove our own youtube channel for the academy it is soundofmusicacademy. Please check it out and let us know what you think.

Our 45th Anniversary means Savings for you!!! June 18, 2010 - June 27, 2010
Sound of Music is� Celebrating We opened @ 6 PM on Friday, June 25, 1965 You are invited during the week of June 21st - 26th to enter to win a plethora of prizes. Come in and put your name and phone number in our prize box and we will pull a winner every hour on the hour all day Friday and Saturday Prizes include gift certificates for lessons, music books, complete guitar tune-ups, digital tuners, and packs of strings, supplier swag, and much more including a grand prize of one year of Lessons! Check out the historical collage (right outside the high-end acoustic guitar room) of Sound of Music�s 45 years put together by Lee, @ the �House of Fine Art� We are putting extra discounts on some of our most popular items so come by and look for the 45 year celebration tags that will show reduced products for this week only or as supplies last. We even have a very special and limited 45th Anniversary Takamine Guitar one only at a 45% off saving of suggested list of $5500.00 Come on Down and enter to win and check out all the in store specials on select items. Thank you for all your support over the past 45 years and we look forward to helping you with your musical dream and wishes for the next 45!!! Also check out our festival picture from the local paper. http://gallery.pictopia.com/bclocalnews/gallery/106383/photo/bclocalnews:9077495/?o=8
kudos to our performers June 13, 2010 - June 20, 2010
Everyone did a wonderful job of their performances at the Festival Concert. The staff at the Coast Hotel were so impressed with our musical ability that they wished we could have performed longer. Congrats to Jaquelin and Heidi the winners of the Roland Music Canada Scholarship! The recipients of the Gold Trophies and the Best in Class medallion are excited and honored. Watch the local news for follow up photos. The adult concert was lots of fun. Gerry, Belle and Carlos entertained us all with a trio of guitar, lap steel and piano for our grand finale and grand it was. Register Now for Our Summer Camps!(or weekly lessons with Carlos or Art) Kid�s Guitar Daycamp � for kids under 10 years of age, (or slightly older with no guitar experience). A 2 hour camp with fun and games as a fun introduction to the basic concepts of guitar playing and music. Also featured will be musical video games and an introduction to other instruments (drums, percussion, bass, electric guitar, etc.) This would run from 10AM � 12PM. Guitar Daycamp � For kids 10 and up (or younger with substantial talent, experience and/or maturity). A 3 hour camp that focuses on multiple aspects of guitar playing, with fun and games to mix it up. Much the same as the kid�s guitar daycamp, but catering to a slightly more mature and experienced group. This would run from 1PM � 4PM. Songwriter�s Course � For 13 and up, a course designed around learning to write chord progressions, melodies, lyrics and rhythms and weave them together into the fabric of a song. Also included would be a stab at recording the songs. Guitar concepts would be necessarily taught along the way. This would run from 1PM � 4PM.
Festival/Concert and a new Disney Patent June 5, 2010 - June 13, 2010

Hello everyone! Our concert/festival is just a week away! If you are performing it is time to get that last minute practicing in and if you are attending and have any questions please feel free to contact us anytime.

Disney filled this patent this week, we are interested to hear what you think of it, please send us a comment if you have an opinion. Have a great week!

PBS Documentary May 28, 2010 - June 6, 2010

Check out this cool PBS documentary: Musical Minds! look for it on our local station or peruse the web content.

Also this article from the New York Times!

Strings and things May 22, 2010 - May 30, 2010

We now have Wyres Teflon coated 80/20 bronze acoustic strings in stock!

A Bit about Wyres (borrowed from their website):

Wyres Strings began from humble beginnings. Our philosophy has always been to test, develop and make the best musical strings possible. Naturally as musicians, we are exceptionally discerning and try to employ our most creative skills to develop great products. Very often musicians will be invited into the factory to test strings and give us real time feedback. In technical areas unfamiliar to us we do consult engineers, chemists and even metallurgists for advice and we try to incorporate new ideas into our production. Our 1st generation of P.T.F.E. (polymer tetra-fluoro-ethylene) coated strings is a prime example of one of these innovations which we debuted at the 1997 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. We have continued improving on our P.T.F.E. coated string process and are today offering a 3rd generation P.T.F.E. coating. Wyres Strings are currently manufactured in the USA and we are one of the few companies to actually manufacture their own strings. In the near future, Wyres Strings will also be manufactured in Canada.

And on the studio front we have extended early registration to May 31st so if you haven’t registered for fall yet there is still time to get in on the savings! Call or contact us by email any time and we will be more than happy to help you with the paperwork and schedule you in for lessons.

We are also taking registration for the Summer Guitar Camps!

Grad Gifts May 14, 2010 - May 23, 2010

Just in time for Grad Gifts we have received some brand new guitars, some Cort Electrics, and Hawthorne by Walden Acoustics. Stop in today and we will help you pick out that perfect Grad Gift that will keep those fingers playing whether off to school or out in to the “real world”. I believe that musical instruments make the best Grad Gifts as they insure your investment in your kids musical education is not abandoned.

I am excited to say that our year end Concert / Festival is only 3 weeks away!! We ask that the parents to listen to our students give practice performances of their concert choice a few times a week. This will alleviate some of the anxiety that is common when performing in front of a crowd for the first, second or even the hundredth time. Have your little (or not so little) musicians imagine playing for the crowd to help them overcome residual anxiousness. The Concert / Festival is going to be held at the Coast Hotel on the weekend of June 12^th.

Summer Camps! May 8, 2010 - May 16, 2010

We have figured out what we will be doing for our Summer Camp’s this year. Adam Schilt will be leading them all and they will be the weeks of July 12-16 and August 16-20. Demand will determine which camps happen which week so if any of them interest you give us a call to sign up today! The cost of the camp will be $75 for the two hour morning camp and $99 for the three hour afternoon camps this fee includes all materials. There is a required minimum enrollment of four for the camps to run.

Kid’s Guitar Daycamp – for kids under 10 years of age, (or slightly older with no guitar experience). A 2 hour camp with fun and games as a fun introduction to the basic concepts of guitar playing and music. Also featured will be musical video games and an introduction to other instruments (drums, percussion, bass, electric guitar, etc.) This would run from 10AM – 12PM.

Guitar Daycamp – For kids 10 and up (or younger with substantial talent, experience and/or maturity). A 3 hour camp that focuses on multiple aspects of guitar playing, with fun and games to mix it up. Much the same as the kid’s guitar daycamp, but catering to a slightly more mature and experienced group. This would run from 1PM – 4PM.

Songwriter’s Course – For 13 and up, a course designed around learning to write chord progressions, melodies, lyrics and rhythms and weave them together into the fabric of a song. Also included would be a stab at recording the songs. Guitar concepts would be necessarily taught along the way. This would run from 1PM – 4PM.

Wanna Play! Music Monday May 1, 2010 - May 9, 2010

It is Music Monday this week! A Canadian initiative that has been adopted across the world to "… fill the skies with music at the same time across the country" I am sure you know a child who is participating with their school so please ask them about it to encourage their musical exploration.

We are in full string registering students left right and center for fall lessons. I thought I would share a few interesting facts with you from NAMM’s Wanna Play campaign.

The Benefits of Music Making: Whether you're 5 or 95, you can benefit mentally, physically and socially from playing a musical instrument. Everyone knows that playing musical instrument is fun and entertaining. But did you also know that playing music is scientifically proven to benefit people of all ages. Children and Teens -- Playing music positively affects the development of children's cognitive skills. It builds confidence, self-discipline and inspires creativity. Also playing music can increase productivity and help kids and teens connect socially with their peers .Adults and Seniors -- Playing exercises the brain and helps fight memory loss. It helps reduce stress and lower blood pressure. And it can stave off depression and loneliness.

Science says there are good medical reasons to play... Playing a musical instrument can reverse stress at the molecular level, according to studies conducted by Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Applied Biosystems (as published in Medical Science Monitor). Making music can help reduce job burnout and improve your mood, according to a study exposing 112 long-term care workers to six recreational music-making sessions of group drumming and keyboard accompaniment. (as published in Advances in Mind-Body Medicine). Playing music increases human growth hormone (HgH production among active older Americans. A study following 130 people over two 10-week periods measured participants' levels of HgH. The findings revealed that the test group who took group keyboard lessons showed significantly higher levels of HgH than the control group people who did not make music. (University of Miami)

The Best Place to Spend a Rainy Spring Afternoon! April 24, 2010 - May 2, 2010

If you haven’t been in to check out the new EV speakers or Roland Digital Pianos it is the perfect way to spend some time on a rainy spring afternoon!

We also have a number of one only special priced guitars at the front of the store. These range from $250 to $800 with savings of up to $300 from normal street pricing! These extraordinarily high value instruments are just waiting for a new home with you! Perfect for serenading a spring day, we have sizes, styles and sounds to suit everyone.

And one final note don’t forget June 12^th is our year end concert / festival. Students have chosen their performance pieces so over spring break we ask the parents to listen to our students give practice performances of their concert choice a few times. This will alleviate some of the anxiety that is common when performing in front of a crowd for the first, second or even the hundredth time. Have your little (or not so little) musicians imagine playing for the crowd to help them overcome residual anxiousness.

Takamine 2010LTD April 15, 2010 - April 25, 2010

Hello Everybody!!! I hope your April is going well. This week we have new in stock another 2010 LTD Takamine! It is gorgeous, come in and check it out. We also still have some fantastic pricing on Walden Guitars so if you were thinking of a new guitar now IS the time.

Our students are all busy getting ready for the year end concert and festival! We are very excited for it, Jay Gough with Roland Canada has confirmed he will be one of our adjudicators for the Festival!!! This is being held the weekend of June 13^th. If you have an hour that weekend please feel free to stop by and hear our performers play their hearts out.

On a side note one of Deans nieces has gone missing up in Kelowna, please look at this video and pass it on to everyone you know. The more people who see it the more likely she is to be found so please pass it on.

Spring Sessions April 10, 2010 - April 18, 2010

Spring is here, but just because the weather is indecisive doesn’t mean you need to be! Rain or shine playing an instrument is always a fine hobby, weather you have been playing for years or are just starting we are your one stop shop to get it all done! Weather you need new accessories, repair or a whole new instrument Dean, Dave and Kathy are here to help you. But, that is only half of the Sound of Music success strategy, the other portion comes in the form of our amazing teaching team! We are registering for fall as I type this. If a few lessons are all you are looking for all of our teachers have openings and you could start learning new skills as soon as tomorrow!! We will have lessons and camps available over the summer with more details to come. As always if you have any questions contact us whenever you have a moment we look forward to hearing from you.

And for a laugh...

~~~ Roland has recalled 20,000 pianos due to a problem with the pedal sticking, causing pianists to play faster than they normally would, resulting in a dangerous number of accidentals. The sticky pedal also makes it harder for pianists to come to a full stop at the end of a piece making it extremely risky for audiences. Although there have been a tremendous number of accidentals, fortunately it has so far caused no deafs. Analysts are wondering if it will put a damper on their bass [base] market and if they will be able to sustain sales. Parliament is also considering calling in the Chairman of Roland Music Canada for questioning as to when the company first learned about the treble. ~~~

Registration for our 2010-11 academic year starts this week! Please be sure to register when you are in! if you have any questions please use the contact us form and we will answer you as soon as we have a moment! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.

Year End = Great Deals March 29, 2010 - April 5, 2010

It is a busy time of year down here at Sound of Music. We are busy doing inventory and getting ready for our Festival/Concert.

In the midst of doing our inventory we are marking down some prices to make room for this year’s models and are also finding some great deals left over from Christmas that we didn’t know we had. So please stop in and check it all out!!!

Spring has Sprung March 20, 2010 - March 28, 2010

Happy Spring to everybody!! As I write this the sun is shining through the windows down here at the store and making the machine heads on the guitars gleam. This week we have some very exciting specials to share with you. We have been busy reworking the showroom again and I am pleased to say it is looking great!

We have set up the “drum room” so finally we have all the acoustic and electronic kits in one place for your perusal. The electronic kits are ready for you to try, and if I do say so myself, the way we have them set up looks fantastic! The acoustic Kits wont be set up to be as playable as the electronic kits because of the space that would require but this week we will work our best to get them set up in such a way that visualizing them in your music space will be a breeze. Also, believe it or not the Pearl Vision Series VLX925C232 is still here so if you are looking to upgrade your entry level kit this is a deal to not be passed up!

We have also set up a bunch of one only special priced guitars on floor stands at the front of the store. These range from $250 to $800 with savings of up to $300 from normal street pricing! These extraordinarily high value instruments are just waiting for a new home with you! Perfect for serenading a spring day, we have sizes, styles and sounds to suit everyone.

UFV SUS Battle of the Bands / Lessons Resume March 13, 2010 - March 21, 2010

We are excited to be involved in UFV’s Battle of the Bands again this year. The prize we have contributed to the awesome package is the Hagstrom Nitro package!! The very same one that was given away by Hagstrom and Nitro in January. The guitar is an Ultra Swede and the board is designed to go fast (as you can tell I don’t snowboard). The concerts will be held March 16^th, 17^th, 23^rd and 24^th at Casey’s on Campus and March 15^th and 22^nd at Corky’s Irish Pub so head on out and take in as many of the shows as you can!

This week we are all back into lessons and our hours return to “normal”. Don’t forget June 12^th is our year end concert / festival. Students have chosen their performance pieces so over spring break we ask the parents to listen to our students give practice performances of their concert choice a few times. This will alleviate some of the anxiety that is common when performing in front of a crowd for the first, second or even the hundredth time. Have your little (or not so little) musicians imagine playing for the crowd to help them overcome residual anxiousness.

The new Roland HP302 is in store and we are all still very excited!! It is a spectacular piece and has “truer” sounds than any of its predecessors. The one we have in store is a matte black finish and would look perfect in any home. Come on in and try it out or get a demo from Dean today!

Spring Break and a HP302 March 6, 2010 - March 14, 2010

We at the music academy are taking our spring break this week (March 8 – 13) so there are no lessons this week. The store is running on our non-academy hours Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm. However this being said spring break is not an excuse to neglect your practicing. Don’t forget June 12^th is our yearend concert / festival. Students have chosen their performance pieces so over spring break we ask the parents to listen to our students give practice performances of their concert choice a few times. This will alleviate some of the anxiety that is common when performing in front of a crowd for the first, second or even the hundredth time. Have your little musician imagine playing for the crowd to help them overcome residual anxiousness.

On the store front the new Roland HP302 is in store and we are all very excited!! It is a spectacular piece and has “truer” sounds than any of its predecessors. The one we have in store is a matte black finish and would look perfect in any home. Come on in and try it out or get a demo from Dean today!

Also with the cherry trees blossoming across the street I can’t help but think about spring days spent picnicking in the park, we have some amazing prices on the perfect guitar or hand drum to serenade your sweetheart. I hope you all have the opportunity to enjoy this glorious spring weather before the rains set in.

New Speakers and Spring Break February 27, 2010 - March 7, 2010

We now have the new EV ZXA1 powered speakers in. They must be heard to be believed, stop in and check them out! We also have some fantastic deals on some Smokey Mountain Mandolins in stock, so if you were thinking about picking up a new instrument as your spring project please stop in and give them a strum.

Our year end concert / recital will be on the weekend of June 12^th so if you are interested in hearing our students perform pencil it in on your calendar. Most of the students have chosen their performance pieces which means it is that time when we start to ask the parents to listen to our students give practice performances of their concert choice a few times each week. This will alleviate some of the anxiety that is common when performing in front of a crowd for the first, second or even the hundredth time. Have your little musician imagine playing for the crowd to help them overcome residual anxiousness.

And one final note spring break is the week of March 8 – 13 and there are no lessons this week. The store is running on summer hours that week of Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm.

Go for the gold!! February 20, 2010 - February 28, 2010

Hello everybody!! I hope you are all reveling in our Olympic gold, I know I am.

The Morgan that we were all so excited about last week has sold! You can catch it performing in the valley with one of our regular musicians.

We do still have the Takamine 2010 LTD it is one of only 53 in Canada so come in and try it anytime. A perfect collector’s piece or songwriter’s companion.

We also still have, only in red, a Pearl Vision Series VLX925C232 the perfect upgrade kit (priced at $1000 with a B8 Sabian Cymbal pack and Throne) for your student without breaking the bank, please drop us a line for more details.

In the academy end of things we have settled on a weekend for our year end concert. It will be June 12^th and 13^th and we look forward to seeing you all there.

new registrations and new product February 14, 2010 - February 21, 2010

Check out Kevin Castro (Carlos’ son) and his band mates in the Sardis Secondary School Drum Line being reviewed on Global Morning News!

This week has been busy at the store, full of new registrations and new product!

Firstly we still have space available for all sorts of lessons with most of our teachers, so if you were thinking of registering now is the time. We are so busy down here we are beginning to have to turn our drum room back into a lessons space!

Now, the new guitars in store are amazing this week. First the Takamine 2010 LTD showed up, but it wasn’t alone it brought another Glenn Frey Signature one with it too! And then the most perfect guitar Dean has ever seen came in from Morgan guitars. It is one of 5 25^th anniversary models, one of which when to Hawaii and the other three are slated to go to Guitar Adoptions in the USA so this very one may well be the only one remaining in Canada. It is in fact number 3 of 5 and is the one pictured on Morgan Guitar’s site. So cool!! Come on down and ask to see them all!

Teachers and Tico Tico February 6, 2010 - February 14, 2010

Here at the music school we have openings with all of our teachers! So if you were contemplating getting some lessons in before summer now is the time. As our younger teachers have settled into the new semester they have given us more of their time to share with you. We have a time and a teacher that works with your schedule so call today and get started. In addition to starting new students on the road to musical expression our teachers are busy helping their current musicians pick out and perfect their songs for our year end concert and festival the last weekend in May. Stay tuned for details on this exciting event.

On the store front we also have some exciting things going on. We have received our first shipment of vintage guitars, and they are awesome designs at spectacular values! We are also still reorganizing our print music selections and discovering some old favourites in the mix... Tico Tico anyone? And finally we are waiting with bated breath for the 2010 LTD Takamine to grace our door, it is a beautiful piece and we can’t wait to hear it played by you!

Takamines and Valentines January 31, 2010 - February 7, 2010

Today we ordered in a Takamine 2010 LTD. we are very excited for it to come in. It is a beautiful piece the perfect addition to any collection!!

New in store are many fine examples of the Vintage guitars that we wrote about last week, come in and check them out.

We are in the process of reorganizing our print music selection please stop in and peruse through it anytime.

Also we have a very smart looking Alabama Resonator guitar in, if you are looking to expand your collection and/or style this guitar is a gem.

We still have some fantastic deals on a limited quantity of both Guitars and Amplifiers so please stop in any time and play around with them, finding the perfect guitar is like finding true love… you never know when it is going to strike.

Speaking of love, Valentines Day is just around the corner be original and give the gift of music. We have instruments for any budget, and do gift certificates for lessons or in any value.

New Guitars!!! January 24, 2010 - January 31, 2010

We are excited to announce we placed our first order for a new (to us) line of guitars Vintage please feel free to check out their website. Please feel free to contact us for further information on this new line we will be carrying.

We are saddened to announce that distribution of Washburn, Parker, Randall and Eden has shifted in Canada. Because of this shift the end user (that’s you) price will be increasing. We will honor the old pricing for as long as we can (ie. on everything we have in store and possibly one more order from the ‘old’ distribution company). So, if you were thinking of upgrading to one of these brands or adding to your collection NOW IS THE TIME!!

And finally, it’s that time of year that all of the teachers start to think about year end performances, please stop by the store and check out our selection of FUN repertoire, whether for performance or just for your own amusement we have a book (or two) for you from Big Band to Classical to Disney to Rock.

Back from NAMM January 18, 2010 - January 24, 2010

We are all back from NAMM in one piece, I must say I prefer the sunshine of California to the grey skies of home, but it is awful nice to be back. Down at the show we saw lots of new product, including a new EV speaker, a new line of EV microphones, a new line of acoustic Hagstrom guitars and the 2010 LTD Takamine. The highlight of the trip for me though was seeing the key note speaker at the opening remarks… QUINCY JONES!!!!! It is so very inspiring to see someone who has spent so much of the past century in this industry and is still embracing technology. We also are tentatively looking at a few new lines and products, it is all very exciting. Please stop by the store this week and let us share our excitement with you.

Also, this link takes you off to see an image of Julia Siemens performing at the Winter Concert as published in the Abbotsford News. Very exciting!!

AT NAMM January 14, 2010 - January 18, 2010

At NAMM

check back next week for all the details on whats new.

Awesome Deals January 6, 2010 - January 11, 2010

Now that we are back into the swing of things down here at the store I have a moment to update you on all of the awesome deals that we have down here ready for you to take advantage of.

Firstly, Randall and Eden amplifiers have changed their distribution channels so the prices will be going up. If you are thinking its time for a new amp now IS the time. Take advantage of the lower prices on our current stock while we still have inventory.

Secondly, we still have one only in red a Pearl Vision Series VLX925C232 priced to make the New Year extra special without breaking the bank, please drop us a line for details.

And finally, we are proud to tell you we still have some Walden Guitars, a variety of models priced lower than you will find anywhere, one for every budget and player so stop in and try some out today.

Next week Dean, Eloise, Kathy and the whole family will be down in California at NAMM, the annual music industry trade show so be sure to stop in and chat with one of them the week of the 17^th when they will all be back and full of new ideas.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! January 3, 2010 - January 4, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Lessons and our normal hours begin again on January 4th.

Merry Christmas December 21, 2009 - January 2, 2010

Christmas is nearly here; in fact Christmas will be over before I take this post down. In the final days of Christmas count down the week of December 21^st to 26^th our hours are thus: Monday – Wednesday 10am – 6pm Thursday (Christmas Eve) 10am-3pm. For all of your last minute holiday needs stop in anytime.

Our Winter Concert went wonderfully! At it mom announced that there would be a link on our site to Carlos' youtube profile on our site so I came to the conclusion it should be here. Carlos' has posted some amazing performances for your viewing wonderment. Please share with your family and friends over the holidays. All of our teachers have openings for new students to start in January so if you know anyone looking for expertise please feel free to drop us a line any time.

New Product in this week we have some ridiculously good deals on some more Walden and Samick Guitars. We have also replenished our BOSS pedal stock for your musical expansion. And in the amplifier end of things we got a PRE-RELEASE Randall RX25DMi and also the new Marshall Haze series 40 watt combo, stop in and check them out.

Winter Break Hours / Last Minute Christmas stuff December 12, 2009 - December 21, 2009

New in stock this week is the new Glenn Frey Signature Takamine the perfect addition to any collection. Stop by and see it for yourself.

In time for Christmas we have more Dixon Chaos entry level drum sets in, to make your Christmas morning one you will never forget stop in and lay it away in Santa`s Corner/Hallway.

With Christmas only 13 days away I would like to remind you that we have musical gifts to fit any budget from $2 to $20,000. Stop in anytime and we will be more than happy to fill you with our knowledge to help make your Christmas the best possible.

Now, OUR HOURS for the lead up to Christmas are shifting because of our music school`s winter break.

The week of December 14^th to 19^th are our normal hours

Monday – Thursday 10am – 8:30pm

Friday 10am-6pm

Saturday 10am-5pm

The week of December 21^st to 26^th our hours are thus:

Monday – Wednesday 10am – 6pm

Thursday (Christmas Eve) 10am-3pm

The week of December 28^st to January 2^nd our hours are thus:

Monday – Wednesday 10am – 5pm

Thursday (New Years Eve) 10am-3pm

Saturday (January 2^nd) 10am – 5pm

Our hours return to their normal operating time the week of January 4^th (this is also the first week back into lessons.

This week our music students received their performance times for our Winter Concert which is being held Friday December 18^th and Saturday December 19^th at the Abbotsford Senior Drop in Center. If you would like to attend to see what our students have been working toward the whole community is more than welcome to take in a performance or two. Call us (604 859 0400) if you are interested in checking it out and we will fill you in on the details.

Christmas and Concert December 5, 2009 - December 12, 2009

Hello Everybody! Hope your holiday shopping is going well.

Our print music area is filled for your Christmas needs, be it an awesome repertoire book for your kids stocking or an easy book of Christmas Standards to have a sing/play-along we’ve got you covered. Also if ever you are looking for a specific song or book we are the place to ask, books we can order in with no problem and individual songs more often than not are available through us to be Digitally Downloaded. This is a relatively new service we are able to provide, we have a contract with the publishing companies by which we can access their online offerings through the store here and download and print copy righted music instantaneously. The cost is the same as if you order in the piece of music but without the wait time. Another cool feature of this service is that when we download the piece we have the availability to transpose it as well; this is particularly useful for students who are more comfortable playing in the “easy” keys and vocalists as it allows them to instantly move any song into their vocal range. So if ever you need a specific piece just stop by the store and we will be more than happy to help you.

New in stock this week (just in time for Christmas) is a Hagstrom Viking Deluxe (with case) perfect for that “oh wow! This is totally awesome!” Christmas present. We also, of course, have well over one hundred guitars in stock for you to choose from to make this Christmas extra special.

Also new in stock this week are some Yamaha digital pianos and keyboards with newly reduced pricing. Perfect for a musical Christmas in your home. We have the PSR-E323, YDP-140 and YDP-S31 as well as some new Yamaha mixing boards and speakers.

A reminder for the parent’s; get into the holiday spirit by listening to our students give practice performances of their winter concert choice a few times this week (the concert is on the 18^th and 19^th), this will alleviate some of the anxiety that is common when performing in front of a crowd for the first, second or even the hundredth time. Have your little musician imagine playing for the crowd to help them overcome residual anxiousness.

Nitro Contest / Concert Times November 28, 2009 - December 5, 2009

We now have the Nitro Ultra Swede in Stock!! Come on by and check it (and the matching snowboard) out, and don’t forget to enter the contest online. Hagstrom has redone their website so check it out too!

For our students, you will be receiving your concert days and times will be handed out this week if you have any qualms with these times please let Kathy know as soon as possible for rescheduling.

Also Yale Secondary School is doing a production of Cats this February and needs to borrow a Korg Triton with at least 1 meg of sample ram installed. If you can help them out either contact us here at the store or contact their music director Mr. Reynolds through the schools office (604 853 0778). It would be much appreciated.

Kate is performing with the Abbotsford Concert Band on December 13^th in Mission and on the 20^th in Abbotsford; both performances are 2:30 matinees. For more information check out their website

We have set up a stocking stuffers table by the counter in the store so if you are looking for some last minute ideas we have them all laid out four your perusal. Ranging in price from two to thirty dollars there is something for every musician in your life.

Christmas is closing in fast!!! November 23, 2009 - November 29, 2009

Congratulations to Daniel Tan and John Kim, two of Carlos’ students who gave spectacular performances at the Tree Lighting here in the Old Downtown Abbotsford on Friday night. Their rendition of Do You Hear What I Hear and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, respectively, got the crowd into the Holiday spirit in spite of the weather.

Also, congrats to local high school band Oh No! Yoko they have been selected as part of the top 3 finalists for CBC radios RockOTC contest. The band is comprised of Everett Morris, Liam Hamilton and Nic Denis all of whom attend W.J. Mouat Secondary School. This is their MySpace. To vote for them go to facebook, search RockOTC, become a fan and then enter your opinion in the poll. We here at Sound of Music wish the boys luck and have enjoyed hearing them get air play. I just gave them my vote and it seems they are well ahead in the race, keep up the good work!!!

New in stock this week are some ridiculous deals on some Parker guitars. Well below the lowest online price we have: P44VIC, P44VN, P36TR, PM20QBU, and a PA22. These are one only special’s so stop by and try them out before they are gone. If you would like more details please contact us, all of our information is on the “Contact” page of this site.

Santa’s Corner here in the store is well on its way to becoming Santa’s Room as the Christmas Surprises spilled forth this week. So come on in and lay-a-way that “best ever Christmas present” for the musician you love. We are always more than happy to assist you in finding that perfect gift, even with the scarcest details of the musician. We can help you find that perfect something to fit any budget.

A reminder for the parent’s; get into the holiday spirit early by listening to our students give practice performances of their winter concert choice once a week at least, this will alleviate some of the anxiety that is common when performing in front of a crowd for the first, second or even the hundredth time. Have your little musician imagine playing for the crowd to help them overcome residual anxiousness.

New Product / Concert Jitters November 14, 2009 - November 22, 2009

New Tycoon Djembes TAJ12 and TAJ10 have come into stock this week!! Perfect for drum circles or worship groups.

An awesome used PA was traded in this week; it is a steal at $579--. The system consists of: A Phonic Powerpod 740, 2x Phonic 15” Speakers and a 15” Phonic Sub. Sylvain le Musician traded it in onto something lighter to carry when he is playing out around town.

Santa’s corner is filling up fast, please stop in with your favorite musician and do a “dreaming tour” of the store. We are also more than happy to assist with the search for stocking stuffers and whatever else you happen to be after. Be it that “Best Christmas Ever” gift or a handful of useful musical tools we have what you’re after.

A reminder for the parent’s; get into the holiday spirit early by listening to our students give practice performances of their winter concert choice once a week at least, this will ALLEVIATE some of the anxiety that is common when performing in front of a crowd for the first, second or even the hundredth time.

Hagstrom/Nitro Contest November 7, 2009 - November 14, 2009

There is an exciting contest (see above slide-show images) that we will be involved in and entry has already started! Hagstrom Guitars and Nitro Snowboards have teamed up to offer an exclusive special edition snow board called Volume-Hagstrom. The board is poplar and Bi-Lite Laminates with Hi-def FH Base, and radial side cut (I don’t board but am told that’s all pretty awesome). The Guitar is an Ultra Swede, from Hagstroms UltraLux series featuring their ultra thin neck. We will have 2 of the guitars and 1 of the snowboards in the store any day now! So come on in and check it out!!

A reminder for the parent’s; your child should have picked their Winter Concert song, please encourage them to do this and get into the holiday spirit early by listening to them give practice performances once a week at least, this will elevate some of the anxiety that is common when performing in front of a crowd for the first, second or even the hundredth time.

New Takamines / Bring-a-Buddy week November 1, 2009 - November 7, 2009

We recently received THREE NEW MODELS of Takamine’s. Two are very affordable Japanese models, the EF440SCGN and the EF340SCGN. And one very nice looking Chinese made Takamine model G406S, this has a New Yorker Body which is smaller than standard and easier for women and children to play. We also have received tonnes of stocking stuffers; it is never too early to start Christmas shopping. Come in today and Lay-A-Way for the Holidays.

For our student’s this week is Bring-a-Buddy week so grab a music loving friend and bring them in and show them what you’ve learned! Also, a note for the parent’s; your child should have picked their Winter Concert song, please encourage them to do this and get into the holiday spirit early by listening to them give practice performances once a week at least, this will elevate some of the anxiety that is common when performing in front of a crowd for the first, second or even the hundredth time.