Our Voice Elevations program is a new program stream, bringing refinery and individual vocal discovery right here in-house.
Here, you can register for our full-year voice program which is based on a weekly lesson schedule for 30 total lessons between September and April. This program follows all SD59 school breaks. If you’d like to try it out or receive extra coaching as an existing member in another program, you can register for that here too. Currently, all private sessions take place with Caitlyn Triebel, Artistic Director. If you’d like to arrange for a session with another instructor, please contact us.
Regular Voice Program
September 15th to April 30th, with 28 lesson weeks in total.
RATES
$32 / half-hour. For additional siblings or household members, their rate is $28.80 / half-hour
Occasional or One-Time Sessions
Anytime, pending instructor availability
RATES
$30 / half-hour for Member coaching (must be an active participant in another Chime program). For additional siblings or household members, their rate is $27 / half-hour
Trial or Single Lesson: $35 / half-hour
Voice Program Information
The following info is mostly pertinent to those participating in the Regular Voice Program. If you are signing up for occasional or one-time coaching, please just see the Available Times section.
AGES
Lessons with Caitlyn are for ages 8 and up
This is a policy that’s informed by the style of teaching and norms for classical voice due to underdeveloped vocal anatomy of younger children. It is also highly beneficial for children to read at at least a grade 2 or 3 level in school in order to follow along with their words in printed sheet music.
WHAT TO EXPECT
In private lessons, students can expect an energetic approach to learning how to make use of the unique features of their voice.
30-minute lessons are designed to maximize improvement through a mixture of technical and expressive approaches to singing. The first 10-15 minutes will always be spent on warmups and technical exercises, with the remaining time used for specific songs and repertoire. Students can also expect bit of time each lesson spent on developing interpretive and musical skills (ie. note reading, rhythm, solfege, and understanding markings in sheet music).
“The lessons are intensive, but fun for students as I bring to my instruction methods a keen understanding of vocal anatomy and the physiological aspects of voice production, as well as interpretive strengths from my experience in poetry and art song. Also, humour!”
Caitlyn Triebel - Voice, Choir, Musical Theatre, Kindermusik
Caitlyn Triebel is a vocalist, music educator, arts advocate, and dedicated community leader. She holds a Master of Arts in Musicology and a Bachelor of Music in Music History from the University of Alberta, as well as an associate certificate from the Franz-Schubert-Institut in Baden bei Wien, Austria. In 2015, she participated in the Banff Centre’s Community of Leaders program. Caitlyn founded the Dawson Creek Choral Society in 2014, where she serves as Artistic Director, choir director, vocal coach, Kindermusik educator, and administrator. Her work encompasses operational leadership, grant development, and community outreach, guided by a strong commitment to social responsibility and the vital role of equitable artistic practice.
Caitlyn’s performance experience spans choral, operatic, and experimental genres, including her participation in the 2013 premiere of Dan Brophy’s innovative work 30 immolated; 16 returned, which featured extreme metal, extended vocal techniques, and live electronics. She is currently President of the South Peace Community Arts Council.
AVAILABLE TIMES
The following chart will be updated as often as possible to reflect current openings. Please refer to the Time Slot # when requesting a lesson time.
If you would like to request a time outside of the posted Time Slots, you may do so but there may be no guarantee that your request will be accommodated.
| Weekday | Time Slot # | Time | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
|
MONDAYS |
1 |
3:00 PM |
Yes |
|
2 |
3:30 PM |
No |
|
|
3 |
4:00 PM |
No |
|
|
4 |
4:30 PM |
Yes |
|
|
TUESDAYS |
5 |
1:30 PM |
Yes |
|
6 |
2:00 PM |
Yes |
|
|
7 |
3:15 PM |
No |
|
|
WEDNESDAYS |
8 |
1:30 PM |
Yes |
|
9 |
2:00 PM |
Yes |
|
|
THURSDAYS |
10 |
1:30 PM |
Yes |
|
11 |
2:00 PM |
Yes |
|
|
FRIDAYS |
12 |
3:15 PM |
Yes |
|
13 |
3:45 PM |
Yes |
|
|
14 |
4:15 PM |
Yes |
PERFORMANCES
For the Regular Voice Program, performing is part of what we do. All students are expected to perform at least once over the course of the season, and are encouraged to perform as often as possible.
We will have at least two family recitals through the course of the year – one in December and the other near the end of April. All students are encouraged to attend whether they are singing or not.
The Peace Arts Fest will happen mid-February and all students are strongly encouraged to enter at least one song into the festival. They will receive adjudication from a visiting instructor and this feedback is invaluable.
PRACTICE
Students should try to practice for at least 30 minutes, 4-5 times per week.
The more you practice, the quicker you improve. If you have a piano or keyboard at home, this makes practicing easier as you can learn to play reference pitches and your song melodies depending on piano skills.
If you do not have access to a keyboard, there will be times where you may be able to use our voice studio for individual practice, or all students are welcome to use recording devices during lessons to record warmups, song melodies, pronunciations, etc.
LANGUAGES
We have repertoire available in a variety of languages. Singers are encouraged to start singing in different languages as soon as they are comfortable in doing so.
We have repertoire available in a variety of languages, including English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. These languages are standard in classical singing. Caitlyn is open to songs in other languages, provided the student understands that only the above listed languages are within her own training and experience.
Note: Caitlyn is fluent in only the English language. While she has studied both German and French, she is by no means able to carry a conversation in either. Singing in a language that you don’t speak is much easier than you’d think!
MATERIALS
Students are expected to bring a water bottle and their voice binder with them to each lesson.
A 3-ring binder and photocopies of song repertoire will be provided, as well as any printed warm-ups, technical exercises and/or supplementary materials. If a student would like to purchase a music theory workbook, their instructor can guide them in what to buy.
Payment Options & Sign-Up
Flexible payment options and family rates are available. Fees cover instructor time, membership, printing and photocopying, materials and resources, recital expenses, studio space, and basic administration. For any payment plan, pro-rating is available for late entry to the program.
If cost is a barrier for you, please reach out to us as there are a few ways we can help. We have our own internal bursary fund for anyone over the age of 24, and we may be able to cover all or part of your fees.
If a student needs to withdraw from the program, they will be assessed for refund based on the lessons that have been pre-paid, LESS the amount of two lessons ($64) after notice has been given. If you give 4 weeks’ notice prior to your next invoice, there will be no penalty for discontinuing into the next payment period.
Dawson Creek Arts & Wellness Fund
Local funding is available for youth up to age 24.
MONTHLY
8 equal payments (September through April)-
$100.80 for additional siblings or family members
BIMONTHLY
4 equal payments (Sep, Nov, Jan, Mar)-
$201.60 for additional siblings or family members
Semester (save 5%)
2 equal payments (Sep/Jan)-
$383.04 for additional siblings or family members
Full - Year (save 10%)
Upon registration-
$241.29 for additional siblings in any preschool class