Northern Lights Canadian National Conservatory of Music “Shaping Canada’s vast musical landscape”
Northern Lights Canadian National Conservatory of Music has become a national conservatory with students and teachers across Canada. In February 2002, Debra Wanless called like-minded colleagues to help her initiate a much-needed, new national music conservatory. The CNCM mandate is to support and nurture the composition, study and performance of Canadian music in a holistic and all encompassing program of study. The first goal of CNCM was to create a Piano Pedagogy Licentiate Diploma, as the founding members found that the training and examination of piano teaching specialists in Canada was lacking in comprehensive and depth-of-knowledge programs. Since that time, the response from the music community, teachers, parents and students has been overwhelming; so much so, that it was decided to initiate other programs.
CNCM was the first conservatory to offer a Primary/Elementary Pedagogy Diploma in piano. This assists candidates in developing strong pedagogy skills and serves as a firm foundation for all new teachers. Launched in 2003, the curriculum is a five credit program combined with an additional forty hours of observation time with an experienced teacher. CNCM provides the Primary/Elementary candidate with valuable resources through four different pedagogy handbooks.
The Northern Lights Canadian National Conservatory of Music teacher’s Associate Diploma in Piano Pedagogy by credit is a new approach in conservatory examination assessment. Students and teachers who are leading busy lives can opt to take this curriculum in twelve separate credits. CNCM is proud to offer a Licentiate Diploma in Piano Pedagogy, the first of its kind in Canada. This diploma will present the successful candidate with a program of extensive study including research, pedagogy and piano performance skills. Junior and Senior Fellowship Diplomas in Piano Pedagogy are also offered by CNCM. These diplomas offer the successful candidate a program of further extensive study. The Northern Lights Canadian National Conservatory’s examination program is designed to offer thorough training, flexibility, creativity and choice for both the student and the teacher.