Volunteering – Piano

There are two types of volunteering positions, assigned based on position availability: private lessons and practice time teaching.

  • Private lessons (min. grade 8 RCM Piano or equivalent): 3 students, one at a time, for one hour per week (ie. 20 minutes each student). Volunteers maintain the same students for both fall and winter semester when possible and go to the elementary schools at the same time each week.
  • Practice time teaching (min. grade 6 RCM Piano or equivalent): Supervising 4-10 students at a time, addressing the challenges they encounter during practice. The students are all very eager to play for you and ask many questions so we try to have at least 2 volunteers available minimum at each practice session. Volunteers are scheduled for a specific time each week.

We fill private lesson spaces first, so that usually only practice time positions are available. Scheduling is completed based on the volunteer’s submitted availability. Please note that the English school only has lunch hour lessons and practice times while the French school has both lunch hour and after school.

Volunteering – Math/Reading

This is a new program that was recently introduced for the 2008-2009 school year, and has proven to be quite popular with both volunteers and students. Volunteers have the option to tutor students one-on-one during class time, or to help out in the classroom. They may choose to tutor anywhere between 1-2.5 hours per week (please indicate on application form).

Applying to be a Volunteer

  1. Download the volunteer application form. Email completed copy to montrealheartofthecityyahoo.ca with “New volunteer – (Piano/Math/Reading) at (Name of School)”. Your application will then be forwarded to the appropriate volunteer coordinator.
  2. We require all volunteers to have a police record check done within the last two years. If you need a check, forms are available below. You will receive more information on this process from the volunteer coordinator: English School PRC form - $26.24, results in 24hr. You will need to meet up with the volunteer coordinator to have it witnessed.
  3. Send your volunteer coordinator your availability
    1. English School Piano – lunch hours only (11:30-12:30)
    2. French School Piano – lunch hours and after school
    3. English and French School Math/Reading – 2 most preferred half-day blocks (eg. Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons)
  4. Your coordinator will contact you regarding police record check and scheduling.
  5. Our School Locations

    St Gabriel’s School (English Montreal School Board)
    Principal: Tina Ottoni
    Site piano program coordinator: Andrea Truffa (andreatruffavideotron.ca)
    Montreal, QC
    600 Dublin street
    T:514-934-2111
    How to get there from McGill:
    (1) Take the #61 west (ouest) at Union and Maisonneuve (stop 1) to Wellington and Fortune (stop 21) (61 schedule ) - roughly 16 minute ride, drops you off a block from the school.
    (2) Alternatively, take the green line metro to Charlevoix. - allow 35 minutes to get from campus to school - 12 minute walk from metro station.
    Note: The Google Map location below is approximate, the school entrance is on Dublin between Wellington and Hall.
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    Ecole Champlain (Commission Scolaire de Montreal)
    Principal: Linda Labrie (labrielcsdm.qc.ca)
    Staff coordinator: Lucie Andréoli (andreolilcsdm.qc.ca)
    2260 rue Logan
    Montreal, QC
    T:514-596-5910
    How to get there from McGill:
    Take the metro on the green line to Papineau

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    St. John Bosco (English Montreal School Board)
    Principal: Tony Pita (tpitaemsb.qc.ca)
    Staff Coordinator: Nancy Gallant (nancygallant69hotmail.com)
    HCPP Volunteer coordinator: Pinky Langat
    6255 Hamilton Street H4E 3C5
    (514)761-5550
    Directions from McGill:
    Take green line metro west to Monk, 5 minute walk from metro station


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    Edward Murphy (English Montreal School Board)
    Principal: Nancy Richer (nricheremsb.qc.ca)
    Staff Coordinator: Christine Robillard
    HCPP Volunteer coordinator: Clara Lu
    6800 Pierre-de-Coubertin Street H1N 1T2
    (514)259-8883
    Directions from McGill:
    Take green line east to Langelier, 10 minute walk from metro station


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For newly accepted volunteers

If ever you need to miss a lesson, do your best to trade lesson times with another volunteer. If you are ill the morning of, please call the school to let them know. The kids really look forward to the lesson and are disappointed when their teacher does not show up. They are ESPECIALLY hurt when they find out that their volunteer has had to give up teaching because they are ‘too busy’. This is true for both practice time teaching and private teaching volunteers.

Volunteers are expected to go over theory worksheets at the beginning of each month with students. These will be made available in the practice room and are used to evaluate the progress of the students as a group and help the teachers identify and address any specific issues the student may be facing.

Each student will have his/her own notebook available in the practice room. If you are a private teaching volunteer, please make a complete note of what your student has worked on at the lesson, what his strengths are, and what he needs to work on over the week. This information will be invaluable to the practice session teachers!

There are several sources of information on teaching piano students. Take a look at the links below and read over the Heart of the City’s very own list of suggestions, written by a former volunteer.

If you ever have any questions or concerns about the program and how it is running, please don’t hesitate to let your volunteer coordinator and/or the program director know! We love to hear from you – this is your program so help us make it the best it can be!

Useful tips when teaching kids piano