Q: What are the different band instruments you teach?A: VEMS Beginner band teaches trumpet, trombone, euphonium, flute, clarinet and saxophone. For grade 4 learners, we restrict this to trumpet, flute and clarinet because the other instruments are too big normally for grade 4 children. Q: How do I rent an instrument?A: VEMS has a preferred…
How Can my School Access VEMS Music Programs?
VEMS typically connects with Parent Advisory Councils and Principals at individual schools to discuss what will work. There are many factors including the number of students, grades the school covers and availability of spaces to hold the programs. We love coming to PAC meetings to explain how everything works. To kickstart the process, we have…
How Do You Choose Music for Kids to Sing?
One of the challenges of choral music for children is meeting fulfilling the complex priorities of what works for children singing in groups. For example, when you hear music on the radio, and sing along, try to imagine that particular song in the voices of a group of children. Plus, they only have a piano…
Maritime Museum – Light Up the Harbour 2024 – More Pictures!
Our friends at the Maritime Museum graciously shared these awesome photos taken by Christian Zane. This was December 12, 2024. Kids from at least 8 different schools joined forces for the celebration.
Maritime Museum – Light Up The Harbour 2024
We invited our Senior Choirs from all over the city to join the Maritime Museum in its annual Light Up the Harbour celebration. On December 12, 2024 we arrived with 47 kids and their parents to help with the festivities. Catherine Campolin, our Choral Program Director led the kids. Dave Dagta our pianist kept the…
Musical Halloween 2024
We have below a selection of “scary” music groups from October 31, 2024. Don’t anyone say that choir and band isn’t spooky fun!
Can you help with our Fall Fundraiser?
The Vancouver Extracurricular Music Society (VEMS) was incorporated as a BC Society in May 2023. VEMS currently provides 36 choirs and 2 beginner band offerings in 22 elementary schools as extracurricular activities. We are a charitable organization registered with the CRA. Our goal is to bring as much music as possible to kids in Vancouver…
Fall 2024 Registration
We are currently loading up schools for registration. Some are already up and some will come later. To check it out, please visit www.vems.ca/signup.html Email president@vems.ca if you have any questions.
Fundraising for the Bursary Fund!
We are excited to say that on April 8 we obtained our Canada Revenue Agency Charitable organization status. This means we can issue tax receipts! And pursue other grants. We provided $9,352 in financial assistance in Term 3 and could use some help to ensure we finish the year in the black and can fund…
How does a Tax Donation Work?
VEMS is a CRA registered charity and we rely on generous people. Donate pages like this one abound. But how does it work. Assuming you pay tax on every pay cheque, some of your charitable donations reduces the tax you pay. For example, if for an entire year, you donate $250 to charities that issue…