Demystifying Music
Back by popular demand!
For Ages 18+ | On Sale Now!
This popular music appreciation-style course will be expanded into a series of courses over the year. Each session will explore a different aspect of musical understanding – join for one or join for all!
Curious about how music works? If you've ever wondered what those black dots on the page really mean, or how music is put together, and that everything is open to interpretation, this relaxed, no-pressure evening course is for you. Guided by an experienced music educator, you'll explore the origins and basics of written music and gain a deeper understanding of how the music you love is created, interpreted, and evolved. Consider this series your chance to learn everything you wanted to know about music but were afraid to ask!
Registration
Demystifying Musical Eras
$95 / person
When we talk about “classical music” what do we actually mean? This course focuses on the foundational “eras” of orchestral music: Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern. Discover how tastes and fashions gave each era their distinctive sounds and feels, and the composers who defined our understanding of each period.
Wednesdays at 7:00 PM from October 7 – October 28, 2026
Class length: 60 minutes
Instructed by Natalie Boisvert
Demystifying Songwriting
$95 / person
Songs don’t just write themselves! This course will explore the art and craft of songwriting to help you better understand your favourite music and encourage you to create your own songs. We’ll dive into the main elements of lyrics, melody, structure and arrangement, and discuss the process of songwriting itself. You’ll never hear songs the same way again!
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM from November 10 – December 1, 2026
Class length: 60 minutes
Instructed by Robert Walsh
Demystifying The Classics
$95 / person
Join us for a deep dive into the best-known composers of the Classical period! This course explores symphonic music of the three giants of the eighteenth century: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven and the influences that made their home city of Vienna the musical and cultural hub of Europe.
Mondays at 7:00 PM from November 23 – December 14, 2026
Class length: 60 minutes
Instructed by Robert Klakowich
Previous Course Offerings
- Demystifying the Score
- Demystifying Musical Eras
- Demystifying The Program
Meet Your Instructor
NATALIE BOISVERT
Natalie Boisvert is a flutist, chamber musician, and musicologist with over 3 decades’ experience as a music educator, including some 25 years teaching at the University of Alberta. She is currently the Woodwinds Teaching Artist with the Winspear Centre’s YONA-Sistema program, getting wee ones started on the flute and clarinet. When not honking and tooting with the kids, she can be heard on Radio Canada Edmonton as their Music Columnist. Warning: her passion for music is very contagious.
Robert Klakowich
Dr. Robert Klakowich has held teaching positions at the University of Alberta, the University of Lethbridge, Durham University (UK) and the University of Auckland (New Zealand). Today, Robert pursues a teaching specialty in theory and musicianship aa a Conservatory Instructor at the Winspear Centre.
As a musicologist, he has prepared editions of English harpsichord music published by A-R Editions and Musica Britannica, has written numerous articles in scholarly journals, and has given papers and chaired sessions at national and international conferences. His interests in the performing arts extend from early music to musical theatre, but his real passion is teaching.
Robert Walsh
Robert Walsh is an award winning singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, musical director, guitarist, producer, author and educator. He grew up in Montréal, where he obtained his BMUS from McGill, spent ten years in Toronto (where he signed a Nashville record deal), and settled in Edmonton in 1996. He writes and performs regularly in English and French.
Robert has released five albums as a solo artist, three as part of a group (including Franco Albertan Roots group Allez Ouest), and co-written four musicals, the latest of which, “Rubaboo” (with Andrea Menard), has had five major Canadian productions, and won him Sterling Awards for “Outstanding Musical Score” and “Outstanding Musical Direction” in 2024. He has also co-written music and produced recordings for many other artists, and as a musician, has performed in a multitude of ensembles (including big bands, orchestras, blues/jazz bands and more), with many well-known artists (The Pointer Sisters, Stewart Copeland, Daniel Lavoie, Tom Cochrane), and has been a featured soloist with groups like the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Edmonton Jazz Orchestra and many others. He has written two books, including “Sculpting Air – A Whole Person Approach to Songwriting”, is an active clinician and workshop leader, and taught Songwriting and other subjects in the music department at MacEwan University for thirteen years. Robert is currently writing a multi-media musical about the history of Francophones in Alberta, and preparing to release more of his music to the world.
