General Information

Carondelet Music Center

"... With an orientation towards excellence tempered by gentleness, peace and joy", the Sisters of St. Joseph proudly sponsor Carondelet Music Center. At the heart of Carondelet Music Center, founded in 1992, is a community of learners, faculty and students together, who seek to foster and encourage the inherent aesthetic, social and spiritual benefits of active music-making. For the undeniable resource that music is and for the proven benefits that music brings, Carondelet Music Center welcomes would-be or already skilled musicians of all ages and backgrounds. Our professional and dedicated staff strives to nurture and encourage a life-long love of music as we build on student interests and capabilities. We believe that musical appreciation and musical expression are important life skills. Not only do they enrich and expand the well-being of our society, as a cultural asset, active music participation assists individual growth in multiple capacities across the lifespan. Focusing on the importance of relationships and the role of the community in learning, our students and their families develop important childhood friendships as they move through our carefully crafted early childhood program (Birth to 7 years) and then eagerly participate in private or group instruction, group piano classes, guitar ensembles, or shared recital experiences. All of these vehicles provide both child and adult opportunities to celebrate each other’s growth as they experience the thrill of musical competence and the joy of collective music-making.

GENERAL INFORMATION:
The Music Center offers quality instruction to all people (from birth to an unlimited number of years young!) of all levels of ability. The instruction, provided by accredited teachers, is individually tailored to meet your personal needs; no previous music education is required.

INSTRUCTION:
Instruction is given in piano; woodwinds (including flute, clarinet, oboe, recorder and saxophone); classical, electric and folk guitar; strings (including violin, viola and cello); brass (including French horn, trombone and trumpet); percussion and voice.

As an expert in early childhood music, Sister Patricia St. John, CSJ, the founder of Carondelet Music Center and its Executive Director, brings not only over 25 years of teaching experience to the Center’s programs, but a teaching practice which is informed by dedicated scholarship, current research, and inspiring educational principles. As a result of her leadership, CarondeletMusicCenter enjoys membership in Kindermusik International’s exclusive Maestro Program — which recognizes the top 5 percent of all Kindermusik programs in the U.S., based on performance and growth. Sister Patricia, a professional musician herself, is dedicated to providing and fostering joyful music-making experiences, particularly for children, as a way to nurture both aesthetic growth and artistic development. As an active music education researcher, she contributes to current and evolving music education practice. She has shared her work both nationally and internationally through the International Society of Music Education, the International Early Childhood Music Education Commission, the International Society of Music Perception and Cognition, the Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research, and Music Educators National Conference.

INSTRUCTORS:
Carondelet Music Center staff includes Sisters of St. Joseph and laywomen and men, all of whom have degrees in music and/or certification in their area of expertise.

SCHEDULING:
Private lessons are arranged through the Center with individual instructors at a time convenient for all parties involved. Group instruction is offered at set times as indicated on the semester schedule.

TUITION:
Tuition is paid per semester: September through December and January to May. Fees vary for Private Instruction, Group Classes, and Early Childhood Music Classes. Ordinarily, payment is made at the beginning of each semester. The Sister Mary Elise Scholarship Fund is available on a limited basis to piano students in need.

LOCATION:
Carondelet Music Center is located at St. Joseph's Provincial House in Latham. It is on the corner of Route 155 (Watervliet-Shaker Rd.) and Delatour Rd. Going east, it is on the left hand side of the roadway just past ShakerHigh School; the Colonie Elks is on the right, caddy corner from the Center’s driveway on the left.