We are a team of vibrant, enthusiastic professional musicians and highly-skilled Early Years Music Specialists. As a minimum requirement, all of our teachers undergo an intensive twelve month training programme specifically in Colourstrings Music Education and Teaching. Our educators are trained by Karen MacKenzie, one of the world’s foremost authorities on early childhood music education.
Colourstrings is not a franchise.This enables us to maintain the highest quality music education based on the latest proven research.
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Laura Hasthorpe B.A., CPGS, CSAV, CSAK Colourstrings Director & Head of Early Childhood Music at the VSO Music School.
Laura Hasthorpe is the Director of Colourstrings Vancouver since 2004, as a musical entrepreneur she is the first early childhood specialist to bring the Colourstrings education to Canada. A professional violist Born in England, Laura is also a certified Colourstrings music kindergarten and Violin & viola teacher having trained with Dr. Géza Szilvay in London, Glasgow and Helsinki where the approach originates.
With fifteen years of experience teaching children in
private and school settings, she has coached numerous violin & viola
sectionals for the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the
Vancouver Youth Orchestra. Prior to immigrating Laura was the conductor
of the Colourstrings training orchestra for East Renfrewshire Council
and the Glasgow Academy Junior Orchestra.
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Laura recieved a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Certificate of Postgraduate Studies in performance with distinction, as well as gaining numerous prizes and scholarships, one of which took her to continue her postgraduate studies with Gerald Stanick at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
Highlights of her orchestral career to date include:
Annual Proms concert series with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Recording in 1999 with Scottish band Texas on their UK #1 Album "The Hush"
Playing with soloist Yo-Yo Ma at the Royal Albert Hall in London
UK Tour of Wagner's complete Ring Cycle with Scottish Opera Orchestra in 2002-2003
Performing with Bill Coon, award winning Jazz Guitarist 2009 at Vancouver Jazz Cellar
An active professional freelance violist in Europe and in BC, Laura has played with The Cadell String Quartet, BT Ensemble, Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, West Coast Chamber Orchestra, Northshore Symphonia, Vancouver Metropolitan and BC Chamber Orchestra.
Julie is a professional educator from the UK, where she has worked as a teacher, manager and independent Consultant to the primary years age range (age 5-11), advising and providing in-class teacher-tutoring support in ‘Teaching for Learning’.
She has had over 30 articles and 2 books published in the UK Education Press on a range of educational topics & the teaching and learning of young children, including ‘Music as a Way into Learning’, ‘How we teach Music’ and a range of children's activities using music as a medium for learning across the curriculum.
Until recently she was also Editor of a UK national publication for school management teams and teaching staff called ‘Working with Parents’, which provided materials enabling schools and parents/carers to work together to enhance learning.
A keen guitarist and community choir member, Julie is passionate in her belief in the value of a high-quality music education for children from birth, having seen throughout her work and in her own children the difference such an experience provides.
After taking part in many music programs on offer for young children Julie decided to qualify in the Colourstrings approach, which meets the standards and values in which she believes.
Melanie has a myriad of experiences and infuses her creativity into whatever she does. Having a background in the Arts she Studied Studio Art at Capilano University and obtained a scholarship to study Figurative Sculpture and Drawing at the Art Students League of NY.
Her teaching experience includes: Emily Carr Cont Ed., Drawing Fundamentals as well as creating her own children's art classes in West Vancouver, Squamish and Vancouver; she is Founder of the Squamish Lantern Festival and has taught workshops for creating the lanterns.
Melanie lived in New York where she studied as well as worked as an Assistant Art Director for some independent movies. As well as the Arts, Melanie's green thumb took her on an apprenticeship to gather more horticulture knowledge and now helps others with the design and maintain of their own gardens. She has a passion for Art and Nature, learning, teaching, loves exchanging ideas and connecting with others.
Melanie is constantly melding all her experiences in a unique way and applying them to her next adventures Her biggest adventure by far is morphing into motherhood with the birth of her son in 2006.
Laura Hasthorpe is the Director of Colourstrings Vancouver since 2004, as a musical entrepreneur she is the first early childhood specialist to bring the Colourstrings education to Canada. A professional violist Born in England, Laura is also a certified Colourstrings music kindergarten and Violin & viola teacher having trained with Dr. Géza Szilvay in London, Glasgow and Helsinki where the approach originates.
An active professional freelance violist in Europe and in BC, Laura has played with The Cadell String Quartet, BT Ensemble, Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, West Coast Chamber Orchestra, Northshore Symphonia, Vancouver Metropolitan and BC Chamber Orchestra.
