People of Pinnacle – The Pinnacle Music School
By Melody Pereira
The Downtown District includes not only Front Street, but also the West Side of Pinnacle Street! We’re excited to introduce you to some of the People of Pinnacle you may have not met before, or who you want to get to know better. Let’s shine the spotlight on the Downtown District’s very own: Pinnacle Street! We learn their stories and discover more about the events and motivations that have led them to their successful businesses today. Let’s get into it …
The Pinnacle Music School
Currently located at 261 Front Street, this music lesson and instruction school will soon be the newest member of Pinnacle Street. As we know, the Pinnacle Music Studio closed last year, but what many Belleville residents are unaware of is that the Pinnacle Music School is still operating! The staff are preparing for the upcoming teaching season this September and are eager to spread their mission of furthering the arts and/or business in Belleville.
Pinnacle Music Studios has been operating as a highly regarded business in Downtown Belleville for over two decades. It was started by Janet and Ken Harnden at 214 Pinnacle Street in 1997. In 2001, they moved to 261 Front Street. The main floor at 261 Front was the retail department that sold sheet music, musical instruments, accessories and in particular, pianos & keyboards. Also, Pinnacle Music had the unique status of being the only authorized dealer of Yamaha Pianos in Eastern Ontario.
Apart from the main floor retail activities, the entire second floor of 261 Front Street had been and continues to be a teaching studio comprising of 10 individual teaching rooms and a large waiting area. The staff at the teaching studio has enjoyed an excellent reputation for its professionalism and experience.
In the summer of 2020, Janet and Ken closed the retail business. Since then, the Pinnacle teachers have continued to teach from the second-floor teaching studios of 261 Front Street. Due to the pandemic, most lessons have been online, but when permitted, some lessons have been in-person (in keeping with the guidelines).
Recently, the name has changed from ‘Pinnacle Music Studios’ to ‘Pinnacle Music School’. The words ‘Pinnacle Music’ will still associate with the good reputation of the Pinnacle Music Studio of yore but changing ‘Studio’ to ‘School’ makes it clear that the business is exclusively teaching. The Pinnacle logo has also been modified accordingly.
Regarding the future, the business is pleased to announce that Pinnacle Music School will be moving to 360 Pinnacle Street in October. The building is owned by Belleville businessman Mark Rashotte who is overseeing the design and construction of the new facility. The new location will feature abundant free parking easily accessible from Pinnacle Street, wheelchair accessibility, a new HVAC system, a performance/recital room, and teaching rooms large enough for social distancing requirements. Mr. Rashotte also owns the nearby Empire Theatre on Front Street and envisions that Pinnacle Music School will make occasional use of the Empire for performance and teaching purposes. With very exciting growth and opportunity, the Belleville community is very excited about this new move.
Regarding the upcoming teaching season starting on September 7, Pinnacle Music School will continue to operate at the current location at 261 Front Street for the month of September and move when the new facility is ready in October.
Duncan Cooper, one of the School’s spectacular instructors, shares that the team is currently promoting these new developments. A major objective for Pinnacle Music School is making the Belleville area aware that the school is still operating and will continue operating. Because the main floor storefront has been closed for a year, they notice that many people in Belleville think that the teaching studio has also closed. So the team is keen to get the word out to dispel that misconception.
Duncan shares that like most businesses during the pandemic, they have experienced less traffic and therefore less business. While the teachers at Pinnacle have had success at effectively teaching many of our students using online conferencing platforms, some of our students and parents decided to wait out the pandemic. Also, it seems that a lot of potential new students decided to wait until the situation is considered safe. So as we emerge from the pandemic, we look forward to rebuilding our client numbers in a safe and inclusive environment.
Below is listed a roster of the current teaching staff at the Pinnacle Music School. A wide variety of classes are offered for all interests and learning fields!
- Joe Kennedy – guitar
- Ed Conley – drums, guitar, bass guitar
- Pat Ross – piano, RCM exams, RCM theory
- Janice Fast – piano, RCM exams, RCM theory
- Duncan Cooper – piano, pop & jazz piano, pop & jazz theory, RCM theory
- Veronique Kwakkernaat – flute
- Amber Walton-Amar – cello
- Derek Morris – violin
Pinnacle Music School will commence a new teaching season on September 7 at 261 Front Street, Belleville, 2nd Floor Studio.
Lessons available in piano (RCM, classical, jazz, & popular), guitar (electric & acoustic), bass guitar, ukulele, drums, violin (Celtic & East Coast styles), cello (private & group classes), flute, piccolo, alto flute, rock band ensemble classes, RCM music theory (Levels 1 to 8), jazz/popular music theory. Ages and experience range from children to adults.
Be sure to follow along with Pinnacle Music School on Facebook and Instagram and visit their website to learn more about lessons, products, rentals, and more! Also, feel free to reach out via phone at 613-969-0050.
