2025-2026

OUTREACH & EDUCATION

Education Show – Keyboard Explosion

Nico Rhodes and Patrick Courtin have been friends since Elementary School, connecting because they both love playing the piano and believe it is the best instrument! They also both speak French and English. In their Education Show – Keyboard Explosion – audience members learn to expect the unexpected and get ready for an hour of fun and engagement where even the coolest audience member must join in the fun!  Nico and Patrick who make up the band called Piano Heist will perform all genres of music from classical piano raptures to bombastic boogie woogie, jazz to rock & roll playing multiple keyboard instruments.

Nico & Patrick are both music educators as well as performers. Here is their philosophy about their education shows:
“Our main objective is to get the kids excited about making music. Regardless of genre, instrument, or ability, our hope is that kids walk away from our show with a greater confidence in their ability to try, learn and create music. We emphasize a few points: Everyone is a musician.  Music is fun, and the most fun when shared with friends. Music is for every occasion; dancing, storytelling, celebrating and more. In the show we cover basic musicianship, the history of keyboard instruments, how different instruments produce sound, how music tells a story, and beyond. We also invite the kids, at every step, to actively participate in the musical decisions we’re making”.

Community Engagement & Education with Piano Heist

Being musicians who have studied and performed in diverse musical settings, both members of Piano Heist love sharing their unique musical perspective with students of all ages and levels. The top priority in any musical setting is to encourage musical curiosity, understanding and participation.

Nico and Patrick are comfortable working in any of these settings:

• Musical theatre: songs, interpretation, vocal technique, repertoire (Both Nico and Patrick are nationally experienced musical directors in theatre)
• Jazz/Improvisation: regardless of instrumentation or skill level, encouraging musicians to freely express themselves in an improvisational context is something they encourage and love to teach. (Both are jazz trained pianists and woodwind players).
• Classical music – this would be ideal for young pianists seeking guidance on interpretation of pieces they’re working on already.
• General Musicianship – reading music/rhythms/how to practice effectively/music history/how to work with other musicians.
• Film music/Digital music production (DAW’s, VST’s, Plugins etc.)
• Arranging/Composing/Orchestrating

Any outreach activity can be tailored to the needs and level of the musicians in the community. An afternoon could be spent working with 7–10-year-olds on their favourite musical theatre song as a small choir and then work with an adult choir in the evening.

SENIOR RESIDENCES: Piano Heist will also go to Senior’s Residences where people cannot get to a show and play the piano for them and /or lead a sing along of songs by request!