This past week was Composition Camp 2010. This is the second year I have held such a camp. I love to compose and I love to teach composition but regular lesson time is jam packed with so much that there isn’t a great deal of time to focus on creating. The four day summer day…
Growing pains. They are part of the maturing process. They can be physical in nature but many times they are emotional. Even more painful is watching your child or student work their way through the inevitable discomfort of growth. Yet, looking back on my career, it is the moments after unrest that hold the greatest of victories. Early…
When you register your child for hockey you must pay a fee which allows your child to participate in hockey games and practices. In addition you must also purchase all of the equipment needed to play the game. Skates,socks, shin pads, pants, protective cup, shoulder and elbow pads, neck guard, practice jersey, helmet, mouth guard, gloves, and…
The weather is getting warmer (well hotter actually!) and exams are fast approaching. Classes at The Music Box are beginning to wind down. By the end of June all keyboard classes will be finished for the summer, but that doesn’t mean the music books and pianos should become dust collectors for the next 8 weeks…
I love to colour. The mindless rhythmic motion as you fill in the white spaces with a rainbow of hues is satisfying and calming. You know when you go to a restaurant and the wait staff gives your kids a page to colour and a handful of crayons to keep them busy while they wait for their meals? Well,…
Do the Hokey Pokey and turn yourself around, after all, that is what “it” is all about – so the song says. I would have to agree to some degree. I find myself doing the Hokey Pokey from time to time, turning myself all about in music class as I work with my students. I would…
My Nana wasn’t a famous musician. She didn’t perform in front of a crowd. Her works were never published…in fact, she never wrote one song. She wasn’t acknowledged in music periodicals or mentioned in entertainment news. My Nana’s music has reached many, none the less, and will live on indefinitely. It will spread like wild flowers…
Want to be a great musician? “Play” music every day! Between baseball, soccer, art class, dance class, doctor appointments, school work, laundry and dishes, shopping, visiting family and all the other goings on of the busy families of today…when are we supposed to fit practicing in? Ideally students need to be spending time every day working on…
Givin’ a shout out to all my students who are performing this week at the Stratford Kiwanis Music and Performance Festival! I am thrilled that each of you have agreed to perform and know that the experience will be memorable and worthwhile. Music festivals are a wonderful opportunity for students to; gain performance experience, hear…
Have you ever sat down to play the keys and feel as if you are totally inept? I have been playing the piano for 4/5 of my life and yet I have those days periodically. Why does this happen to us? It can be frustrating and if it happens to be performance or exam day, it…
