Starting in November, Students had to complete a practicing challenge. The mascot of our challenge was Brainy the octopus. As such, students were given one challenge a week. During the week, they had to complete this challenge 8 times. Challenges included: playing a piece 8 times, doing 8 pages of theory, and sight reading 8… Continue reading Brainy’s Practicing Challenge
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Inside the piano
This week in the studio, we’ve been exploring inside the piano! As studio members will know, I’m currently taking care of Gustin House’s wonderful Knabe. (I looked up its serial number on the internet, it looks like it was built in 1914.) The piano tuner came to replace a string (C3, or the C below… Continue reading Inside the piano
Composer Elections
This year in the studio, we had composer elections. This was a fun way to learn a little about music history whilst celebrating the fun of voting! As you can see, there were four parties running this year. They were: the Baroque party – leader, J. S. Bach Classical party – leader Franz Joseph Haydn… Continue reading Composer Elections
Welcome Back
The lesson year has started again, and it’s been fun having everyone back in the studio. We’ve been learning lots of music already, and have been having lots of fun with a special project this year. We’re electing a composer to fit the theme of national elections later this year. Look forward to some posts… Continue reading Welcome Back
Recent Performances
It’s been a fun few months for performing! In June, I had the pleasure of performing at Gustin House for their “Art and Artists of our Land” concert, featuring Canadian music. I played a piece called Adagio by local composer Ewan Coxworth. The same evening, I performed at the Strata Festival. The piece we played… Continue reading Recent Performances
Post-festival news
It’s been a fun month in the studio. Music festival was last week, and I enjoyed getting the chance to see performances from students from many studios across the city. My other favorite part of festival is seeing the adjudicators in action. Hearing teachers from other parts of Canada is really interesting. Festival is also… Continue reading Post-festival news
“Take Chances. Make Mistakes. Get Messy!”
Can you guess who said this quote? It was a character in one of my favorite series of books: The Magic School Bus. I can still hear Mrs. Frizzle’s, from the cartoon, saying these words. Mrs. Frizzle’s advice is as good for music students as it was for her class. Take chances. Musicians have to… Continue reading “Take Chances. Make Mistakes. Get Messy!”
Today’s Quote
Spring practicing advice
Spring is here, and that means lots of musical events for students! It can be a tricky time of year to find practice time, so here are a few tips to help students keep up the hard work work as Music Festival and exams get closer. A regular schedule A great way to make sure… Continue reading Spring practicing advice
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy Valentine’s day everyone. What better way to celebrate the holiday than to play some music for your valentine? And if you don’t have a valentine, consider playing some music for someone anyway. Every holiday is more fun with music!