Joan Blench Piano Studio

On this Mother's Day, I am again thankful to my wonderful mother who enrolled me in piano lessons as a child and encouraged my love for music making. Who would have guessed just how far the ability to read music fluently would take me?

Several years ago, the University of Alberta Mixed Chorus and Handbell Ringers stopped in Peace River as part of their annual spring tour. I remember being blown away by the handbells and thinking that I would love to be a part of such a group. Fast forward a few years and I am now living in Kelowna where I have joined the city's handbell choir based at the Okanagan United Church. This past weekend, I took part in the biennial two-day festival of the British Columbia Guild of English Handbell Ringers. What a great experience! There is quite an art to handbell ringing but I am eager to keep learning and have met some amazing people in the process.

I have been blessed with so many opportunities as a result of my childhood piano lessons. Thank you, Mom.

I'm so glad to be back singing in a choir again. The Jubilation Singers is primarily a gospel choir but its repertoire extends into pop songs so our concert next month is sure to be a crowd pleaser. The director, Peter DeRoche, is a fellow resident of Sunrise Village, the 45+ community where Mike and I traded our three-story homes in Grande Prairie and Peace River respectively for a much smaller, single floor home ... and no regrets. I love Kelowna and all it has to offer.

I love it when I find a piano tuner with whom I can develop a solid relationship. My baby grand has finally settled in after its journey across the mountains this summer. Thank you, Colin McCann of West Kelowna for your wonderful work and friendly conversation yesterday :)
www.mccannpianoservice.com

How wonderful to start my Sunday morning playing Bach with the sun streaming in and facing a gallery wall of images that hold a special place in my heart. Clockwise from top left:
Quebec City from when I was a chaperone for Brad's French Immersion trip to Quebec;
The blue city of Chefchaouen from when I taught English in Morocco;
A Venetian Carnaval mask from Italy;
A spring crocus photographed by my dear friend Sharon Krushel;
My lifelong home of Peace River presented to me by music teacher colleagues before moving to Kelowna;
A certified authentic page of music from the 16th century purchased in Germany;
A mushroom print by Peace River artist Val Palmer.
Also featured in my memory corner is a music note picture made from dried flowers by one of my former students; a family photo taken at Mom and Dad's 50th Anniversary; and one of Mike's earliest birthday gifts to me, a handmade flute purchased at the North Country Fair.
A lifetime of memories to enjoy each and every day.

I received so many well wishes from Alberta Piano Teachers Association members last weekend at our conference in Leduc. One of them sent me a lovely message along with the selfie she took of us when she learned that I was stepping down as Membership Convener.

"You have been at the APTA events all the time since I joined the APTA in 2017. Oh, my…from now on, you won’t be there. It’s hard to believe. However, I know I can see you at webinars. I will be so happy to see you on screen as well. Going to Kelowna? That’s a beautiful city. I wish you all the best in love and happiness, Joan.
Thank you for your help with the APTA."

Stephanie, I'm so proud to have been a part of the organizing team for the annual conferences. Thank you to all the members who sent me emails or spoke to me in person to wish me well on the next stage of my career.

What a great weekend at the Alberta Piano Teachers Association conference! I always enjoy my professional development weekend but this one was truly special as I received so many well-wishes as my years on the executive came to a close. I loved hearing the four part harmony of over a hundred music teachers singing the APTA grace which I composed years ago and has become a camaraderie tradition of our conference. The two piano duet concert with Janna Olson and Leann Regehr was simply sublime. The Clara Schumann historical reenactment was so entertaining and informative. My career will be taking a new direction that was validated by inspiring sessions and "can I run this idea by you?" conversations. And the hugs! I don't think you'll ever see so many hugs as at an APTA conference! It fills one's soul to be surrounded by so many colleagues and friends. We call ourselves an APTA family and use the term APTA-tude to describe the uniqueness of our organization, two descriptions which are well-deserved. I've been a member of APTA since the organization began in 1993 and can say without hesitation that it has shaped my life on much more than just a professional level. I am truly blessed.

So many memories of music and laughter coming from these rooms. Now all I hear is the echo of my voice in the empty space. I'm hoping someone will come along soon to turn this house back into a home again. https://andy-gauvreau.c21.ca/listing/AB/Peace-River/8413-94-Street-T8S-1G2/197177980

The Peace River Community Choir is gearing up to start another season on Tuesday October 1st in the courtyard of Good Shepherd School. Rehearsals we be every Tuesday from 7 - 9 p.m. in preparation for a Christmas concert on December 5th.

The pandemic was hard on our choir and it has been a struggle building our numbers back up. Your help is needed. Nothing works better than word of mouth. Talk to your friends, families and co-workers and anyone else who is willing to listen! Share on social media. Tell them about how wonderful our group is and how we would love to welcome new members. We are a group of adults and sometimes life interferes with our best efforts. If we are a choir of 50 then the absence of 10 people in a performance can be managed but in a choir of 35 the absence of that many people becomes a challenge. There is safety in numbers!

At the present time, the choir will run until Christmas. If the size and choral balance of participants is favourable, we will consider continuing into the new year and preparing for a spring concert.

The half-season fee for choir is $75. This covers the cost of music, our rehearsal venue, and a small honorarium for our director and accompanist. If you cannot afford the fee, please talk to us privately. We want to make this experience available to everyone!

See you on Tuesday, October 1st!

Please consider giving your time. Volunteers are needed to help organize in the months leading up to the Festival, in the weeks before, and during the event itself. The dates for the 2025 Festival will be chosen at the AGM this Sunday.

Calling all volunteers! Keep the Performing Arts Festival going in the Peace Region. Join us for the Annual General Meeting on September 15 and discover how you can be involved.

I have officially put my house up for sale. The grand piano in the photographs is now in Kelowna but the Roland LX706 I bought a few short years ago can be negotiated as part of the purchase. 😀

House for Sale on North End of Peace River | Houses for Sale | Grande Prairie | Kijiji Well-maintained 4-level, 1260 sq. ft home for sale on the north end of Peace River, just steps from the d**e, schools and playground. Fenced backyard, vegetable garden, double detached heated garage, back alley access. Central vacuum, air-conditioning, high-efficiency furnace (2022), hot water heate...

Four concerts in the past week! Today's program consisted of a Brahms Viola Quintet, Ravel Violin sonata, and Beethoven's "The Ghost" Piano Trio performed in a small concert hall only two blocks from my house. The owner of the venue is a Mexican woman who together with her German husband built a beautiful two-story concert hall on their property to further add to the vibrant performing arts culture of Ajijic. I love being in Mexico during the international Festival del Lago!