Piano Bird - Lark Popov

Looking so forward to collaborating in a live concert again!

"Music has, quite literally, saved my life and, I believe, the lives of countless others. It provides company when there is none, understanding where there is confusion, comfort where there is distress, and sheer, unpolluted energy where there is a hollow shell of brokenness and fatigue."

-James Rhodes, Instrumental: A Memoir of Madness, Medication and Music

Music is so much more than “entertainment”. It can reach us in ways that we are still learning about. Music can heal!

Instrumental - Music to Your Brain We’re here to help you guide you along the path of growing up, and learning that sometimes the best thing to do is to just chill out and groove to your favourite beats.

Cuts to the arts in our schools have been going on for a long time but Covid has had a devastating effect on the private studios too. I received a letter from the head of the RCM this morning asking teachers/parents amd all those who value music to contact your MPs and MPPs about offering financial assistance to the educators whose job it is to instil a love and understanding of music to the future generations.
Please read and share the article in today’s Toronto Star

Music teachers need government help to weather the pandemic In its government discussions the conservatory has proposed three areas of potential support.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Virtual Lessons resume, Monday Jan. 4th
'See' you soon!

Tomorrow is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven!
I'd like to challenge all of you to listen to one piece of his that you do not know or the whole movement of a work that you know just the famous bits of. Here are a few suggestions:
Symphony #9 last movement - this contains the "ode to joy" tune so many of you learned when you were first starting out. It's a fantastic movement with orchestra and four vocal soloists. Check it out on YouTube.
Symphony #5 - with the famous opening motive - da da da dah
The entire "Moonlight" sonata or how about one of the other sonatas contained in two volumes(32 of them!).
For senior students, maybe listen to a late sonata or the magnificent piano concertos or branch out and listen to the string quartets!
You get the idea. There will be thousands of performances online, old and new and many specifically to honour this great composer. Happy listening!

It’s time to think about new ways to prepare to celebrate the Holiday Season this year! Let’s do something positive rather than be disappointed that we can’t do as we usually do at this time of year. So… in light of the fact that many will be unable to visit Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and extended family/friends I am asking every student to choose a piece. It can be a Christmas Carol, Hanukkah song, Winter themed some etc. (yes, I will even accept the theme to Hockey Night in Canada!) You get the idea. Choose something meaningful for you and your family. Send me the title if you don’t have the music and I will find an arrangement for you. Learn it over the next few weeks and then we will video it. You can do this at home or I can do it here on the grand piano. Then ‘surprise’ your special people with this gift. For those of you who give me permission, I will post the videos on the page for the month of December.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 🧙‍♀️🧛‍♂️👻 Thank you for all the amazing 'spooky' sentences!
Here are a few.

Treble Clef Lines

Eerie Ghost Breaks Down Furniture
Every Ghost Bites Dragons Forever
Every Ghost Brings Dreadful Frights
Eat Gumballs Because 'Dey' Funny
Every Goblin Bothers Dragons First
Every Genie Blood Disguises Fear
Every Ghost Boos During Fall

Treble Clef Spaces

Fat Angry Cats Eat
Four Annabelles Creep Evilly
Fangs Are Certainly Eerie
Ferocious Alligators Courageously Eat
Frankie And Corona Exist

Bass Clef Lines

Ghosts Break Down Fences ASAP
Ghosts Beside Devils Fear Anyone
Great Bats Die Flying Away
Ghostly Bats Dive From (the)Air
Gumballs Don't Fix Anything
Gremlins Baffle Dragons Forever (and) Always
Good Bats Drop Frightening Aliens

Bass Clef Spaces

Alien Corpses Enchant Ghosts
Angel Cats Evil Gown
Annoyed Computers Excite Goblins
All Cats Eat Goblins
All Clowns Eat Gum
All Creepy Evil Ghosts
All Cucumbers Eat Ghouls

Hallowe’en Note Challenge

Make up your own ‘spooky’ sentence to replace the usual suggestions as illustrated in the examples.

Here are a couple of silly ones to start you off

Treble Clef Lines

Evil Gremlins Break Down Fences

Treble Clef Spaces

FACE
Make a scary face!

Bass Clef Lines

Ghoul Boys Don’t Frighten Alligators

Bass Clef Spaces

Angry Cats Eat Gumballs

Memorize your sentences and get ready for the lesson challenge this week!

It’s almost time for lessons to start up and I’m really excited to see all my students again, both online and in person! For those of you coming to your first in person lesson in 6 months, please send/post a picture of you in your favourite mask 😷!!!