Category: News

Events, News

December Activities, 2018

TempoDriveMusic

Xmas piano

Hi Everyone!

Who’s excited for Christmas? Some of our classes have already began to play Christmas music.

I just wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know the format for December into January.

  • December 8-12:  Treasure Box is open! Time to redeem those beans!
  • Dec. 15-19: Christmas Singalong and decorating cookies. ***Email me if you have any allergies! I make everything on site.***
  • The holidays will be from December 20th-January 4th, inclusive.

I hope Santa is good to you and everyone has a wonderful time with family over the holidays! And maybe you can even get some non-rushed, piano practice time in with the kids đŸ˜‰

 

Musically,

Mairéad

 

News

October News 2018

TempoDriveMusic

Halloween Week ~ October 24th-30th

halloween bach

Feel free to wear your costume to class. You can also spend your MUSIC BEANS to get into the treasure box! 10 beans per item.

Rhythm Festival ~ Nov. 24, 2018

Join us for our first performance of the year in a family friendly venue!

Cute kids performing!
The back of my head and some cute MYC kids participating.

When: Saturday Nov. 24th, 2018.
Where: The Bridge Church, Kanata. (Directions).
Class Times:

  • Sunshine 1 – 9:30am
  • Sunbeams 1 – 10:30am
  • Sunbeams 2 – 11:30am
  • Moonbeams 2 – 1:00pm

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to show time and come sit together as a group.

Expect to be at the church for an hour. You may also stay for other performances throughout the day.

Cost: This is considered a class. There is no additional cost to you.  This event is ran exclusively by volunteers.

Please email me by November 1st to let me know if your child is able to attend or not.  

Why: For younger students in particular, there are not many venues to perform in. The Rhythm Festival is perfect, because it provides child friendly adjudication and interaction with peers who also take music lessons. Students will get to practice in class for the performance, so they usually don’t get nervous. Music is meant to be shared, so when I find a positive place for that first performance to happen, I am promising you that you’ll be pleased with the day!

This year, adjudicator Leo Brooks of Treefrog Percussion returns to give insight into playing various percussion instruments, and how to enhance your performance. His positive comments and zest for performance was loved by the audience in past years.

Please contact me if you have any further questions about the event.

Musically,

♪ MairĂ©ad

Articles, News

Allison’s Brain

TempoDriveMusic

Awhile ago I heard an amazing story about Allison Woyiwada, an Ottawan musician and  teacher, who experienced a miraculous recovery from a massive aneurysm thanks in part to music therapy.

Read here story here, and post your comments below.

She also has a book out about the whole experience, and yes, it’s on my to-read list.

How does music heal you?

♪ MairĂ©ad

News, Performance

The show must go on!

TempoDriveMusic

Did you escape this week without hearing about a singer’s great skate and fall?

The Vancouver Canuck’s anthem singer, Mark Donnelly, was performing the national anthem on skates this time, when he tripped and fell on the red carpet. Complete disaster, you say? Take a look:

As fellow musicians, I think we have to give him credit. He didn’t miss a beat, and his voice barely cracked. What a pro!

Have you ever flubbed a performance? How did you feel? What did you do to get over it (in the moment AND after the fact)?

♪ MairĂ©ad

Events, News, Practice Tips

Who is the Practice Monster?

TempoDriveMusic

This week I have invited private students, along with Sunbeams 2 and 3 students, to attend a workshop entitled Calming the Practice Monster. And although it sounds silly, the practice monster is real. He is the anxiety you face when you have a new song to work on. He is the nerves you encounter before a performance, or an exam. He’s the resentment toward me, or your mom or dad. He’s getting in the way of one more game on the Wii, or just a little longer (please mom?!) of talking/texting to your friends.

He’s ugly. And we need to address his presence.monster

Paul Coates has many ideas on how to vanquish the monster. How can we create the fun in music lessons? Isn’t that why we all began playing in the first place? Can we honour an agreement with ourselves? Can we stick to a plan to avoid disappointment on lesson day?

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much I say or ask something of my students. I’ve forgiven you all before (holidays = a break from practicing, that’s pretty familiar!). It’s nice to see another teacher’s perspective. And other students. If you attend this workshop, you’ll be among peers who really understand the struggles and joy of learning music. And I promise you’ll leave inspired.

If each class of Sunbeams 2 and 3 can attend, I will consider it a lesson and refund you for the cost of the workshop (1 parent & 1 child = $30 to attend). Please register here for the Kanata workshop on February 24, 2012. 2-5pm.

See you there!

News, Uncategorized

Yes Virginia, There Will be a Cookie Party…

TempoDriveMusic

Season’s Greetings, young musicians and parents!

As the holidays approach I am excited to bring you a tradition from my family that has become a studio tradition. To wrap up our last week of classes, we will be having a cookie decorating party in each class: Monday Dec. 17- Saturday Dec. 2. At one point I wasn’t sure, as my oven was broken, but went ahead and got a new one before the Boxing week as originally planned đŸ™‚Cookies

You need not bring anything. I will not cook with nuts, and the rest of the ingredients basically include flour, sugar and eggs. If I have missed any of these allergies, please email me with details.

Thank you all for a wonderful Fall term! You have all worked very hard and I encourage you to think back to September to see how far you have come at this point.

Musically,

Mrs. Frizell

 

News, Uncategorized

Rhythm Festival, 2012

TempoDriveMusic

 

Sunbeams 1 at the Rhythm Fest, 2008

Rhythm Festival
When: Saturday Nov. 17th, 2012.
Where:OLD LOCATION – The Bridge Church, Kanata. (Directions).
Time:

  • Sunshine 1- 9am
  • Sunbeams 1, Moonbeams 1, & Sunshine 2- 10:45am
  • Sunbeams 2 & Sunbeams 3- 2:30 pm

Expect to be at the church for an hour.

Cost: This is considered a class. There is no additional cost to you. Audience members may choose to make a donation to the Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects.

Saturday classes will not be held in the studio on Nov. 17th as I will be at the church most of the day.

Why: For younger students in particular, there are not many venues to perform in. The Rhythm Festival is perfect, because it provides child friendly adjudication and interaction with peers who also take music lessons. Students will get to practice in class for the performance, so they usually don’t get nervous. Music is meant to be shared, so when I find a positive place for that first performance to happen, I am promising you that you’ll be pleased with the day!

This year, adjudicator Leo Brooks of Treefrog Percussion returns to give insight into playing various percussion instruments, and how to enhance your performance. His positive comments and zest for performance was loved by the audience last year.

Please contact me if you have any further questions about the event.

Musically,

Mairéad

News

Lesson Schedule

TempoDriveMusic

I know we all have a lot of planning to do throughout a school year, so here is the lesson schedule for 2012-2013.

If classes are cancelled by me, there will be a two week range of “Extra” lessons added. After those weeks are used, a refund will be issued for classes canceled by me.

There will be two music events this year:

  • Rhythm Ensemble Festival (click here for info), Saturday, Nov. 17th
  • Spring Recital, Sunday, Apr. 28th.

Click here to download a copy of the schedule.

-Mairéad

Articles, News

Does Music Make Your Child Smarter?

TempoDriveMusic

This is the question on an article in Today’s Parent March 2012 issue. You can read it here.

What are your thoughts, as parents of little musicians? What have you noticed from the beginning of lessons? What do you notice now after a few years of lessons?

I’ve been aware for some time of how music changes the “neuro-pathways” of our brains (for a good read, pick up This is Your Brain on Music by Dr. Daniel Levitin) and that children’s brains are still developing and thus more flexible to these changes. But something tells me I’m preaching to the converted when I ask the questions above đŸ™‚

The only thing I’d like to stress from the article, or add to it, is that computer games alone don’t make up a full musical experience. Children need to be physically engaged in making and enjoying music. There is a lot to be said for the focus on developing muscle-memory (there’s another sports analogy!) but it’s very true to the practice of music.

So next time you listen to music at home- get up, get silly, and dance your cares away!

-Mairéad