Sorry about the ground hog predicting 6 more weeks of Winter 🥶
But it is warm inside and there’s piano playing…
I hope everyone is healthy and avoiding the virus and indeed all the viruses, cold and flu which are around too. Thanks to everyone for wearing a mask in lessons and good girl Zelda for reminding me to put mine on after I had been teaching online.
Fees are due for February and for most people that is 4 weeks or $140 unless you have more learning. Thanks to everyone for getting fees to me at the beginning for the month.
I am so happy that so many students are practicing and therefore making such good progress. I am not going to name the splendid examples of students who are practicing – you know who you are. So happy that many parents report loving hearing their student play.
I am also very chuffed (Australian for a combination of satisfied, very happy, delighted – if you like it you can use it too) that two siblings are playing duets together. Louise and Ida, excellent work! I love to play duets and Mary-Russell and I have have been playing together for quite a few years. I have tons of lovely duets, from easy to challenging, classic to jazz – any students who want to play duets just ask me. Parents who play – how about a duet with your student?
Even more exciting news! I have a number of students who are composing music. Sam and Sean have both got great compositions on the go. Am waiting for some others to get going. You can play a composition for me and I will help you write it down or you can download some manuscript paper for free and write out your notes and again I can edit. Sam has managed to download a free version of Finale and teach himself to use it in one week! I can show students how Finale works (it is very expensive to buy sadly) but teaching them to use it means they have to have this free version which is only available for windows not Mac. There are other music notation softwares, but Finale is the one I guess I am expert on.
Performance opportunities: I am still pondering in person or online but at the end of March two things are going to happen:
- Nyssa Collins and I are going to have a little online symposium for composers. She has some student composers and so do I so we are planning for them to play for each other and share ideas.
- I am either going to have an online Zoom concert or I am going to find a safe venue to have a concert (by hook or by crook). And duets will be involved.
Travel news: I have finally booked to go and see at least one daughter. I leave May 29 for the UK and possibly return to the USA June 18 this year. I doubt I will be able to go on to Australia but if I can I will also be away most of July. Will keep everyone updated. I hope to teach a summer program in August and start the Fall semester after labor day as usual.
