As I am approaching my 60th birthday, one of the things I'm trying to do is decide what things in my life it's time to lay down, and what things in my life are worth investing in. I can do a lot of things but I can't do them all at the same time, and if I try to keep doing everything I can't take on anything new, which I also want to do.
Sewing is one of those things I need to decide about. I started sewing when I was in 5th grade, creating Barbie outfits by hand, using a pattern even. I learned how to use a treadle sewing machine at my Auntie Viola's house, I took sewing lessons in the summer between Gr. 7 & 8 at the Singer store at Granville and 7th and made a navy blue wool double breasted coat dress lined with a suit collar, set in sleeves and a full lining - I still can't believe it.
After that, I made most of my own clothes until just a few years ago. I made clothes for Dave, sewed for all the kids, made my girls party dresses, Hannah's wedding dress, Sarah and Maria's bridesmaids dresses. But in the last few years, I'm sewing less and less - stylish clothes are less expensive and available in a greater range of sizes, and I've been working full time and travelling to see my kids every chance I get. Then what happens is that I'll try to sew something for myself and it ends up unwearable - ARGH!
Do you remember the movie Julie and Julia? For 365 days, Julie blogged as she cooked her way through Julia Child's encyclopaedic French cookbook, one recipe a day. I'm not gonna do that. BUT I am going to make a pair of pants every day for 5 days this week with a pattern I made myself.
Oh, yeah I just said that. In fact, I just finished the first pair - light grey linen. It took me forever, I put the zipper in 3 times and I put the yoke on backwards. They're OK, but a little big. I just finished altering the pattern, I bought 4 other fabrics, organized my sewing room and I'm ready to roll. This week I'll be working, attending a funeral, teaching 5 piano lessons and going to a home-school conference on Friday. But before I go, I'll have 5 brand new pairs of pants.
It's Monday evening, I gotta go sew.....
Monday, April 25, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Music education it is achangin'
Last Friday I attended an honour concert for the local music festival and was plunged again into the world of classical music competition. Except for one or two, the performances were solid, some even brilliant. There were kids who you could tell had a great practice ethic and an enjoyment of the end result.
I was disappointed at the difficulty level and the technique of the performer who was supposed to be the best of the oldest age group, but as I thought about it I wondered if there was just not that much competition any more at that level.
I'm seeing a change in the attitude of families toward their children learning music. I know I'm stating the obvious, but most of the students who performed Friday were from families that had immigrated from Europe or Asia in this generation and had brought their cultural music learning ethic with them.
In our school, we just closed down our band program. Now, my husband started and sustained the band program and is a fantastic band instructor, besides being the principal of the school. He has taught prize winning bands for 37 years, and started bands in every school he taught in to great success. But now we find that parents are not willing (or possibly even are not able) to insist their kids practice consistently, so the young instrumentalists never get to the place where they are no longer struggling with the instrument and just enjoying it.
However, when digging a little deeper we found many of these kids not practicing their flute or trombone were taking drum, guitar, bass or piano lessons on the side, and were practicing those instruments with vigor. So we changed this year to a worship band format for our instrumental instruction, and the participation is full and enthusiastic.
Inside of me, I feel we have lost something; the experience of being part of a big, loud, moving music machine that carries the players and the audience to a different place inside. That was my band experience.
But look what we have gained; players who are enthusiastic, more likely to get together and make music with their friends, gaining skill on instruments they will play until they die, having fun, making new friends and worshiping God.
I'm thankful that piano students still walk through my picket fence, up the path, knock on the door and come into my living room for a private lesson on my mother's walnut grand piano. Somedays I wonder if I've time traveled back to the 1930's. But these days, I better make sure that the lesson is an enjoyable experience, that my practice expectations for them are realistic and that the music is relatable to their lives, or this too shall pass.
I was disappointed at the difficulty level and the technique of the performer who was supposed to be the best of the oldest age group, but as I thought about it I wondered if there was just not that much competition any more at that level.
I'm seeing a change in the attitude of families toward their children learning music. I know I'm stating the obvious, but most of the students who performed Friday were from families that had immigrated from Europe or Asia in this generation and had brought their cultural music learning ethic with them.
In our school, we just closed down our band program. Now, my husband started and sustained the band program and is a fantastic band instructor, besides being the principal of the school. He has taught prize winning bands for 37 years, and started bands in every school he taught in to great success. But now we find that parents are not willing (or possibly even are not able) to insist their kids practice consistently, so the young instrumentalists never get to the place where they are no longer struggling with the instrument and just enjoying it.
However, when digging a little deeper we found many of these kids not practicing their flute or trombone were taking drum, guitar, bass or piano lessons on the side, and were practicing those instruments with vigor. So we changed this year to a worship band format for our instrumental instruction, and the participation is full and enthusiastic.
Inside of me, I feel we have lost something; the experience of being part of a big, loud, moving music machine that carries the players and the audience to a different place inside. That was my band experience.
But look what we have gained; players who are enthusiastic, more likely to get together and make music with their friends, gaining skill on instruments they will play until they die, having fun, making new friends and worshiping God.
I'm thankful that piano students still walk through my picket fence, up the path, knock on the door and come into my living room for a private lesson on my mother's walnut grand piano. Somedays I wonder if I've time traveled back to the 1930's. But these days, I better make sure that the lesson is an enjoyable experience, that my practice expectations for them are realistic and that the music is relatable to their lives, or this too shall pass.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
how can my fingers do that?
I am a piano player. I have 3 degrees in music, I have taught private piano, music theory, music classes and more for 45 years (I began as an infant....). I don't ever remember not being able to read music.
My mother was a brilliant pianist - competition winner, guest soloists at community events, etc. She taught lessons when I was young so I began to pick it up at 3 years old. But I did not have consistent piano lessons until I was in Gr. 7. Then I had 5 years of the whole meal deal: festivals, competitions, exams, music theory classes and exams, recitals, famous teacher with crazy lessons at 7 in the morning or 10:30 at night.
But because I had such a fancy shmancy teacher, he had a whole stable of thoroughbred students and I always felt like the pony with one short leg because I had gotten such a late start and I didn't practice as long and hard as the rest of them. I never won a medal, or even a festival class. Once I came real close: I played my best, then the last student was blind! They led her up to the piano, let her feel middle C, then she played some Bach Invention woodenly to thunderous applause and won the class. I can't catch a break!
However, somewhere in the middle of that I taught myself to play by ear. I played horribly for Sunday school singing with some spectacular breakdowns, but gradually I got more and more dependable. In those days there was no written music for "choruses", just hymns, which were also played with improvised accompaniments and soon I could do that too.
Much later my husband and I joined a gospel group and we had so much fun with those guys - singers, rhythm and brass. We traveled, played the Pacific National Exhibition every year and even recorded an album. Dave and I still play together at events, and in church and weddings etc. In fact, we're doing a thing this Saturday with a bunch of old friends.
I realize now that most of those thoroughbreds with all their medals and certificates of merit were no longer playing the piano, unless they were teaching. Also, not one of them could sit down and play Happy Birthday at a party without music. Even though I never won a competition, my ability to play the piano opened doors for me, created friendships, supported me, and gave me true joy.
Even now, I'll sit down to play some scales or arpeggios that I have not practiced for years and years, and my fingers can still do that easily. I watch them go and wonder" how can you do that"? Maybe I practiced more than I remember, and maybe I was a better pianist than I thought at the time, but if you have a need for an Eb major scale, I'm your girl!
My mother was a brilliant pianist - competition winner, guest soloists at community events, etc. She taught lessons when I was young so I began to pick it up at 3 years old. But I did not have consistent piano lessons until I was in Gr. 7. Then I had 5 years of the whole meal deal: festivals, competitions, exams, music theory classes and exams, recitals, famous teacher with crazy lessons at 7 in the morning or 10:30 at night.
But because I had such a fancy shmancy teacher, he had a whole stable of thoroughbred students and I always felt like the pony with one short leg because I had gotten such a late start and I didn't practice as long and hard as the rest of them. I never won a medal, or even a festival class. Once I came real close: I played my best, then the last student was blind! They led her up to the piano, let her feel middle C, then she played some Bach Invention woodenly to thunderous applause and won the class. I can't catch a break!
However, somewhere in the middle of that I taught myself to play by ear. I played horribly for Sunday school singing with some spectacular breakdowns, but gradually I got more and more dependable. In those days there was no written music for "choruses", just hymns, which were also played with improvised accompaniments and soon I could do that too.
Much later my husband and I joined a gospel group and we had so much fun with those guys - singers, rhythm and brass. We traveled, played the Pacific National Exhibition every year and even recorded an album. Dave and I still play together at events, and in church and weddings etc. In fact, we're doing a thing this Saturday with a bunch of old friends.
I realize now that most of those thoroughbreds with all their medals and certificates of merit were no longer playing the piano, unless they were teaching. Also, not one of them could sit down and play Happy Birthday at a party without music. Even though I never won a competition, my ability to play the piano opened doors for me, created friendships, supported me, and gave me true joy.
Even now, I'll sit down to play some scales or arpeggios that I have not practiced for years and years, and my fingers can still do that easily. I watch them go and wonder" how can you do that"? Maybe I practiced more than I remember, and maybe I was a better pianist than I thought at the time, but if you have a need for an Eb major scale, I'm your girl!
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