Dear Studio Families,
I hope you all had a nice March Break!
Reminder
The last payment instalment of the year is due on April 1st, 2024.
Thank you for being on time. Payments sent in advance won’t be deposited until April 1st.
We are down to our last stretch of the year and a lot of events to squeeze in.
April 13/14th - Violin/Cello Workshop. Rob Richardson is coming from Manitoba to work with our students. If you remember him from the past, you know it should be a very fun time. The Steel Pan Society is also giving our students a class. And the Improv specialist, Sera Smolen, will be pulling the creativity out of our students. OSA is going ahead with offering a group for Bk. 6+ violins. The more students who participate in this, the more enjoyable it will be for you.
April 21st - Family & Friends Concert This is the only event of the year where you may perform with friends or family who are not members of OSA. A friendly and lighthearted event, that allows you parents to participate, even if you only play a little bit of an instrument. Duets, trios, quartets, et al. One OSA student must be involved in each group.
May 11th - Senior Recital Your last chance to perform a solo or graduate if you are mid Bk. 4+.
Spring Violin Concert TBA - I should have more details on this one soon.
June 9th - Junior Recital Your last chance to graduate Twinkles through Bk. 3.
Oscar-winning documentary short 2024!
For me, this was the best Oscar win. A beautiful story and touching tribute to music education everywhere. An old friend of mine teaches music for Los Angeles Unified School District and is very proud of this film. The little girl who loves the violin, is one of his colleague`s students.
Tips for productive lessons!
You might be surprised at the silly, little things that regularly make lessons less productive. “The little things in life are the big things.”
The big and more obvious things:
not practicing daily at home
not having a parent present at elementary age student lessons
parent not paying attention or taking good notes during lesson
distracting a student’s focus away from the lesson by parents/siblings talking or interjecting, repeatedly.
The little things:
Nails! Long nails make it difficult or impossible to play well. You can trim them at your lesson but it is a waste of learning time.
Forgetting your music! Leaving it at home, at the lesson the week before or at the cottage, etc….
Forgetting to bring your note-taking book. We lose half or more of the learning if good notes are not taken and kept in an organized place for easy referral at home.
Strings too old or not having replacement strings on hand. Old strings sound dull, out of tune, and are sometimes dangerous (if the metal begins to unwind). For full resonance and vibrancy, keep strings fresh (see studio website for more detailed information about strings). When they break, it is often right before a performance. Keep extra strings on hand for these last-minute emergencies.
Broken or lost rosin means not being able to have decent control over the bow or achieve a good tone. String players spend a lot of time and effort working on tone production. Not having any rosin defeats a lot of our efforts.
Taking 6 months to a year or longer to get a sheet music book or other material. This amounts to a lot of lost or delayed learning.
Have you ever attended an all-professional concert? It is an unforgettable experience.
Upcoming professional concerts:
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
(experience a top, A-rated orchestra in a big hall)
April 16-19 The Music of Star Wars
May 10-11 Brahms Violin Concerto
May 24-25 Game On! (music and video of video games)
June 6-9 Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
June 20-22 Hisaishi conducts Hisaishi : the famous Japanese composer is in town!
Koerner Hall
See a concert in the best sounding concert hall in the GTA and with some of the most prestigious artists.
May 10th - String Quartet and pianist, Jonathan Biss (Beethoven and Schubert “Trout”).
June 6th - Hilary Hahn playing Brahms Violin/Piano Sonatas
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