2022-2023 Year in Review

Once again, I am filled with a great deal of gratitude for an amazing and enriching year, full of inspiring moments, and milestones, that I’ve had the fortune of sharing with my students. Keep reading to hear some of the highlights:

Spring Studio Recital Group Photo

This February, I had 3 students take on some pretty big performance commitments that deserve recognition!

Théo

Théo completed his Level 8 Royal Conservatory practical exam and theory exam. This has given him the full credit for completing Level 8 RCM. He has a busy summer ahead as he composes music to perform in Ottawa at Parliament to honour James Eagle, an Indigenous veteran, as well as a piece for an event at the war graves in Royal Oak for a World War 2 pilot.

Ainsley & Nathan

Ainsley decided in November that she wanted to enter the Cowichan Music Festival. She learned and memorized 3 pieces, one of which was her very first Sonatina. She worked hard and attended a few online group classes to prepare. This was the same for Nathan, who decided to challenge himself with preparing 3 large works from the Level 8 Repertoire. For both of these students, the experience really pushed them to unlock possibilities in their playing and practicing, as well as develop more resilience as performers. Ainsley and Nathan received a special performance award at our year end studio recital.

Tonara Practice Awards

For the young students who log practice minutes, and complete weekly practice goals on the Tonara Practice App, there was a chance to be recognized for dedication to regular structured practice. Lily and Sawyer both received Honourable Mentions, and Sullivan and Finley received the Tonara SuperStar Trophies (both kids never missed a single week of practice!).

Composition

As always, there are some outstanding compositions to recognize. There are too many to name, but here are a few:

For Spring, many students composed short pieces for Mother’s Day which were lovely! For Father’s Day, Nathan L. decided to write a meditative and soulful piece for his Dad titled The Mountains Are Calling. Two students composed music based off the blues scale: Parker, whose piece was called Night Past (referencing her lack of sleep during exam time), and Kai P., whose piece Boba Café, paid homage to his bubble tea obsession. A couple students used their pets as inspiration: Ainsley, who wrote a spunky ragtime inspired piece called Spikey Roly-Poly for her hedgehog (See video below). Liam, composed a bouncy piece inspired by his dog Jasper, and Marcus O. wrote a special piece named after his cat Cairo. Tropical Morning, by Nathan O., was a bright original work inspired by memories of joyful mornings spent on vacation in Hawaii.

Music for Veterans Project (MVP)

Fall 2022 was our 2nd year of composing music for veterans. Please check out my first blog post “Connecting With Veterans Through Music” to read some of the highlights. We have big things planned for Fall 2023, including a special event with 11 students at the War Graves to honour WW2 airmen, as well as a trip to Ottawa where 4 students (Keira, Maya, Théo, and Ainsley) will perform at Parliament as part of a private event honouring Indigenous Veterans. This year we also received some support from the Royal Commonwealth Society Vancouver Island Chapter to carry out our commemorative event at the War Graves. (Pictured below: Music for Veterans Project along with David Spence and Donna Otto of the RCS V.I.)

Grad Students

This year we say farewell to Kai Stenstrom and Lola Koetke who are both graduating from high school! These two are off to University to pursue careers in health science and medicine. It has been an absolute joy to work with them for the last 2 years and I know they will accomplish great things as they embark on this exciting new chapter. Congrats Kai and Lola! I’ll miss you!

Adult Students

It wouldn’t be a proper year in review if I didn’t acknowledge my wonderful adult students who inspire me weekly with their hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm. Thank you Karen, Margo, Jonathan, Ray, Valerie, and Al!

With Gratitude…

Thank you all piano parents, students, and adult clients, who I had the pleasure of working with this year. I believe that what we learn at the piano provides valuable transferable skills that go beyond simply learning music, and I am grateful to be on this journey with you. Wishing everyone a happy, safe, & healthy summer. :)

Summer Lesson Opportunities

I can offer summer instruction on a week-by-week basis for those who wish to continue. There are some students who wish to have lessons every day for just 1 week to really focus on one area of study, e.g. popular music, technique, or composition. I will design the program to fit the needs and ability of the student. Others can choose to continue with their current repertoire and get a head start for the Fall with a handful of sessions scattered across July and August. Please send me a message if you want to schedule the occasional lesson! Until next time…