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Saturday, October 31, 2015

Monday, July 27, 2015

Summer Sizzle 2015

A great time was had by all at this year's Summer Sizzle. Keyboard Kamp was a great success! I was the host composer for Group A:

Some great memories were made...

And some great music too! Our group's composition was called Peaceful Twilight.

My friend and colleague Beth had a great time with Group B:

and everyone really enjoyed the masterclasses.

I got to showcase my new publications!

And how could I forget my convocation? I received my Licentiate diploma in Piano Performance from the Northern Lights Canadian National Conservatory of Music. I'm so happy to have been a part of this year's Summer Sizzle. Look for more pictures to be posted in the studio soon!
~ Jen


Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Year End Recital Pics and other news!

We had a great end of year recital. Thanks everyone for coming out and doing your best; you all sounded great. Don't forget, you can watch the videos on our playlists, just click the link to visit my YouTube Channel


I had the honour of hosting the Owen Sound CNCM examinations at my studio recently. They went very well and all the students were so well prepared. They were especially excited to meet the examiner!

Finally, my new book of elementary piano pieces-- Ocean Tails-- will be available very soon! I have one little person who is excited to try all the pieces out, and she's doing such a great job!

Stay tuned for news of the upcoming Summer Sizzle piano pedagogy symposium...
~ Jen

Monday, June 8, 2015

End of Year Fun and a New Duet!

We all got together for a performance class last week to run through our recital pieces. For the recital everyone is playing a solo and some students are doing duets. Each student will also perform their own composition from our 2015 student collection, Places I've Been. Here's a sneak peek of the cover:

Saturday, May 16, 2015

End of Year Preparations!

The rest of our term is filled with exciting preparations. First, there is the final recital of the year. Students are busy memorizing their pieces, practising duets, and putting the final touches on their own compositions (this year's composition theme is "Places I've Been"). We will try everything out at an informal performance class before the big day arrives.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

*New* Pre Grade One pieces: Part III

I added a few more to my collection of modal pre-grade one pieces inspired by the beauty of B.C. Stroll Through Beacon Hill is an easy going piece that recalls the lovely sights of Beacon Hill Park in Victoria. Listen for the peacock saying hel-lo! Harbour Buzz is inspired by the amazingly talented artists and entertainers at the heart of the city-- the Inner Harbour. Double Decker Bus is a fun piece that keeps moving along, though there are always a few car horns to be heard. Finally, Two Banana Slugs brings back fond memories of hiking through the rainforest and spying these giant gastropods!




Click below to hear the entire playlist!


~ Jen


Saturday, April 25, 2015

Countdown and Congratulations

Well the countdown is officially on: only 13 days until my big exam! This month has been spent performing my program out for various audiences on different instruments, and tonight marks my fourth and final "preparation" concert. I'll have some good solid time after tonight to rest up my arms and go over the finer details of my pieces before the big day. I also hope to get them recorded, as I doubt I'll ever have this much repertoire ready ever again!

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

A Weakness: Fun Studio Games!

Ok, here goes: I have music games for every season and almost every occasion and I love them! It's great to hear a student come in the studio and say "Can we play the _______ game today?" Ok, they're mostly saying it because they love beating the teacher, and maybe sometimes I have prizes involved, but I do think it adds variety and some extra fun learning to the last bit of a lesson. Don't you?

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

*New* Pre Grade One pieces: Part II

My new set of pieces inspired by Vancouver Island is complete! It's a short collection of six pieces, and each one is written in a different mode (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian). I hope you enjoy!
~ Jen
Purple Starfish

Orca

Totems

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

New!! Pre Grade One pieces inspired by B.C.

I'm really excited to be working on a collection of Pre Grade One pieces. These pieces are wholly inspired by my short time living on Vancouver Island, as well as many visits to the island throughout various stages of my life. I also decided to write them using the ancient church modes, as a learning experience for me as well as the students who will play them! I think you'll find each one has a unique sound as a result of the mode it is written in. This is just the first instalment-- more West Coast pieces to come soon!
~ Jen

Big trees

Tally-Ho!

Driftwood






Monday, February 2, 2015

My Crazy Project

So about a year ago I began memorizing some music. Beethoven, in fact (click here to see the post). My goal was to put together a program in preparation for the Canadian National Conservatory of Music's Licentiate in Piano Performance exam. Well, this crazy project of mine is well under way now and I'm planning on doing my exam this May. Yay!!
So why is it crazy, you ask?

Friday, January 2, 2015

A New Year and a New Duet!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the year. The holidays have flown by and I find myself only three days away from heading back to work. I can't say I accomplished everything I wanted to over the break (I have such a lot of planning to do, not to mention writing and practising. I also want to revamp my website soon as well.). I did get a fair amount of practising in though (considering all the holiday get togethers) and today I want to share with you a new fun duet!