905
905 Area Report September 2023
by George Cleland
It’s an exciting time, reestablishing our student’s schedules, starting up both the teaching and the performances. Our students have participated in summer programs and festivals. It’s always nice to see new faces in our studios and reengage our regular students.
In an interesting piece of news about myself, I have been selected as one of the finalists as a conductor for the Milton Philharmonic Orchestra. My concert is Thursday February 29, 2024 – Leap Year Day. What are the odds of that?
I wish everyone a great new school year!
Left to right in bottom photo: Alayna, Tay, Jaeda, Emma, Brook, Laura, Susan Barak, Lukas, Jack Zhao
Blast from the Past!
In this submission from June 2022, Kathy Coltof from the Rimosa Studio in Oshawa shares about an upcoming recital. It sounds like a fun and varied program!
In my studio I teach piano, violin, viola, and cello. I am having a recital later this month at a local church here in Oshawa. For my Suzuki piano students, I have divided my Book 1 pieces into time signatures, which gives the parents a look at the big picture. In 4/4 or common time are the Twinkles, French Children’s Song, London Bridge, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Go Tell Aunt Rhody, Clair de Lune, Long Long Ago, Little Playmates, and Allegro; in 2/2 time are Lightly Row and Honeybee; in 2/4 time are Allegretto 2 and Christmas Day Secrets; in 3/4 time are Chante Arabe, Allegretto 1, and Goodbye to Winter; in 6/8 time is Musette. I have my parents and students conduct these pieces to feel the beats. My RCM piano students will play two pieces each. For my strings students I have picked various pieces that work for the various levels and instruments: May Song and Long Long Ago can be played by violins/cellos; Rigadoon I have transposed for the violins with duets; Flintstones is a fun piece I have for cellos with piano accompaniment; I Love to Tango (Over the Rainbow) with strings and jazzy piano part; The Happy Farmer with Red Wing (fiddle part); two versions of Red River Valley in G+ and D+ for strings and piano; fiddle tunes including Devil’s Dream, Mississippi Reel, and Orange Blossom Special; Jurassic Park for strings with piano accompaniment. We will finish with Pax from The Rose Quartet by Catherine McMichael.