The Little House Studio

Hello fellow followers. I wanted to repost and article I just published on LinkedIn as many of you are musicians and music educators. Thank you in advance for reading this:Hello everyone. This is the first article I publish on Linked IN and happily, it is a good news story about inclusion and the unintended benefits of using remote meeting platforms when hosting music recitals. Last week, I put on a student concert to bring to a close a very tumultuous fall. The show was...Continue reading

Hi It’s been a while since I published. We are thick into October and I’m busy. I’m teaching about 40 students per week and loving it. I’m loving it so much that I’m looking for more students. A well-known mentor to me has drilled in my head that in order to get people to buy in to your message, you need to present them with evidence. So here is the first showcase that I have for you. For those of you who might be thinking of taking up music again Maybe this will sway you.... If you’re looking for an environment that is positive, engaging, motivating and where you can let the outside world fall away, then you have come to the right place. I’ve been making music ever since I have been six years old and I have lots of musical baggage to share. Anyone who has taken lessons with me can attest to that. So here we go This is a short video clip of an arrangement of a well-known Eagles tune. I created this with the student over a series of nine or 10 lessons. The person playing the arrangement is a relatively new student of mine. She’s an adult and as a mother of two children. She had music in her life and left her to do more grown-up things. After many years she’s decided to come back to it and has taken up the piano. Music was a big part of her life so she has not started from zero. Nevertheless, this is what she has done since we’ve been working together on this tune from the beginning of August. Of note, is the fact that she has done this entirely by memory without sheet music and only by using her ears and by watching my fingers play the passages within this exert. This is living proof that it’s really the journey that matters. Not necessarily the end goal. I hope you enjoy!!!

I usually post piano drawings made by my students in a frame at my personal studio or at Long & McQuade. I wanted to continue this tradition online. Here is a drawing from a new student; this was made after their first lesson. When students come into the studio for the first time, I take the time to talk about the piano and to give a tour of how this beautiful instrument works. I have the student go home during the week and find a picture of a piano or draw one. They ar...e asked to colour the drawing and label it with all the major parts we discussed in the first lesson. I’m of the belief that you need to know how the instrument operates before you can start to speak about how to play it! Hats off to my new student!

Hello folks. I hope you are all well and enjoying what’s left of the summer! I wanted to reach-out to share that I was interviewed by Dahlia Kurtz, the host of The Goods a weekend show that takes place on CFRA News between 7 AM and 11 AM on weekends.... During the show, she interviewed me on how the company I work for performance Plus Rehabilitative Care Inc. helps persons living with disabilities find and maintain meaningful and sustainable work across the Ottawa region. Here is the link to the interview online: https://www.iheartradio.ca//hour-2-of-the-goods-august-22- Take care and enjoy!

Homeward bound to my place on Williams walk. In this video my guide dogBaroque makes his way to the corner of Castlefrank and Abby Hill further first time without any direction. We are headed home on a beautiful Friday morning. This video is proof of how much initiative guy dogs can have.