Music Teachers | Klassical Karen

I was in my third year of teaching when I decided that I needed more training.  My student load was increasing and my employer at the time, Gordie Brandt’s Music was getting more confident in my abilities.  Remember, my background was mostly music played on the organ and mostly pop/rock music.  But, things were changing.  Technology was changing.  The plinkety-plink piano’s of the past were now high tech with digital sounds and disk drives.  They were considerably cheaper than an organ with the same capabilities.  As the market changed more parents were enrolling their children for for piano lessons.

The course that I was taught was Technics, TMA, and later TriTone.  They published a course for organ and a pop keyboard version.  The music wasn’t all that different, yet I knew I needed more knowledge…..more than I could teach myself.  So I checked into some other teachers at the music school.  There was a new teacher, Karen Berard, who had just moved to the city.  She was very experienced and was a top notch teacher.  She taught in the next classroom and we soon hit it off.  

My first lesson with her was an eye opener.  There was so much technical stuff that I had missed out on with my previous teachers.  She drilled me relentlessly.  Sometimes, I think she must have wondered how I got to be a teacher without knowing these things.  I wondered too why anybody had faith in me. 

I don’t remember what my lesson day or time was.  I know that I had one hour lessons before we had to teach.  It was fun.  Karen had a way about her.  She was my age and was strict…..without being strict.  If I goofed up, she would laugh about it.  She was patient.  She was silly.  Karen turned out to be one of my best friends.  

I took my Grade 5 Royal Conservatory certificate with her, but because of her changing circumstances she was not able to teach me for Grade 6.  I was able to do part of my Grade 8 certificate with her.  What I really learned from her was so much more than the notes on the page or what a minor sixth interval sounds like.  It wasn’t perfection, but an attitude…...or a way to be Me and the teacher and the student all rolled into one.  What ever it was, she made me willing to practice like I’d never practiced before.  

We had the same battles.  Karen was not overweight by any means, but always worked hard to keep thin.  We would go walking together early in the morning at the Communiplex and then sometimes we wouldn’t!  Sometimes she would show up at my door and say “I don’t feel like walking today…..how about we go to Robin’s Donuts?”  She once confided in me that she had moved around so much over the past few years that she had never really had any good friends.  She said I was probably her closest friend.  

One night, I showed up for my lesson at her apartment.  Karen greeted me at the door and informed me that they had to move again.  This time to High River Alberta.  Her husband had either gotten a job there or was going to go to school there, I can’t exactly remember now.  Her mother was there helping her pack.  It was sad.  

I talked to her once after that on the phone.  Then a number of years later, I heard she bought a new piano from my employer and was living in Red Deer.  Then one time, when I worked retail, I actually saw her mom.  It was a weird circumstance.  She came into the store and we'd always input into the computer where the customer was from and she mentioned the same town Karen had been from and I said as I often do "oh I used to know someone from there named Karen Berard" and she informed me that not only was that her daughter but that she'd just dropped her off at the airport.  

I finished my Grade 8 certificate with another teacher.  But I didn’t take any formal lessons after that.  What I learned from Karen was far more valuable to me than a certificate.  Lot's of the things she did in her teaching I also do in my teaching to this day.  As for lessons, while I think about continued education from time to time I also think I am pretty successful just the way I am.  I've had a lot of good friends in my life but I haven’t had a friend like her since.  If I ever have the chance to talk to her again, I would definitely say “thank-you.” 

Music Teachers | My Rockin' Organ Lessons Part 2

When I was finished with lessons from Su Ling Lo I went to a new teacher, Claude Rivet. He was a middle aged man with a thick Canadian French accent.  He taught out of the basement of his house and was able to teach me contemporary music, rock and even jazz.

I would play and he would accompany me on his piano or keyboard. He’d dance around and make faces to our playing. He had lots of practical information. He let me arrange and be as creative as I wanted to be. I was always a step ahead or sometimes several steps ahead. I could always go and learn things on my own. I don’t know if this frustrated him or just made his job easier.

At one of these Step Ahead Lessons, he asked if I would start on the next song.

“I can play it already.” I stated. But little did he know that I could not only already play it, but I had been working on if for quite a while. I had made introductions, accompaniment variations, sound and drum choices….everything. (In those days, we'd orchestrate the entire song and instruments were capable of playing back up in the roll of a band.)

“Okay, play it for me.” I think he didn’t believe me. The song was ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’. I probably liked the song so much because Corey Hart was singing it on the radio then. Gosh, that dates me doesn’t it? At any rate, when I was done playing the last note, I turned to look at Claude. “WOW!” He exclaimed and somewhat shocked. He praised me up and down for what I did and then we moved on to the next song.

I don't think he gave stickers.  Actually, I don't think any of my teachers gave stickers for rewards.

I ventured to his house every week for about 2 years and then he moved to teach in the Gordie Brandt’s Music Academy which had opened in a run down creaky ex movie theatre. It was during one of these lessons in this spooky old place that Claude informed me that he was getting out of teaching. I don’t remember what he was going to do, just that he was moving on. He explained that he had taught me everything he knew and he really didn’t feel that he could take me any farther. What he did need though, was someone to teach a couple beginner keyboard students of his on Saturday mornings. He asked me if I would want to try my hand at teaching and reassured me by saying that he would be around to keep an eye on me. I agreed.

So in the spring of the year I was turning 17 I began teaching. Claude did keep his eye on me. I taught for the Prince Albert Academy of Music as the old Gordie Brandt’s had gone bankrupt and changed hands.  One day he contacted me. He offered me the job of school director as they were trying to reopen Gordie Brandt’s. I declined. Not because I couldn’t do the job, but because I just didn’t trust that a new business would fly. I was right to go with my gut feelings. Since then, there's been many incarnations of that same music school.

Many years after this and just when I was beginning to feel burnt out from teaching we crossed paths again. I was working in Cotton Ginny in the mall and I happened to cut through the furniture store where he was working as a salesman. I told him how I was feeling and that I just needed to prove to myself that I could do other things. He said he understood, but that it was a shame because I was a natural. Claude told me that he even was getting back into teaching after all those years.

After Friending each other on Facebook, I did see Claude another time in recent years.  I was in Costco and I heard, "well look who it is?" and I wondered, who is it?  It was me.  I gave him a big hug right there in front of the rye bread and we did a little catch up.

I often think of his bopping around to music while we were practicing together and all his funny faces.  Sometimes I catch myself making faces when I listen to my own students play or perform.  I wonder if they notice. 

Music Teachers | My Rockin' Organ Lessons Part 1

By the end of grade seven I was finishing my clarinet career and trading up into the keyboard world.  Originally, I wanted to be in a band.  Be a rock star.  My parents bought me an inexpensive keyboard/synthesizer.  I could already read treble clef notes and I was trying to play a little by ear.  I would put the rhythms on and play away and dream.

One day, my Dad came home to say that if I was no longer going to play in the school band then I would have to take some other activity.  I was given the choice...piano or organ lessons.  

Let me take you back. This was about 1984-ish. Piano's were not digital. Piano's were the standard upright or baby grand vintage. Keyboards were just coming out. The organ on the other hand was awesome. They had drums and all kinds of sounds. Organs were cool. I chose Organ lessons. I know what you're thinking...not many organ rock groups out there. I didn't care.  

I should probably explain a huge difference between the piano and organ. The piano has one keyboard of 88 keys. The organ has two keyboards, foot pedals [much like a keyboard to be played with the left foot] and the expression pedal, for the right foot. The organ is more complicated to play because of the needed coordination of both hands and both feet.  

My teacher was a lady named Su Ling Lo. I was signed up for the 8 Week Introductory Course for $99. I would go into the basement which housed the music school and wait patiently every week. When the eight weeks were over I continued. She said I had promise. I learned quickly. had fun and I was good at it.  

The most vivid memory of her that I have and probably something that become one of my own vices was her pens and pencils. She had different colors laying about all over the organ. Su Ling would want to make a correction. Look about bewildered, and grab another pen or pencil from her desk. Which, no doubt would be lost in the jumble of other discarded pens and pencils littering the organs surface.  It wasn't just the organ.  They would litter the pianos and other keyboards in the room too.

For one of the competitions I entered I chose a Beatles tune. P.S. I Love You.  I was always a Beatles fan. I don't remember being nervous. I would win second place....always a point behind Caroline Haugen. Yes, I remember.  For three years, every festival we would play in we would be against each other. She would place first and I....second. One time we had to play a duet. When it came to our performance, she messed up and I got blamed.  

Another festival, I learned and performed As Long As He Loves Me.  Instead of performing live, we recorded my performance onto a cassette tape and the tape was sent to be adjudicated.  I remember doing it and Su Ling asking me "is that how you want to do it?".  Weeks later when the results came in she expressed her displeasure at how I didn't win.  She wasn't upset with me but was upset with the judging.  She made comment about the person who did win.  Looking back, as a teacher now, I completely understand those feelings.  We know how hard the students work and we always want it to pay off.  

My parents were always supportive of my efforts. There was always music in the house.  Many a weekend morning would include pancakes on the griddle and country tunes on the stereo.  Dad would come home from a long day at work and plop down in his favorite chair in the living room.  

"Play that song for me," he'd say.  

"What song."  

"The one that relaxes me."  

I'd flip pages to Endless Love and play away. Pretty soon Dad would not only be relaxed, but asleep. I'm still not sure if it's a good thing that my playing put him to sleep!  

The third year that Su Ling Lo was my teacher, she decided to combine students into groups. There was four of us in a group all playing organ. The problem was that two of us practiced and two of us didn't and sometimes one wouldn't show up at all. I was one that practiced. In fact, I would often be called up to the front of a class to demonstrate songs.  

I was probably about 14 to 15 years of age then. I was so far ahead of the other people in the organ group that I was hindered from progressing. We asked if I could again have private lessons. When we got the notice of the new schedule I couldn't believe what she had done to me. I was booked for Friday nights at 8 o'clock. Friday night to a 15 year old is totally unreasonable. Unthinkable. Friday was movie night.  

Dad and I took off for the music store and inquired about changing teachers. Not a problem, we were told. This was the end of my organ lessons with Su Ling Lo and her pen and pencil fetish.

Music Teachers | Elementary School Band

My very first music teacher was Bill Douglas. He was from Scotland. He would wear his shirt sleeves rolled up and had gold wire framed glasses. He was slightly balding and had grey tufts of hair. Mr. Douglas was my band instructor and later my Grade 6 teacher. I idolized Mr. Douglas.

In Grade 4, musicality exams were given. Those who scored high were chosen to participate in the band. I don't remember being on that list, however, there was room for 2 more students to begin. Derek Brunning and myself.  We chose the clarinet. We would stay at lunch time to learn how to read music and catch up to the others. Eventually, we were admitted into the band.

The first concert I remember playing in was one where we performed Moon River. Honestly, I don't remember that much about the experience. We were a small group, standing in a row on the stage at my elementary school belting out Moon River.

We progressed to the main band. We became the Arthur Pechey Elementary School Band. We were good. No. We were awesome. I remember playing the theme song from 'Dallas'. I remember my heart pounding in my chest with excitement at the final crescendo.

We travelled to a few different music festivals and always received good marks. A's and B's, but mostly A's. One lunch hour, Mr. Douglas wanted to record us. The cassette recorder was a high tech instrument back then so he used a spool recorder. I recall it looking somewhat like a movie projector with big spools of tape and knobs to turn on and off. He readied us, inspired us, "play for the Gipper" who ever that was. And we did. 

"That was the best I've ever heard you play," Mr. Douglas said. That really meant a lot coming from him. Then he walked over to the recorder. 

DOH!

It wasn't on. 

Whenever we gave performances, we had to wear a uniform of black pants, white long sleeve top, and the most glorious [hideous] Red Smock. The Red Smock, was made of stiff candy apple red polyester trimmed with black ticking. On the left breast was our school badge in colours of black, white and yellow. What a vision [nightmare] we were in our costumes.
I also had to wear my Lucky Socks. They were white knee high sports socks with a navy stripe and a yellow stripe at the top. My performance would suffer without those Lucky Socks. 

I loved those band days. At the end of Grade 7 I would change schools and band instructors. If I couldn't have Mr. Douglas for a band teacher, I didn't want to be in a band at all. I decided that was the end of my clarinet career. Besides, I had to retire my Lucky Socks....they had holes in them.

Bonne Maman : Advent Calendar Review

We be Jammin'.  That's the lettering I had on my music classroom wall a few years ago but it's also a fitting phrase for this blog post about Bonne Maman jam or preserve and this review of the Advent Calendar I purchased this Christmas season.

This first came onto my radar in 2021 when I viewed Tea With Jann on YouTube.  She had videos of all her calendar openings and Bonne Maman was one of them.  It looked so nice and different and I knew I had to try it out as well.  I do love jam.

I purchased this Advent Calendar from Papa Jack Popcorn which is a Canadian candy company and distributer from Ontario.  The calendar itself was $48.99 and the cheapest shipping was an additional $24.26 so the total was $73.15.  The communication with Papa Jack was terrific and it arrived well protected which I was a tad bit worried about since its all glass jars.  Now, had I known that I would start seeing this calendar at different retailers I could have saved the shipping cost.  I didn't find them locally until December though so if you are impatient like me then ordering from Papa Jack Popcorn comes well recommended.

This Bonne Maman Advent Calendar was 24 days and included 23 preserves and 1 honey.  That breaks down to $2.04 a jar.  The jars are approximately 6 tablespoons of jam which was plenty for Hubby and myself to spread enough on our English muffins which is how we preferred to sample each flavour.  This was our breakfast for all of December.

The great part of this calendar was that I was exposed to many different flavours which I would have never picked out in the grocery store.  I tend to buy strawberry or orange marmalade but I got to enjoy a wide range of flavours and even found some new fruits! My favourite flavours included fig and cherry and even though I'm not a big fan of honey I thought their honey was terrific spread over peanut butter.  So if you desire to try some flavours which you wouldn't ordinarily then next holiday season you should give this countdown a try.

What I didn't like about this calendar is actually a very small detail.  The jars are incredibly hard to pry out of their windows.  I appreciate that the jars have to be secure for shipping but I would have to struggle to get the jars out of their holding spots.  The cardboard calendar itself was sturdy and was easy to recycle.  I've kept the jars but so far am at a loss as to what to do with them.  They would be handy for storing small amounts of crafting items like tacks or buttons and likely even for small amounts of loose leaf tea.  I'd like to know what other people have done with their mini jars or if they got thrown away.

The only store near me which I know has a wide variety of Bonne Maman jam is Walmart.  There are a few flavours which I am sure I am going to check out.  If you love their strawberry then it's always available at Costco for a very reasonable price and it's the one I always gravitate to first.

If you are curious about specific flavours then click on the Advent Photo tab on this blog.  You will find every photo I took of each calendar and item while more detail is found on my Instagram account.

Did you purchase this Advent Calendar?  Are you likely to repurchase, purchase or look for this one come the holidays?  Let me know!  While it was highly enjoyable, I feel like I've now experienced it so there's not a big reason to buy it again but as previously stated, I will continue to buy their brand.

Tea at the White House : Advent Calendar Review

Anyone else sad that we no longer have Advent Calendars to open and share?  There's such excitement over it all and the big build up to Christmas and then - Boom - it's over.  Done.

I do have some other items to share including this review of an Advent Calendar I was really looking forward to opening from Tea at the White House. 

Tea at the White House is a Canadian Tea House and Online Retailer.  They are located in Waterdown, Ontario and boast "A Tea Shop for the Tea Lover, A Tea Room for the Tea Drinker".  They have unique flavours of tea and other items including scones with the fixings and items from the Royal Family.  I have been making a big effort to support Canadian made items and companies so was really looking forward to trying a large variety of their tea flavours through the Advent Calendar.

The Calendar was available for order in October and I snapped one up for $40 CAD.  It arrived promptly in November.  It was 24 days of tea.  Each day was one single pyramid style tea bag.  It breaks down to $1.67 a day/cup.  The box itself was very well made and really nice in a light blue magnetic box.  Each day had a perforated window to peel back to reveal the tea bag individually wrapped in a clear plastic bag.  The box was easily displayed in my kitchen and was a lovely size.

There was an adequate variety of flavours of tea however it seemed to me that many of the first flavours included mint.  The majority of the tea was caffeinated.  While I do enjoy tea in the afternoon, I also use it as a wind down at the end of the day so it was disappointing that there were so few decaf teas in this box.  I don't think I'm really alone in this because we are so busy during the holidays and all need some relaxing moments with a cup in the evening.  I had to adjust my ritual to accommodate drinking this tea at another time of day.

My favourite flavour hands down was German Christmas Cake.  This flavour was so good and totally a Christmas flavour for those of us who enjoy fruitcake and mincemeat pies.  For me the worst flavour was the Ontario Ice Wine which I'm convinced was a poor batch because it was totally floral.  I don't think I was able to finish the cup.

Okay, I'm going to spill the tea here, beyond the name of the tea on the label there was absolutely nothing included to tell you what the ingredients were or how to brew or enjoy the tea.  After opening the tea, I would head to the website and look up the flavour to see if it was caffeinated or not but that's all the website tells me as well.  Instructions like, use water at this temperature and brew for these many minutes would be HUGELY appreciated.  It's possible that Ice Wine tea was so terrible for me because I let it steep too long, but how would I know otherwise?  Another super helpful detail is to tell us consumers whether it's appropriate to add sweetener or a creamer or make it into a latte or it's terrific iced.  These things definitely add to the overall enjoyment and likelihood that I'd not only come back to buy that flavour again but recommend it to others as well.  I'm also going to mention that it sure would be nice to receive some other little perk on the final day.  Back when I first started with the David's Tea calendar, there were mini ornaments included on the last day and I think there were coupons in some as well.

I'm going to admit this.  I really felt like I was missing out on two other Advent Calendars.  I've really enjoyed the Bird & Blend calendar previously but because of shipping costs I decided to not get that one this year.  I felt like there was a whole portion of the tea community enjoying that one and interacting with their social media.  Of course the David's Tea calendar is super popular but another one which I've put on my wish list for next Christmas season is the T.Kettle Tea Advent Calendar.  It was a similar design to David's Tea and the flavours looked intriguing.  I think the folks at Tea at the White House have missed out on interacting with their fans.

I'm definitely not saying to not try this company out for yourself because there are very worthy products.  For the price, it's a nice little calendar but just be wary that there are others out there which I feel are much better.  I really wanted to like this one but I feel rather underwhelmed and likely will not purchase another calendar from them.

The Body Shop : Advent Calendar Review

The Body Shop Advent Calendar was the first countdown calendar I purchased for Christmas 2022.  I bought it in September when I was feeling really sad and rather beaten down.  I decided then and there that during the Christmas season I deserved to reward myself by putting my care first.

It was the debut of The Body Shop Calendar and they actually had two varieties.  I chose the cheaper version which was on sale for $99.  I had my birthday discount as well as another coupon available in my Body Shop profile.  I really recommend signing up for this even if you don't shop there often.  I didn't save my receipt so I don't know exactly how much I ended up paying but I think I ended up with $5-10 off the original price.

Then I took it home where it sat in the bag for a while before being displayed in the guest room on the dresser.  This is a large Advent Calendar.  This particular one had a top which lifted to reveal a 3D diorama as well as two drawers which pulled out.  Each day was an individual box.  This was a 25 day calendar.  Most calendars stop on Christmas Eve.  Each box which varied in size had a thought or wish for the day for you to think about or take action on in some way.  Lot's of them I had already done and others encouraged me to reach out in a way I hadn't thought of before.  I put the boxes into our recycle collection but they would also be useful to reuse for small gifts if you have such a place to keep them for repurpose.  I'm planning on keeping and reusing the calendar container in my ensuite bathroom for storage of cosmetics because it is so well made and really nice to look at.  

The cost.  As I said, it was on sale for $99 and consisted of 25 days.  Not taking the size variation into account, that breaks down to $3.96 an item.  There were no doubles and at least 5 were full size products while most were what I'd call "travel size".

My least favourite item in this calendar were the bath bubbles.  This is a likely unique to me situation.  A few years ago when we renovated, we removed our bathtub.  That may sound weird to some, but we found we enjoyed a really great shower more than sitting in a tub of water.  Luckily, there were only 2 bath bubbles.  A friend suggested to use them in a foot soak and that's likely how I will use them but they are also appropriate for regifting as well.

My most favourite item was the Chamomile Cleansing Butter.  This is amazing.  It's the texture of coconut butter and is effortless to use to remove makeup.  Just massage it on to your face and rinse off with a damp cloth.  It removed all my mascara and eye make up.  It didn't sting at all or bother my eyes.  When this little tub is used this is an item I will definitely purchase.

So what disappointed me the most?  Not a lot really except for the 4 body washes.  As I said, there were no repeats and I say that because these were all difference scents as were the hand lotions.  The Body Shop has a huge variety of products so why didn't they include some different things?  There was only 1 lip item.  I surely could have used a couple more lip butters or something similar.  Also, according to the Body Shop Instagram, their most popular item is Hemp Lotion which I am a huge fan of myself.  There were zero Hemp items in the calendar.  So the variety of items could stand a bit of tweaking.  

Come to think of it, there were zero body sprays which I've also purchased in the passed.  They also have things like combs and brushes and hair ties but only a hair band was included which looked to provide help for holding hair back for mask use.  Like I said, it needs tweaking.

Here's what you really want to know - Would I purchase this Advent Calendar from The Body Shop again?  Yes.  I've ended up with some items like body wash which I will use for a few months before having to restock.  I get to pamper myself with some masks for the next while which I feel like we all need more after the holidays than before.  The biggest advantage was that it reminded me how important self care is.

Did you purchase this Christmas Calendar?  What did you think of it?  What were your favourite items or what would you have liked to see included?  If you are curious as to each of the individual items I got in this Advent Calendar click on the Advent Photo Gallery 2022 from the page menu top of this blog.

Thanks for following along as I opened and enjoyed this calendar!