Piano + Ice Cream = A Perfect Combo

Here's my Margot at the piano.
Multi-tasking, as you can see:

She sits at the piano daily and plays a few tunes from her "repertoire".

Singing her heart out!

Margot had her Choir Recital on Saturday. It was a lovely evening!

The Littles group

It's quite rare to find a choir that welcomes pre-readers (children under the age of 7), but Chorale Lyrica does. And we're very lucky that the rehearsals are held close to our house!

The concert was titled "Earth and Sea". Hence, all the songs had to do with either one of those themes.

Margot's repertoire included:

• Dancing on the Hill-tops (Christina Rossetii)
• Maman, les p'tits bateaux
• Dans la forêt lointaine

• Il pleut, il pleut bergère
• Skye Boat Song (Scottish ballad) 
• Little White Boat

• Blossoms (aka À la claire fontaine) - sang with the junior and senior choirs.

Margot LOVES choir!

Fun: A Song on the Radio on a Snowy Friday Morning

Image the scene:

Snowy Friday morning.

Slick roads.

Traffic. (the opposite way that I was going, so I was ok)

Margot and Noa sitting in the backseat discussing Zelfian issues (more of that in a future post).

I, eyes on the road, driving them to school. 

CBC Radio 2 Morning on.

And this song comes up.

I smiled and tried to sing all the way to school. Awesome! Rocked my morning!

Here's why I like listening to the radio: you never know what song will play and surprise you. I love a good oldie once in awhile. 

Summer Project: Step 2 (and other news)

Step 2: Find a teacher

I tried two teachers. Being a teacher myself, my standards are quite high. It's great to be proficient cellist who plays in local orchestras, but if you can't teach (esp. beginners), then you're not much use to me.

Here's what I need:
someone who…. is organized;
                      ….understands how a beginner approaches the instrument;
                      …. structures the lesson in a variety of ways;
                      …. is encouraging;
                      …. communicates well;
                      … gives homework.

My teacher is Marion Arthur and she is fabulous! In addition to all the above qualities I listed, she is relaxed and has a beautiful speaking voice.

In other news: Simon ran a race. His time? Coincidentally captured on camera:

20.19 for a 5 km. Not bad… He came in 2nd (out of 150?)

Margot and Simon spending some quality time on Father's Day:

Summer Project: Step 1

My Summer Project: Learning the cello.

Step 1: Rent a cello.

Step 2: Find a teacher.

Step 3: Practice.

Here it is: the cello (a.k.a. le violoncelle)

Margot took a liking to it right away. She's a little too eager to play on it and I have to admit that I am afraid that she will harm it. Despite its size, the cello is a fragile instrument.

I keep it in its case to protect it [from Margot], as it is recommended.*

For your enjoyment:

Next time, you'll see me and the cello ;)

* Note: Margot is capable of unzipping the case, taking out the cello and the bow, and playing it with the cello on the floor.

Our New Addition to the Family

There's a story. There's always a story.
This was my aunt's and uncle's piano. My grandmother offered a piano to both of her children decades ago. I think it was when they bought their houses... or when they got married?...
Anyways...
This piano, apparently, was a used piano from the NAC orchestra (probably a rehearsal piano). It dates back to the 1910's and was made in Ottawa.
My aunt is doing major house renovations and has decided not to keep the piano in her new living area decor. I'm now the new owner! It works well even without tuning. But not to worry, I have a tuner coming over in two weeks to do the job. I love the feel of the keys. I've been playing on a digital piano these last 8 years or so and I really notice a difference. I can really dig into my Romantic-era pieces.

By placing it in Margot's main floor area, I'm hoping I will play more. It's not tucked away in a corner and therefore is very accessible (a few scales here and there while waiting for the water to boil). And yes, I am planning in getting back into piano playing and taking lessons to keep me on track.

Tuesday Travels: Home

This is a song I adore. It's on my ipod and I instinctively listen to it after my jog, while I walk my 5-minute cool-down. I also listen to it in my kitchen. It puts a smile on my face.

No, it doesn't make me want to visit neither Alabama nor Arkansas. It just makes me enjoy what I have and realize that home is more about people and less about place.

Mon coup de coeur de l'été *

I love the lyrics of this song! It's all about writing. The tune is catchy and it makes me smile.

For someone who likes to keep track of her life through writing (diary, yoga practices, agenda, book reviews, inspirational thoughts, "to do" lists) and who believes in handwritten letters, this song speaks to me!

À vous de la découvrir!

I couldn't find a way to put a link to the song and there are no youtube clips of it. You'll have to do with Margot's dancing and my iPod stereo.

*La chanson j'écris de Koxie

**I found a link to the lyrics if you wish to follow along: http://www.paroles-musique.com/imprim.php?id=124733

Rediscovering a Songwriter

Listen to this song:

There are a few versions of Tom's Diner, but I chose the original Acapella one.

Ah! Suzanne Vega! What a fascinating singer, songwriter, and storyteller. Her sound is simple. Her lyrics filled with interesting stories. She appears to be very grounded and friendly.

I am unfamiliar with her new recordings. In fact, I only own one of her albums, Nine Objects of Desire (1996) , and her book "The Passionate Eye: The Collected Writings Of Suzanne Vega" (1999) ; a volume of poems, lyrics, essays and journalistic pieces.

Tom's Diner is the perfect strolling-in-the-rain song.
It reminds me of a Edward Hopper painting:

An interesting fact (which I just read about): The diner Suzanne is singing about is Tom's Restaurant, located at 112th Street and Broadway in NYC. The same diner was used for exterior shots on Seinfeld.