Studio Sign

Studio Sign

Monday 30 December 2013

January 2014 Newsletter

Cedar Grove Piano Studio

January 2014 Newsletter

Happy New Year!

Welcome Back!
Lots of fun things for the New Year! Read on to find out what’s up….

Website – www.cedargrovepianostudio.blogspot.com
            Make sure to check out the website from time to time.  If you are unsure of any dates, you can see all the important dates on the “Calendar of Events” page on the sidebar. Often I post interesting information for parents, or pictures.  You can even see the newsletter there if you have lost your hard copy of it.  There are tips and interesting tidbits to read.

Mad Minute Challenge
            It’s back – the Mad Minute Challenge.  Lots of fun to encourage the kids to learn their stuff.  There are six levels this year… let’s see how many each of you can complete! 

Bead Me UP!
Something new for the winter – spring semester!  Each week, students have the opportunity to earn beads to put on their string.  At the end of the semester, I will make each of them something special out of their beads.  The more beads that they earn, the bigger the something will be that I will make.  They will receive it at the Recital at the end of the year! Yes, what I make is going to remain a mystery until the Recital!  J

Studio Festival Workshop – Sunday, March 23, 2014 – at the Abbey for the arts, Glen Nevis
            I am excited about this new event for our studio and I am hopeful that everyone will participate.  I have arranged with the Abbey in Glen Nevis to host our first ever, Studio Workshop Festival.  Dr. Bruce Wheatcroft has agreed to be our adjudicator and workshop leader. He is excellent in working with children, and I am sure that those of you who know him will be excited to have him coach your child.  For those of you planning to participate in the Kinsmen or MCM Festivals, it comes at just the right time to help you put your finishing touches on your pieces.
            The Festival Workshop will be free.  I will use it as an opportunity to do “make-up” lessons for those who have missed a lesson during the year.  For those of you who have not missed a lesson, you will be surprised with a break from your lesson at some point in the future.
            Students will choose and prepare two pieces to enter in the Studio Festival.  The nice thing about this is that if a particular piece doesn’t work out, we can easily change it at the last minute.  Regular festivals will not allow this. Students will be divided into separate levels and be competing with students at their own level. There will be six levels with three to five students in each level.
            The Festival Workshop can be used as a substitute for participating in any of the regular festivals such as the MCM Festival or the Kinsmen Festival, although I know that some of you will want to do those other festivals too. For those of you with a number of children taking lessons, your children will still get the “festival” experience, with certificates, prizes and adjudication, without the cost.  As well, it is being held on the weekend, so that you will not have to miss work.
           
Cornwall Kinsmen Music Festival
            Deadline to register for this festival is January 29th.  I would like those who wish to participate to let me know as soon as they come back in January. Entry fees run $20 and up. I find this festival a bit confusing to negotiate through the paperwork so I will need some time to get the entries together.  Let me know right away if you would like to participate. Personally, I would not recommend this for beginners, but those in Grades 1 and up should be fine to participate.
            The actual festival dates for performances are March 26th – 30th.  I would direct you to their website, but the information there is out of date as of this writing. If you are interested, you can try googling Cornwall Kinsmen and then look under “Kin” and under the drop-down menu you should find festival information.  However, I have all the forms here that we need to enter. Fees for this festival are due at the time entries go in.  Please have a cheque available to go in with your entry as I will not be covering these fees and collecting them as in the past.

MCM Festival at the Abbey for the Arts
            Deadline to register for this festival is February 14th.  Again, please let me know by the beginning of the year if you intend to participate in this festival. It is held at the Abbey for the Arts in Glen Nevis April 7th – 11th.  I need to have the paperwork under control by February 7th and as above, I will not be covering entry fees and then trying to collect them.  Please have a cheque available to go in with your entry.  Fees run $15 - $20.

Please note:  You are not required to participate in either the MCM or the Kinsmen Festival. We have our own Studio Festival Workshop that easily replaces these.

I’m looking forward to the semester ahead.  Lots to do and learn – and lots of fun to be had in the process!

Blessings,   Mary
           


No comments: