Hurray! Holiday!

Every teacher prays for the break to arrive. How about teaching during holidays? Hmmmmm....I am one of those lucky music teachers who teach in breaks. It just happened, years ago that I was asked if I could give lessons in the break. Now, it is an option for my students. Many of my mature-age students don't care about the school breaks so they want to keep having lessons. However, they are not alone. Many of my school-aged students have more time to practise and the parents want some holiday activity for the kids. A few of the parents or students just want to continue and enjoy the steady progress. I have a family in Brighton that I have been teaching for a few years now.

Tonight, after lesson we were standing at the gate with the mum of the two kids I teach and we were enjoying a great chat. She made a comment that made me think about this all. She mentioned that her younger child, a boy I started to teach this year after seeing her sister excelling in piano, was really looking forward to our lesson. Ryan has practised every single day,  played even 3-4 times a day so he was keen to see my reaction to his work! Mum laughingly mentioned that Ryan is an early riser and many times he is down at the piano at 6am! Somehow I can't imagine that he would be very popular in the family!!! Anyhow, the parents have a great attitude towards this. Hearing mum's comments after the lesson, I was glad that Ryan's work attracted my cheerful and demonstrative praise with lots of fun stickers acknowledging how well he is progressing! Kids truly respond well to positive feedback and praise when it is well deserved! Hmmm. Not only kids but adults as well!!! From the teacher's side, I need to admit that a good lesson puts me in a great mood and I never mind teaching during the holiday. The rewards are such that it i worth it.

Bach

Enviable life

I got the nicest compliment the other day from a mature student of mine. He commented that in his busy week as a successful businessman the hour he spends here in "Piroska's church" learning to play the piano, is when he clears his mind and has lots of fun. He also mentioned how much he envies me because I have so much fun teaching and writing music.  He made me think. He looked like he had everything. It looks like everything is not enough.

No bake health muesli bar

I have a few favourite health food shops where I get my TJ Clark Colloidal Minerals, Udo's Oil blend, Magnesium powder and healthy, organic ingredients, fruit and vegetables. I love spending time there and discover new things. One of the shops has a nominated day of the month when they offer discount. Of course I never get there on those days! Last time I was there they had a display table with products, recipes and food. This was the recipe of a health muesli bar I really liked so I thought I would share this yummy recipe with you! Let me know how you and your family liked it!

No Bake health muesli bar
Warning contains peanuts/nuts

Ingredients: 
2 cups Carman's fruit free Muesli (or favourite muesli)
2 cups Koala Crisp Cereal
1 cup Coconut
1/4 cup Chia Seeds
2 tablespoon Linseed Meal

3/4 cup Peanut Butter
2 tablespoons Tahini
1/2 cup Rice Syrup
1/4 cup Maple Syrup

Method:
In a small saucepan heat peanut butter, tahini, rice syrup and maple syrup until melted.
 Combine with muesli, koala cereal, coconut, chia seeds and linseed meal until well combined. Press into rectangular tin lined with baking paper. Refrigerate until set, 2-3 hours. Remove from tinm slice and enjoy. Store in fridge.

New Album released

Reason to celebrate. Just less than a year that I started to write and record my songs. While I am still holding back the ones with vocals in them, the songs that are only instrumentals have been released as my first album, for children called The Mandarin. Today I submitted the electronic distribution to more than 40 sites. In a few weeks time the album will be available for sale on many sites around the world. It is an incredible feeling!
So that my dear friends and followers could listen the album first and be the first to download the songs, I included on the the sites. Enjoy the album and feel free to leave comments!
Click here: The Mandarin on Reverb Nation

The Voice

I hate these TV programs. I always feel that they dumb down the profession. Anyhow, this time I had to watch it because the fact that the judges listened to the competitors with their backs toward them changed everything.  It was also interesting to get a feel as the competition went on of what they were actually looking for.
I got quite upset when in the first episodes they excluded people who were very mature vocally and had real star qualities. That is when I suddenly understood, thanks to Seal and Keith, that they are looking for potential and whom they individually capable of helping and mentoring.
Firstly, I need to say how much I liked that the program decided to hit a positive tone. The Voice easily could have gone with the usual nasty judges style and 'kill' many talented, young people who put themselves on the line in front of millions of viewers. Judge Seal comes across like a big, wise, black papa with his words weighing gold and every comment, even the tough ones coated with chocolate and kindness. The other judge whom I love and respect dearly is Keith Urban, whom I think is one of the nicest guys in the profession. Did I mention he is hot, hot hot? By the way. He is not the only one that is hot. I saw a posting on Facebook about Seal and I must agree. In a very unusual and masculine way, the ugly turned beautiful. He is sexy.
OK. Back to the competitors. The Voice. It proved what I knew through my own many decades of experience in the professional music arena. However, it is especially true for those in the performing arts. Let me use the same quote I used as the motto of my blog up on the top of this page by Stevie Wonder. “A lot of people say you need drive to realize your talent but the truth is, your talent is your drive.” Many competitors like the idea of fame and singing but will be not driven enough to make it.  Even when an incredible opportunity comes their way like The Voice. They don't have enough talent to shine through.  And many of them will shy away from the hard that that will be required to get to the top and stay in this profession. Real musicians breath music. It is like oxygen for them. They can't live without it. We can't live without it.  I definitely can't live without it! Music is not a job or work. Music is a lifestyle.

Anyone for an extra lesson?

Life is really great! Don't you just love this time of the year? Chilli morning and sunny, beautiful and warm during the day!
My music students are going well. Just yesterday I had a funny situation with one of them. I love chatting with the parents. We should have an extra 30 min just to catch up on news and chat. Anyhow, this lovely little one sat down at the piano and of course, with Mum we started to exchange the events of our days. He was sitting at the piano, waiting, waiting while we were still laughing and chatting. He told about his day as well and we started playing. He was absolutely brilliant. For a young student his sight reading is exceptional, his coordination is incredible and he even practices! in no time we made up the time we spent chatting with Mum because he learnt two pieces with such a speed that my jaw dropped. Then an idea came in my mind. I asked him and Mum if he would like to have an extra lesson on the weekend just to make up the 'chatting time'. He was quick to say yes, just a little bit earlier than Mum agreed. I could not stop smiling how keen he was to get an extra piano lesson. It is such a pleasure to work with someone like him and have such supportive parents like his Mum!