“The painter turns a poem into a painting; the musician sets a picture to music.” - Robert A. Schumann
OFFICE HOURS – JULY AND AUGUST
Tuesday – Thursday 10AM to 5PM
We wish you a fun and music-filled summer, and look forward to seeing you soon!
CALENDAR
Please make sure to update your calendars
June 4 Flute Recitals @ NCM 1:30PM
June 7 Youth Harp Recital @ NCM 5PM
June 9 Adult Ensemble Recital @ NCM 7PM
June 10 Nanaimo Youth Choir Concert at St. Andrews United, Old City Quarter, 7PM
June 16 Adult Harp Ensemble Wrap Up 1PM
June 17 Fiddle Fundraiser, 6:30PM Quarterway School
June 21 SEUSSICAL Junior! Nanaimo Entertainment Centre 6:30 PM
June 30 Deadline for registering for Flute and Recorder Workshops
September 6 Fall Term begins
REGISTER NOW FOR SEPTEMBER
Registration for lessons in the fall is open. New registration forms are now available. Please take advantage of the opportunity to register before the end of June, as doing so has many benefits, including:
· Guaranteeing your lesson time and instructor for the fall
· Avoiding line ups at the office door
· Saving $5 on your registration fee which will be subject to an increase on September 1, 2011
· Getting one more thing off your list for September!
FEE INCREASES FOR THE FALL
We don’t want to increase fees, but every so often we really need to. This is one of those years. As a result of what is shaping up to be a crushing reduction over our previous BC Gaming grants, at least 50% and possibly as much as 75%, we are looking for ways to ensure that we can continue to operate effectively and still offer the best music education you can find in the area. The fee increases we are proposing will not nearly cover the reduction we are expecting, but they will be one part of the plan to keep the Conservatory stable. Other plans include some fun, grass roots events that we will tell you more about in the fall, as well as some hard decisions in terms of cuts to our budget. With your help and understanding we can weather this storm and continue to offer quality music instruction and solid management practices. The actual increases have not yet been approved by the Board, but they will be affordable. For most students the increases will total between $2 and $10 per month, and will be effective in September. If you would like more information, please contact the office and we would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
ARE YOU TAKING PRIVATE LESSONS THIS SUMMER?
If you are continuing your lessons beyond the end of June, please contact the office to let us know. As the summer is considered a different term, you will be required to prepay for all of the lessons you intend to take in July and August. Please go over the summer schedule with your instructor to confirm the number of lessons that you will be taking and then call us or send us an email before June 24 and we will finalize your summer term arrangements!
SUMMER PROGRAMS
Summer Flute Workshops - Registration deadline: June 30/11
Instructor: Cindy Speelman; Location: NCM Ensemble Room
Minimum class sizes required; All materials are for take home after the workshop.
For additional information please contact Cindy at 250-591-8891 or by email - spcindy@shaw.ca
· Introduction to Suzuki Flute - Come and see if this is the instrument for you and get started on the right foot. For students ages 4 and up.Come and see the wonderful world of Suzuki Flute. Aug. 27, 2011 from 9-11 a.m. $30/student $10 for materials (includes a plastic mini flute)
· Beginners - Introduction to the Flute (no previous experience) Ideal for students starting band in the Fall. Aug. 20-21, 2011 from 9-11:30a.m. daily. $65/student and $35 for materials.
· Adult Beginners - Introduction to the Flute (no previous experience) A great opportunity for those who have always wanted to learn the flute. Aug. 20-21, 2011 from 12:30-3 p.m. daily. $65/student and $35 for materials.
· Intermediate - for those who have been playing for several months to a few years. Come and increase your skills and take your playing to the next level. July 16-17, 2011 from 2-5 p.m. daily; $70/student and $35 materials fee
· Advanced - for those who have been playing for a couple of years or who are currently taking lessons. Learn the latest techniques and skills that will make you a more confident and accomplished flutist. July 16-17, 2011 from 9-1 p.m. daily. $85/student and $40 for materials.
· Flute/Recorder Ensembles - a great opportunity to learn and play in smaller ensembles and be coached in these specific techniques. 1.25 hours/twice a month for July and August. $60/student
Summer Music with Patrick Olmsted
Patrick is introducing some new classes as part of the Conservatory's traditional music stream. These classes will be participatory, somewhat informal, and open to any interested person. The content will be influenced by the participants but will focus on ensemble playing, improvisation, and playing by ear. The classes are World Music, Gypsy Jazz, and Spanish Guitar. These are very broad subjects that will be narrowed by the interests and abilities of the class participants. The classes will run on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays throughout summer and will not require a continuous commitment to accommodate other summer activities. Interested parties should contact Patrick in June for more information and to determine the best times for everyone.
SHOWCASE CONCERT REVIEW – ORDER YOUR DVD!!
Although the Showcase Concert at the Port Theatre this year was a little long, it was also a smashing success! More than 150 students participated in the event and some amazing moments were shared. The Silent Auction also did well, netting more than $2,000 that will support the Conservatory’s group programs! If you want to see how well we all did, then you can place an order for a DVD of the event. This year, rather than printing DVDs in advance, we will take orders and when we have enough we will place an order (with a few extra). The price for the DVDs will be $15 and there will be two in the set. Please call the office to place your order.
SPRING RECITAL AND AWARDS CEREMONY REVIEW
Congratulations to all of the students who played at the Spring Recitals at St. Paul’s Anglican Church on Saturday May 28 at 3 and 7 PM. Everyone played very well and people in the audience commented that it was one of the best recitals ever! We hope you like having the recital at St. Paul’s. We thought it would be a good venue as there seems to be parking and it is very accessible. Scholarships were awarded to 13 students.
ANNOUNCEMENTS/EVENTS
· Saturday, June 4/11 at 1:30PM in the Ensemble Room at the Conservatory: Suzuki Flute, Flute and Recorder Student Recital featuring the students from the studio of Cindy Speelman.
· Thursday June 9/11 at 7 p.m. in the Ensemble Room: Semester End Adult Recital featuring the Students of Marilyn Rummel, Veronica Wagner and Cindy Speelman.
· DON’T MISS THE MUSICAL THEATRE COMPANY’S PRODUCTION OF *** SEUSSICAL JUNIOR!
by Flaherty and Ahrens - based on Dr Seuss stories.
When: June 21st, 2011; Where: Nanaimo Entertainment Centre (46 Nicol Street, Nanaimo); Time: 630-800pm
Cost: Admission by donation (to NCM)
Come and meet the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Mayzie Labird, Gertrude McFuzz, the Sour Kangaroo, Mr Mayor, Mrs Mayor, Jojo and the who's, the Wickersham Brothers and others in a fun filled production of SEUSSICAL the musical. Nanaimo Conservatory's musical theatre program, directed by Katy Bowen-Roberts, presents a workshop performance of this fabulous Seussian musical adventure!
· Christine McMahon, NCM voice teacher, presented a sold-out workshop on the ‘Inner Art of Performing’ on Sunday, April 10 from 1– 5 pm. A group of fifteen singers and instrumentalists learned a variety of experiential mind/body techniques to help manage performance anxiety and build their self-confidence. Some of the participant’s feedback included: “I really liked the breathing techniques and the positive thinking affirmations.” “What was important to me today was visualizing my performance beforehand, silencing my inner judges, and the progressive relaxation.” “Ideal number of participants and a good range of experiences.” “At the end of the day I felt relaxed, enlightened and encouraged.” For those who are interested in taking part in this workshop, the Conservatory plans to offer it again in the fall. Check the next newsletter for further details.
· Congratulations to Brittany Hannah, voice student of Christine McMahon, who was recently awarded the Joyce Horner Memorial Scholarship for further studies. Brittany will perform at the Provincial Festival in Kamloops on June 7, as Senior Classical Voice Representative (ages 19 – 28), from the Upper Island Music Festival.
· From Marilyn Rummel: Thanks everyone for a wonderful year of harping on the mid island! Special note is due to those students who travel considerable distances each week in their commitment to music in their lives, and of course to the faithful parents who ferry their children once or twice a week to attend our rehearsals and lessons. Bravo All. Coming up at the Conservatory: June 7th Youth Harp Ensemble (with guest siblings) Recital 5 pm. Students need to arrive just before 4:30, and parents bringing reception goodies as well as guests are especially welcome. Many students will also play solos. June 16th - Adult harp ensemble wrap - 1 pm. All welcome to hear all of the ensemble pieces and a number of adult solos as well. And at the Duncan studio, but open to youth harpists from NCM - Sharlene Wallace Youth Summer workshop, Aug 3 - 5th, email marilyn@harpcanada.com for more info. Best wishes to all the harp students preparing for exams this month. Lastly, anyone who has not confirmed their times by registering with the office for next year, please do so that this month and save on the registration fee as well as assuring yourself of a spot on the teaching schedule.
INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE
· CX-4S KAWAI PIANO FOR SALE. DOWNSIZING, SO MUST SELL. EXCELLENT CONDITION, BLACK EBONY WITH BENCH. PHOTO AVAILABLE BY EMAIL. PARKSVILLE LOCATION. $1650. CALL GARY @ 250-248-6871.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
· Emeris Nordine, 10 year old piano student of Teresa Borek - is very excited about her upcoming concert on June 19 on Salt Spring Island. Opening the show for her will be Monik Nordine (her mother) on soprano saxophone playing J.S. Bach's unaccompanied flute sonata in A minor. Emeris recently won the "Joi de Vivre Award" from the Nanaimo Conservatory, which was given to an outstanding student who also shows involvement in the community. The award was donated by AJ Murch in memory of her daughter. Two years ago Emeris raised funds for child poverty, so the award was quite fitting. The proceeds from the June 19 Concert will go towards Emeris' post-secondary studies and 10% will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross.
REMEMBERING BARRY SWANN
by Patrick Olmsted
It is with great sadness that I must relay the news to the Conservatory community of the passing of Mr. Barry Swann. My personal connection with Barry goes back about 20 years to the Central Vancouver Island Community School (CVICMS) now the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music. He was a very passionate student of music, guitar and guitar building. He was also very passionate about teaching skills to young people. In his decades as a teacher in Nanaimo he taught generations of students in the area. Barry Swann, and his wife Winifred, contributed generously to the Conservatory in general but specifically Barry contributed to the to the guitar program by creating the annual ongoing “Swann Guitar Scholarship.” Anyone attending the Showcase 2010 or 2011 concerts have heard recipients of this award: Eric Barraclaugh, Martin Haff, the entire Conservatory Guitar Ensemble, including this years winners Alex Kolodinsky and Cameron Craig. Past recipients have been Maxime Therrien, Sam Firouzli and Padraig Hildebrand who is currently attending at the Berklee School of Music. Upon his passing we have been informed, by his daughter Carol, also a friend of the Conservatory, of a bequest Barry has left to the Conservatory as an ongoing legacy for the study of music, and in particular guitar, in our community.
Thanks so much Barry! You are truly missed
