I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water. - Ray Charles
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
We wish all of our students and their families all the best for this season of gratitude! Here at the Conservatory we are grateful for the music that fills our days and for the opportunity to share that with you, the members of our Conservatory family. We will be thinking of you and sending you and yours our blessings.
TOP STORY! - FACULTY CONCERT, IRISH FIDDLE AND SINGING WORKSHOP AND SUZUKI EXPERT
The next few weeks are filled with events you won’t want to miss! Your Conservatory has prepared a feast of music starting on October 21.
· Faculty Concert – Friday, October 21 @ 5:00PM
Featuring Karl Rainer and James Mark – the focus of this Faculty Concert is violin and viola, with James and Karl choosing repertoire that will inspire string players of all ages and abilities!
· Irish Fiddle and Traditional Irish Singing Workshops – Saturday, October 22 @ 10:00 AM
Our new fiddle instructor, Paul Gitlitz, is already wowing us with his wonderful programming! This event features two incredible musicians giving workshops in Irish fiddle and traditional Irish singing. If you are interested in these workshops you can register anytime at the NCM office. And don’t miss their concert the night before (October 21 @ 7:00PM) with the Nanaimo Folk Connection at Hope Lutheran Church at 7:00PM.
· Merlin Thomson: Suzuki Piano Workshops – October 28-30
On the weekend of October 28/29/30, Suzuki piano students will enjoy a weekend workshop with Merlin Thompson, one of Canada’s leading authorities on the Suzuki Piano Method. Each student will have a mini-lesson with Mr. Thompson as well as a fun group session entitled “A Minute to Win It”. Classes will take place on Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday morning in the Ensemble Room. On Friday evening at 7:30, Mr. Thompson will lead a parents-only session entitled “Life Lessons from a Suzuki Piano Apprenticeship” open to all interested Conservatory parents. Many thanks to Cindy Speelman and Roni Wagner for changing their schedules to accommodate this workshop.
NEW FEDERAL ARTS TAX CREDIT
A new federal arts tax credit of up to $500 is available for music lessons. Please let us know if you will be making use of this credit for your child’s music education. For more information please see:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/bdgt/2011/qa01-eng.html
NCM ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – NOVEMBER 15, 2011
This is the official notice of the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music Annual General Meeting which will take place at 7:30PM November 15, 2011 in the NCM Ensemble Room. Nominations to the Board will be accepted in writing by any member of the Conservatory (all current families have one memberhip) until the end of the business day November 1st. Nominations must be submitted in writing and include the names, addresses and signatures of two nominating members. Please consider attending this meeting as we go over the business of the past year and elect our new Board Members! RSVP to Kathleen 250 754 4611 or ncmusic@island.net.
OPEN HOUSE A GRAND SUCCESS – KUDOS AND THANK YOUS TO ALL!
The Open House was a total success with close to 150 attending the event. Special thanks to Andrew Homzy, Garry McKevitt, Donna Laing, Bobbi Walker and Christine Farenholtz for distributing flyers and manning the booth at the Harvest Festival and to Aidan Olmsted and Karl Rainer (and anyone I’ve missed) who played at the booth!...I am sure several people came up to the Open House from there, and it's great to get the word out. Many thanks also to the Faculty members who gave part or all of their day to be here and interact with potential students: Marjorie Cullerne, Marilyn Rummel, Karl Rainer, Cindy Speelman, Veronica Wagner, Susanne Bullock, Christine McMahon, James Mark, Teresa Borek, Nicole Arendt, Patrick Olmsted, and Hannah Wilson. There were some marvellous highlights from the faculty with Christine's vocal warm up and performance of "Summer Time," Patrick and Cindy's flute and guitar duo as well as James, Karl, Hannah and Cindy in various combinations throughout the afternoon. In addition, our appreciation goes out to the many Conservatory families who were in attendance including Choir members, the Stachow family, Suzuki flute students, piano students, the Prelude Orchestra families and more, who all did a marvellous job! Finally special thanks to Christine Moore from Triple T Party Rentals who supplied the tents and balloons; Scot Rounding and Phil from Tom Lee Music who provided an AWESOME instrument petting zoo that was rocking the whole time, and Ellen Wakelam who put all the little details together. This was truly a team effort which contributed to its success. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves!
¡SACABUCHE! – NCM Benefit Concert
Sunday November 27, 2011 @ 2:00 PM
St. Paul’s Anglican Church
Tickets $20, $15 for registered Nanaimo Conservatory of Music students (very limited number)
Linda Pearse, who grew up in Nanaimo, is the Director of ¡Sacabuche! ¡Sacabuche! is a sackbut and cornetto ensemble that began as a collegium ensemble based at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music’s Early Music Institute and performs the beautiful and lesser-known repertoire of baroque trombones, organ and voice ¡Sacabuche! was the opening night headline ensemble at the June 2010 Berkeley Early Music Festival, and recently toured Beijing, China, with the multi-disciplinary program “Matteo Ricci: His Map and Music,” including performances at China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. The media coverage was exceptional, including large pre-tour articles in "The Beijinger" and "Time Out Beijing" magazines. They were voted No. 1 Critics’ Choice for December by "Time Out.” Concerts were "standing room only" events with the NCPA and Ullens both citing the highest audience attendance for their series for the entire 2010 year.
ANNOUNCEMENTS and EVENTS
· Pianist Ian Parker – inspiration for any student
Ian Parker, one of Canada’s most brilliant pianists, returns to Nanaimo on Saturday, October 22 for “Genius & Madness” with the Vancouver Island Symphony, to play his all-time favourite, Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1”. Conservatory faculty performing with the VI Symphony include: Calvin Dyck, Nicole Arendt, Marjorie Cullerne, Karen Hough, James Mark and Pippa Williams. Tix: 250-754-8550.
· Celebrating 200th birthday anniversary of F.Liszt – with SAYURI KUBOTA who will be playing PIANO RECITAL “Liszt and His Friends” on Saturday, October 15, 2011, 7:30 p.m. at St.Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Departure Bay Road (behind Country Club Mall). Program includes Phantasiestucke op.12 by Schumann, Fantasie-Impromptu op.66 and Nocturne in C-minor op.48 by Chopin, Etude de Concert No.3 ”Un Sospiro” and Mephisto Waltz by Liszt. This program is too good to be missed! Admission by donations. All proceeds go to the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music.
· The NCM Youth Harp Ensemble has been invited to perform before the Winter Harp Performances again this year - Dec. 10th, Port Theatre - save the date! Details to follow.
· A new federal arts tax credit of up to $500 is available for music lessons. For more information please see:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/bdgt/2011/qa01-eng.html
· MUSIC AT MIDDAY
St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 29 Church Street, Nanaimo
Organist: Peter Orme, Director of Music, St. Paul’s Church
Wednesday, 12th October - “The Centenary of Jehan Alain.” Music by the French composer who lived from 1911 to 1940. Admission free – donations to St. Paul’s organ fund
· UPPER ISLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL NEWS: The Strings Section of UIMF will take place on Friday, Saturday, Sunday March 9, 10, 11, 2012. The Adjudicator will be Dolores Vann, violinist. Also, Nanaimo is hosting Provincials the last week in May! Volunteers will be needed at registration and more. Please let the Strings Chairperson know at uimfstrings@hotmail.com if you are interested in helping out. Also, the chairperson's position of the strings section will be open after the 2011-12 year. Now would be a good time for someone who is interested to step in and learn while shadowing. This fun volunteer position requires basic computer skills, some phoning and record keeping. Any questions can be addressed to the above email address!
· FOUND: Box of 9 DS Games
· FOUND: Leather glasses case
· Don’t forget to check our Lost and Found near the washrooms if you have lost something at the Conservatory
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
· Gabriola Island resident Hayden Wood (cello) did and outstanding job on his Grade 2 cello exam August 15th in Victoria, BC. He scored a 91!
INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE
· Hammond Organ model # 340207 with books and bench. Asking $1200 firm. Contact: Peter Kozlowski Port Alberni 250 723 5297
THANK YOU!
· A big THANK YOU to our good neighbour Denise Callingham who put plants in our window pots outside and tended them through the summer (with the help of faculty and staff members) as well as doing other garden-y things.
· More thank yous to Garry McKevitt, Andrew Homzy and Jenni Cluff for tidying up the weeds in the parking lot!
· And further thank yous to Pat Wells for tending our beautiful garden and keeping it trimmed!
CALENDAR
Please make sure to update your calendars new items have been added!
Oct 21 Faculty Concert – James Mark and Karl Rainer
Oct 22 Irish Fiddle and Traditional Irish Singing Workshops
Oct 28 Suzuki Piano Workshops with Merlin Thompson
Nov 4 Nanaimo Youth Choir (NYC) Combined concert with
Vancouver Orpheus Male Choir, St. Andrew's United
Nov 15 NCM Annual General Meeting 7:30PM
Nov 24 Suzuki Piano Recital
Nov 25 Faculty Concert
Nov 27 2 PM Sacabuche! NCM Benefit Concert
Dec 7 NYC Community Carol Festival
Dec 16 NYC Christmas Concert
Dec 23 – Jan 2 Winter Break
Jan 28 Winter Recital
Feb 24-26 TBC VI Chamber Music Festival
May 6 Showcase Concert
June 2 NYC Year- end Concert
June 9 Spring Recital and Awards
