Monday, March 13, 2017

Sweet Connections ... through music!

My favourite time of the week is when I am making music with children, 
& that pretty much happens every day! How blessed am I !

Especially heartwarming are those moments where I experience the pure uninhibited joy that is being expressed by a child who is completely in the present ...  & I am privileged to share in that.                Each time, I am reminded that my life's work is also my meditation... my bliss... the thing that brings me to the place where time stands still & I am absolutely in my purest joy.


     I am so grateful for a life that is rich with the simplest & most profound of pleasures !!

Sunday, February 23, 2014

PIrates discover treasure at Woodruff!


Funny how one little idea can build into such a creative experience!

My thought was to mix things up a bit for the youngest music classes this term, appealing to the adventurous nature of the boys in particular. (tho of course, as it turns out, the girls are equally as excited!) So when a nice long box presented itself in the mail, I promptly decided to repurpose it into a Pirate Ship, complete with mast & sail, and cardboard anchor, both of which could be hoisted and dropped.

 Toilet paper rolls sliding into each other became spyglasses, and a collection of shells & polished rocks, along with soft blue/green wool lengths became treasure and seaweed. 
Rearranged songs directed us through the journey, from "Who's That Pulling up the Anchor?", "A Pirate went to Sea Sea Sea" 

to  "What shall we do on our Pirate Ship?" & "Pirates Row Your Boat Ashore"... 
We created Treasure Maps... 


discovered treasure, creating long and short patterns with it, reading our "compositions" to each other before playing them on various instruments...


identified pictures & sounds of musical instruments the pirates might have played on the ship, for entertainment...


and finally sailed back home across the seas, hungry pirates fishing along the way  
with rhythm stick rods catching sponge fish with paperclip hooks... 
"Who's got a fish now? I DO!"

The theme continues through it's third week, with undiminished enthusiasm, and one of the older classes has now discovered the ship, at anchor in the corner of the music room,
(Ship Ahoy), so I am madly creating another level in this musical adventure, to challenge the "next generation" of pirates...   ARRRRGGGGG Matey!

Joyful Expression!



... in gratitude...

 There is nothing quite so special 
as making my living by walking across 
the garden, from home to studio, 
where I engage in the act of fulfilling one of my greatest passions, that of sharing the Art of Joyful Expression! 

I am greeted daily by the delightful energy of many young personalities, unique individuals each bringing with them a fresh opportunity for me to grow in my role as a teacher, as well as a fellow being.   






Working with all ages, 
and often faced with a variety of spontaneous situations, 
I love the way my teaching experiences 
challenge me to be creative, and keep me
flexible and open to the flow of the moment. 








Music shared, created and appreciated 
with children fills my soul & makes my heart sing!  

What could be sweeter?!

Friday, September 6, 2013