I've been having a lot of fun this summer putting together a new website for my teaching studio.  I wanted to create a place for my students to visit for information on what's going on in my studio and around Victoria, and also as a resource for students from other places.  It's starting small, but it's finally out there.  I would like to introduce Lavender Music Studio!  Please check it out and let me know what you think.

www.lavendermusicstudio.ca

Here they are!  You have the option to either stream the video directly from this site or download to keep.

If you have forgotten the password, send me an email!

As a musician, it is amazing to be able to work intensely with a composer on a newly finished commission.  The Continuum Consort recently wrapped up a residency at ArtSpring on Salt Spring Island at the end of June and it was such a pleasure to work with composer Linda Bouchard.  Our first morning, we rehearsed alone with her and had the chance to ask a million questions.  It was great to clarify some of the notations in our parts and find out exactly what she wanted to hear – something you don’t often have the opportunity to do with a composer, living or dead.

The next day, we worked with Linda, our choreographer Lori Hamar, and two dancers from triPOD dance collective, Brandy Baybutt and Matilda Cobanli.  It was fascinating to watch the dance unfold to the music and so hard to keep your eyes on the page!  That evening we staged a public presentation – something that was difficult to do considering the dancers had only heard the music for the first time that morning.  We received a really positive response from the audience, and what a great audience they were!  That’s what is so great about Salt Spring Island – it is such a passionate, artistic community.  The audience was full of past or present dancers, artists, choreographers, musicians, lighting designers and sound engineers.  We felt really honoured to have such wonderful and productive feedback and we all left this experience feeling incredibly motivated and inspired.

I recently returned from Las Vegas, Nevada, where I attended the National Flute Association Convention at Caesars Palace.  It had been a few years since I had attended a NFA convention and I had such a great time!  I returned home inspired and ready to start another year of performing and teaching.  One of my students, however, was less thrilled to hear of my new scale and warm-up book purchases.  I was told I should have only purchased more French repertoire!  I'm guessing that's what she's going to request to work on this year...(surprise, surprise)

On the first day, the very first people I ran into as I entered the Convention Center were 3 fellow flutists from the Victoria Conservatory of Music.  What a small world!  I shouldn't have been surprised, though, as we were all heading to a performance of new works by Canadian Composers performed by Mark Takehashi McGregor and Jessica Raposo, who I attended the University of British Columbia with, and Amy Hamilton, who was my amazing teacher at Wilfrid Laurier University.  It was the perfect way to start the convention!

Highlights from the convention included a session on technology with Jim Walker, Nina Perlove and Linda D. Howard, an introduction to beatboxing on your flute with Greg Pattillo and the NFA Pedagogy Committee Teacher's Breakfast with Walfrid Kujala.

If you love the flute, you should definitely book a flight to attend next year's convention in New Orleans, Louisiana!