Tuesday, May 2, 2023 by Averil Spence-Clarke | Uncategorized

Hi everyone:

Even though the weather is trying to disprove it, SUMMER is definitely on its way!!

I have been receiving some information regarding summer job opportunities.  Rather than trying to email to students and potentially other interested parties, I have created a page on the website where I will post the information as it is received. Please check it out and I hope you find helpful.

Wishing all of you job seekers success in finding interesting and rewarding summer jobs!

Cheers

Mrs. A.

Thursday, January 12, 2023 by Averil Spence-Clarke | Uncategorized

Hi Everyone:

Happy New Year & hoping that is has been a positive and enjoyable start to the year for everyone!!

First, you will notice a "new look" to the portal.  The techs have been working for a while to ensure that the portal works well, is up to date and meets both the needs of teachers and students/parents.  Hope you like the new outlay and that it makes it easier to navigate.  If you experience any problems or have any suggestions. please do not hesitate to contact me.

Next, you will not see any "available timeslots" posted for this week and part of f next week.  I, happily, will have some family and friends visiting, so am hoping to keep as much time for them as possible.  Please know that if you need to schedule a different time for lessons during that period, do give me a call or send a text with a couple of preferred times and I will ensure that I meet your requests.

Lastly, I know that at the end of January, many schedules change as students change school and recreational activities.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need to change your regular lesson timeslot.  I will do my best to reschedule to a more sustainable time if necessary.

We often make many New Year's resolutions and then find that within a few weeks, they have fallen by the wayside.  We then castigate ourselves, make or renew the resolutions and repeat the process.  New Year's Resolutions have created the most frustrating experiences of my life and I daresay many of yours.  So, over the past few years, I have not created them.  Instead, I have been kind to myself and worked on a different formula.

Each month, I focus on one aspect of "mindfulness" and try to maintain it for the month. I know that I will not always meet the goal, but I remind myself that it is a day-by-day process and that seems to help me get back on track. 

This month, it is about "engagement and listening".  Oftentimes when busy, my mind slides to other areas of concern even in the midst of a conversation.  So, this month, I am practicing my "mindful listening" and am happy to say that so far, I have been reasonably successful.  I mention this because, if you have any concerns about lessons, your child's progress, or the teaching process, this would be a great month to contact me and dialogue.  I promise to listen mindfully and work together to find solutions to the challenge whatever it may be. Even if there are no problems and you would just like to play catch-up, please feel free to give me a call or arrange a face-to-face get together.

Looking forward to hearing from you or seeing you in the near future.

Sincerely, Mrs. A.

Monday, July 4, 2022 by Averil Spence-Clarke | Uncategorized

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all having an enjoyable summer and that it is already being filled with adventures and memory-making.

Wow! What a wonderful summer I have had so far! My trip to England was so much more interesting and enjoyable than I could ever have imagined.   Of course, spending quality time with Christopher was the icing on the cake.  

My return trip was fraught with all sorts of excitement – many flight delays (returned to Toronto almost two days after the expected time); then my flight from Toronto to Windsor was cancelled and then delayed several times (spending the night in the airport – NOT FUN!!) but finally made it back.  Of course, with all of the changes, my luggage did not return with me – they just arrived on Friday but they did arrive.  I am hoping they enjoyed their extra vacation time. 😊

Happy to say that like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, “there is no place like home.”  Since my return, aside from a ‘little bit’ of relaxing, I’ve also been doing a lot of reading, learning and planning, as I prepare for another exciting summer and year of music lessons.

A lot of information was given to you before I left in May. I know it was a busy time for everyone so this email is to touch base with you about Summer lessons in the hopes that it arrives when you have a moment to write some things on your calendar.

Summer Sessions:  Can be booked ONLINE and can either be scheduled for online or In-Studio. As you can see, I have maintained the "three weeks on, one off" format. If you have any questions or need different times, please give me a call.

Happy to say that starting this summer, I am implementing a “hybrid” model for lessons. With the return to “normalization”, I am re-opening the studio to “in-person sessions” as well as continuing to offer the “on-line Zoom format”.  When booking lessons, you will see both options available.  Whichever you choose, I will delete the remaining option when confirming lessons.

Are your piano, flute, theory books looking a little dusty? Summer is full of family fun and this might mean that your child(ren) may not want to practice as much as they do during the school year. This is totally understandable. I can promise, however, that your child(ren) will be even more excited about returning to lessons if they feel prepared and ready to learn. Setting up a summer practice schedule is usually a great idea. Plan for at least 15 minutes of practice a day during the summer and, if possible, schedule it in the morning before the day’s activities begin.

I can’t wait to reconnect with you soon and I look forward to hearing about your summer fun.

Take care,

Mrs. A.