I am thankful that my agenda keeps me on track with things and  keeps me from forgetting too many details.

My courses generally focused on abnormal psychological developments in adults, musical improvisation and learning about the different approaches to music therapy. My weekly practical experiences, with a professional music therapist, were in working with several children in Winnipeg schools that have developmental impairments. In January my practical experience is in working with elderly that have dementia, Alzheimer’s and other impairments.

Currently, I am reading The Healing Power of the Drum written by Robert Lawrence Friedman. Friedman is a psychotherapist living in the United States who discusses ways that simple hand drums may be used to enhance a variety of people’s health through nonverbal expression of personal issues. It is a very interesting subject and I do enjoy working with a variety of percussion instruments.

My piano solo Creaky Chorale has been selected for level 6 of the Northern Lights series developed by Canadian National Conservatory of Music. www.cncm.ca  This Conservatory is dedicated to promoting the music of Canadian composers which is rich in its diversity. Students respond positively to the pieces in these books. The Level 6 books will be released in the summer of 2010 with further details to follow.

I have enjoyed teaching a variety of piano students last fall, even after twenty years of teaching. Being a student again myself has reminded me of the different issues students need to navigate. This was particularly evident as I prepared for my weekly guitar lessons. One of the big issues I have is time management, to ensure that sufficient time is spent practicing, and another is playing with proper technique. However, the value in having lifelong music making skills is worth all the effort and sacrifices needed to make progress.