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Jan 1, 2014 ... Mr. Jones has maintained his private teaching chops by directing and ... What was the last piece of music (sheet music or a recording) you ...
4981 Highway 7, Suite 1 Markham ON L3R 1N1 Canada M1K 3K1 Phone: 905.489.4620 Fax: 905.489.4621 www.internationalmusicacademy.ca [email protected]

iMA Newsletter Voted top 100 educators in the world by the International Biographical Centre Winner of the Consumers’ Choice Award for best music school in the GTA. Winner of the Royal Conservatory of Music Gold Medal for Teaching Excellence. Winner of the York Region Character Community Award. Markham Board of Trade Business Excellence Award finalist. Year XVIII, No. 1

  WELCOMING  OUR  NEW  STUDENTS   Registered  during  the  first  few  days  of  December  only  

 

Anujan  K.  (piano)      

 

  IMA  STUDENTS  BIRTHDAYS  IN  JANUARY   Natalie  Z.,  Daniel  G.,  Brianna  M.,  Adit  K.,  Charlotte  G.,  Shane   A.,  Katherine  L.,  Jessica  F.,  Doris  W.,  Ravindran  S.,  Sheng  Z.,   James  A.,  Roshnie  R.,  Anjali  M.    

HAPPY  BIRTHDAY!      

  IMPORTANT  DAYS  IN  JANUARY    

January  1.  New  Year’s  Day.  School  is  closed. January  7.  Christmas  (Orthodox) January  7.  RCM  April  session  applications  deadline  (piano) January  13-­‐25.  RCM  Practical  examinations January  17.  PA  day  (YR) January  31.  Markham  Music  Festival  registrations  deadline January  31.  Chinese  New  Year  

 

International  Music  Academy   4981  Highway  7,  Unit  1   Markham  ON  L3R  1N1  

International Music Academy January 2014

  NEWS     HAPPY  NEW  YEAR!  The  International  Music  Academy   Faculty  and  Staff  wish  you  a  joyful,  successful  and   healthy  2014.  

  IMA  CHOSEN  ONE  OF  THE  TOP  100  EDUCATORS  IN  THE  WORLD   The  International  Music  Academy  was  chosen  as  one  of  the  “TOP   100  EDUCATORS”  in  the  world,  by  the  International  Biographical   Centre  in  Cambridge  (England).  The  Award  was  given  for   “providing  private  music  education  at  exceptionally  high  level  and   international  standards”.  A  beautiful  commemorative  plaque  is   displayed  at  the  IMA  reception  area.  Congratulations  to  all   Students,  Parents,  Faculty  and  Staff!    

  GREAT  COMPOSERS  BIRTHDAYS  IN  JANUARY     January  is  another  memorable  month,  particularly  because  of  the   birthday  of  Johannes  Chrysostomus  Wolfgangus  Theophilus  or   simply  known  by  Mozart.  A  child  prodigy  who  changed  the  world   of  classical  music  and  influenced  art  and  culture  for  centuries   after  his  death,  at  age  of  35.     4,  1710   PERGOLESI,  Giovanni  Battista   4,  1874   SUK,  Josef   6,  1838   BRUCH,  Max   6,  1872   SCRIABIN,  Alexander     7,  1899   POULENC,  Francis   25,  1913   LUTOSLAVSKI,  Witold   27,  1756   MOZART,  Wolfgan  Amadeus   31,  1797   SCHUBERT,  Franz  Peter     Where  you  born  or  do  you  know  someone  who  was  born  on  the   same  day  as  these  famous  composers?  Drop  us  an  e-­‐mail  at   [email protected]  to  let  us  know.  

 

  PLACE  THE  MAILING  ADDRESS  LABEL     INSIDE  THIS  BOX  

  2014  GREAT  COMPOSERS  ANNIVERSARIES     • • •  

C.P.E.  Bach  –  300  years  from  his  birth  (March  8)   M.  Mussorgsky  –  175  years  from  his  birth  (May  21)   R.  Strauss  –  150  years  from  his  birth  (June  11)  

4.  Who  are  your  favourite  composers?    As  a  songwriter  myself,   this  question  feels  difficult  to  answer.  Different  types  of  music   mean  very  different  things  to  me.  I'll  try  and  approach  it  by   genre.  Classical?  Beethoven,  no  question.  Glorious  melody.  Jazz?   Miles  Davis.  Even  though  a  lot  of  his  best  work  was  created   through  improvisation  his  approach  to  his  ensembles  definitely   made  that  music  possible.  Folk?  There  simply  won't  be  a  more   important  single  American  songwriter  than  Woody  Guthrie.   He's  an  absolute  tower  of  influence.  Music  Theatre?  Jason   Robert  Brown  is  writing  harmonically  dense  music  with  catchy   melodies  and  danceable  rhythms.  Just  amazing!  Rock?  I  sort  of   consider  this  my  home  genre  and  for  my  money  there  is  no   better  writer  of  rock  music  than  Bruce  Springsteen.       5.  What  was  the  last  piece  of  music  (sheet  music  or  a   recording)  you  purchased  for  yourself?  The  last  piece  of  music   I  bought  was  a  Billy  Joel  live  album  from  1980  called  "Songs  in   the  Attic".  It's  a  great,  personal  document  of  the  era  and  his   music  before  he  became  an  80's  video  star.  Interestingly,  the   last  piece  of  sheet  music  I  purchased  was  "Send  in  the  Clowns"   by  Stephen  Sondheim.  Not  exactly  a  matching  pair…but  they   are  both  life-­‐long  New  Yorkers,  so  that's  something.      

FEATURED  TEACHER  OF  THE  MONTH    

Mr.  Jeffrey  Jones,  B.F.A.  

Guitar  Studies       After  spending  much  of  the  last  20   years  performing  and  writing  music,   Jeff  Jones'  compositions  and   performances  have  been  heard   nationally  in  Canada  on  the  CBC  and   have  charted  locally  on  campus  radio   stations.  The  Toronto  Star  (reviewing  a   performance)  warned,  “We're  sure  to  hear  more  greatness   from  Jones  in  years  to  come.”  A  guitarist,  songwriter,  singer,   playwright,  teacher  and  actor,  Jeff  first  took  on  guitar  students   in  1996  and  continued  to  teach  privately  while  he  has  hired  by   the  Toronto  District  School  Board,  in  2001.    While  working  as  a   classroom  drama  and  music  teacher  over  the  past  12  years,   Mr.  Jones  has  maintained  his  private  teaching  chops  by   directing  and  conducting  many  musical  performances,  taking   novice  players  and  singers  and  helping  them  hone  their  skills   for  performances  in  shows  as  diverse  as  Jesus  Christ  Superstar,   Cabaret,  Pink  Floyd’s  The  Wall  and  many  others.  Mr.  Jones   continues  to  perform  and  write  music  as  well  as  host  a   monthly  cabaret  called  “The  Charcoal  Sketch  Cabaret”.     Mr.  Jones  was  happy  to  answer  a  few  questions  for  our  students   and  parents:     1.  What  do  you  like  most  about  teaching?  The  absolute  best   thing  about  teaching  is  being  part  of  someone's  "A-­‐Ha"   moment.  That  moment  when  a  student  understands  something   new  and  gets  excited  about  it  all  over  again  is  what  makes   teaching  way  more  than  just  a  job.  Then  the  energy  that   follows  pushes  it  to  the  next  level  and  even  bigger  challenges   are  attempted.  To  see  a  student  go  through  and  own  that   moment  is  a  truly  special  thing.       2.  How  do  you  inspire  students  to  practice  more?       Practice  is  one  of  those  tough  things.  It's  absolutely  necessary.   No  player  has  ever  been  great-­‐even  good,  without  a  lot  of   practice.  The  best  way  to  approach  it  is  a  "one  day  at  a  time"   mentality.  The  best  way  to  inspire  it?  It's  to  be  appreciative  of  it.   Whenever  my  students  talk  about  a  skill  that  I  have  and  they   are  hoping  to  pick  up,  my  first  response  is  always…"It's  just   practice.  That's  the  only  difference.  I've  practiced  a  bit  more   than  you.  Catch  up!"       3.  What  roles  does  performance  play  in  student’s   development?    After  a  certain  level,  it's  everything.  Once  the   bare  basics  of  an  instrument  are  learned,  performance  comes   next.  It  really  is  the  venue  for  musical  expression.  Music  is  a   communication  of  emotion  through  sound  (harmony  and   rhythm).  If  you're  not  working  with  an  audience,  how  is  this   communication  mastered?  The  only  way  to  understand  the   dynamics  of  a  musical  conversation  is  to  have  one.  When  you   do,  it's  transformative.    

 

  FEATURED  STUDENTS  OF  THE  MONTH    

Emma  Grace  Ortiz    

What  instrument  do  you  play?      I  have   been  taking  voice  lessons.       How  long  have  you  taken  lessons?    I  have   been  taking  lessons  at  the  International   Music  Academy  for  about  2  years  already.     Who  are  your  favorite  musical  artists?  My  favorite  musical  artists   are  Katy  Perry,  Taylor  Swift  and  Ariana  Grande.     What  are  your  other  hobbies,  besides  music?  My  other  hobbies  are   dancing,  drawing,  reading  books  and  running.  I  also  enjoy  helping   my  mom  bake  desserts.  I  also  enjoy  physical  activities  such  as   volleyball,  soccer,  floor  hockey  and  badminton.     Favourite  food?    Lasagna,  pizza  and  spaghetti.     What  is  the  coolest  thing  you’ve  learnt  in  your  lessons  in  the  past   three  months?      In  the  past  three  months  I  have  learned  to  work   on  increasing  the  projection  and  volume  of  my  voice.     Do  you  have  any  performance  coming  up?  I  look  forward  to   performing  at  the  International  Music  Academy  Winter  Music   Festival,  on  December  21.  

  E-­‐mail  to  [email protected]  a  photo  of  yourself   (or  your  child)  together  with  the  answers  of  the  questions  above.   The  deadline  for  submissions  is  the  15th  of  every  month.  We  will   feature  you  in  one  of  the  next  issues  of  the  newsletter.  

 

PET  OF  THE  MONTH    

Send  a  photo  of  your  pet  together  with  following  information  and   we  will  publish  it  in  one  of  the  next  issues  of  the  IMA  newsletter.   What  is  the  name  of  your  pet?  How  old  is  he/she?  What  kind  of   breed  our  pet  is  (if  applicable)?  How  long  have  you  had  him/her  for?   Any  special  circumstances  around  getting  the  pet  (i.e.  a  gift,  foster   pet,  etc.)?  The  funniest  story  about  you  pet?  Any  special  skills  or   abilities?       Ana  Choi  has  an  amazing  pet.  Learn  more…     What  is  the  name  of  your  pet?  Sausagerolls     How  old  is  he/she?  Not  sure…     What  kind  of  breed  our  pet  is  if   applicable)?  The  vet  thinks  she's  between   a  lop  and  a  dwarf.     How  long  have  you  had  him/her  for?  I've  had   her  since  March  2013.     Any  special  circumstances  around  getting  the  pet  (i.e.  a  gift,   foster  pet,  etc.)?  A  friend  of  a  friend  found  her  abandoned  on  the   side  of  the  road.  She  has  a  condition  with  overgrown  teeth  that   needs  to  be  trimmed  down  every  so  often,  in  order  for  her  to  eat   properly.   The  funniest  story  about  you  pet?  She  tries  to  nibble  my  nails  if   there's  nail  polish,  she  thinks  it's  food!     Any  special  skills  or  abilities?  Her  only  skill  is  being  cute  and   demanding  pets.  She  does  this  by  trying  to  tug  her  head  under   my  hand  or  go  under  my  pant  leg  openings  when  I'm  standing  up.  

Liverpool.  The  publication  a  few  weeks  ago  of  Mark  Lewisohn’s   Tune  In  −  The  Beatles:  All  These  Years,  Vol  1,  the  first  of  a  what   is  likely  to  be  a  definitive  three-­‐volume  biography,  goes  a  long   way  toward  giving  Ringo  his  due.  It’s  one  of  the  things  I  like   best  about  a  book  that  doesn’t  just  rehash  the  same  old   Beatles  stories,  but  deconstructs,  revises  and  sometimes  rebuts   them.     Starkey  was  a  sickly  child  and  a  ‘no  hoper’  student,  in   Lewisohn’s  telling,  but  he  grew  into  an  accomplished  girl   magnet  and  one  of  the  best  dancers  in  Liverpool  –  a  guy  who   could  flip,  flop  and  fly  the  girls  on  the  dancefloor.  He  ran  with  a   rough  crowd  −  a  gang  of  Teddy  boys  –  and  he  could  play  the   drums.  At  one  point,  he  was  playing  with  as  many  as  three   bands  a  night,  so  in  demand  were  his  skills  as  a  musician  who   helped  bridge  the  gap  between  the  short-­‐lived  skiffle  era  and   rock  ‘n’  roll.  In  1960,  with  Ringo  Starr  on  drums,  Rory  Storm   and  the  Hurricanes  were  the  city’s  biggest  band.  The  Beatles   coveted  Starr’s  skills  but  were  somewhat  intimidated  by  him;   “he  looked  the  nasty  one,”  Harrison  once  said.   He  was  slightly  older  than  the  rest  of  the  Beatles,  and  even  the   never-­‐easily-­‐impressed  Lennon  embraced  him  as  a  peer.  So  did   McCartney,  saying:  “He’s  a  grown-­‐up,  Ringo  –  always  is,  always   has  been.  I  suspect  when  he  was  about  three  he  was  a  grown-­‐ up.”    

 

FEATURED  ARTICLE                                                                

NEWS  

A  new  book  about  the  Fab  Four  gives  Ringo  Starr  a  long-­‐ overdue  reassessment.  So,  Greg  Kot  asks,  is  it  time  we  re-­‐ write  myths  about  The  Beatles’  drummer?     By  Greg  Kot,  December  12,  2013   One  problem  with  being  as  big  as  the  Beatles  is  that  myths  get   ingrained  and  are  repeated  so  often  that  they  after  a  few   decades  they’re  treated  as  fact.  Ringo  Starr  may  be  one  of  the   four  most  famous  people  ever  to  play  in  a  rock  ‘n’  roll  band,   but  he’s  also  popularly  perceived  as  one  of  the  luckiest,  his   contributions  to  a  legendary  legacy  dwarfed  by  those  of  John   Lennon,  Paul  McCartney  and  George  Harrison.   If  anyone’s  due  for  a  re-­‐evaluation  in  the  most  famous  rock   band  of  all  time,  it’s  Richy  Starkey,  born  73  years  ago  in  

  League  of  his  own   When  the  Beatles  finally  sacked  Pete  Best  and  invited  Starr  to   join  in  1962,  he  set  up  his  kit  at  the  first  show  with  his  name  on   the  kick  drum,  not  the  band’s.  That  would  soon  change,  but  the   implication  was  that  Starr  didn’t  feel  at  all  out  of  his  league  in   Liverpool’s  fastest-­‐rising  rock  band.  They  needed  him  perhaps   more  than  he  needed  them,  given  the  deficiencies  of  Best,  who   was  essentially  a  one-­‐trick  basher  and  was  holding  them  back.   Harrison  rhapsodised  about  Starr’s  debut  on  18  August  1962:   “From  that  moment  on,  it  gelled  –  the  Beatles  just  went  on  to  a   different  level.”   “He  was  the  guy  the  Beatles  always  wanted,”  Lewisohn  told  me   in  a  recent  interview.  “He  was  everything  Pete  Best  wasn’t  …   He  was  rock  steady,  he  could  play  all  the  styles….  [His  style]  

was  sympathetic  to  everything  they  did  …  It  brought  an  extra   element  to  their  songs  that  was  in  complete  tune  with  what   they  were  thinking.”   He  was  the  missing  piece,  even  if  Beatles  producer  George   Martin  didn’t  immediately  recognize  it.  Martin  brought  in  a   session  drummer  to  help  the  Beatles  record  their  first  single  for   EMI,  a  slight  that  tainted  Ringo’s  relationship  with  the  producer   for  years  (though  it’s  Ringo’s  version  of  Love  Me  Do  that  was   eventually  released  as  the  single’s  A-­‐side;  Andy  White  played   drums  on  the  B-­‐side,  PS  I  Love  You).   Shape  shifter   It  also  fed  into  the  idea  that  Starr  was  somehow  not  good   enough,  amplified  by  Ringo’s  own  insecurities  about  joining  the   inner  circle  of  the  tight-­‐knit  trio  up  front.  But  those  doubts   evaporated  when  the  band  returned  to  Abbey  Road  studio  two   months  later  to  record  Please  Please  Me.  There  was  no  studio   drummer  in  place  this  time,  and  Ringo’s  live-­‐in-­‐the-­‐studio   performance  with  the  other  three  band  members  exploded  out   of  the  speakers.  Martin,  usually  ultra-­‐reserved  about  such   matters,  told  the  band  they’d  just  made  a  number  one  record,   and  he  was  right.  

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Starr’s  work  on  the  Beatles  recordings  is  astonishing,  even  if  it   didn’t  jump  out  in  the  way  the  drumming  of  other  ‘60s  icons   did  –  the  nonstop  fury  of  The  Who’s  Keith  Moon,  the  African-­‐ inspired  virtuosity  of  Cream’s  Ginger  Baker,  the  thunderous   swing  of  Led  Zeppelin’s  John  Bonham.  Ringo  almost  never  gets   name-­‐checked  as  an  innovator,  in  part  because  he  didn’t  play   solos  (except  for  the  exquisite  drum  break  on  The  End  from  the   1969  Abbey  Road  album).  But  consider  how  he  makes  the   complicated  shifts  in  métier  sound  effortless  on  Here  Comes   the  Sun,  the  rolling,  proto-­‐metal  tom-­‐tom  groove  of  Rain,  the   tribal  dance  thump  of  Tomorrow  Never  Knows,  the  hi-­‐hat  work   on  Come  Together,  the  syncopated  propulsion  of  Ticket  to  Ride.  

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Starr  gave  each  song  exactly  what  it  needed,  but  he  didn’t  call   attention  to  himself  while  doing  it.  The  only  thing  flash  about   Ringo  were  the  rings  on  his  fingers,  which  inspired  his   nickname,  and  the  mega-­‐watt  grin  he  wore  on  stage.  

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“He  is  nowhere  near  as  flashy  as  so  many  drummers,  but  that   isn’t  what  the  musicians  wanted,”  Lewisohn  told  me.  “He   brought  his  personality  to  the  kit,  but  he  wasn’t  flash.  The   Beatles  recorded  215  tracks  (between  1962  and  1970)  in  all   these  different  styles  …  and  how  many  tracks  have  bad   drumming?  The  answer  is  zero.”  

 

Greg  Kot  is  the  music  critic  at  the  Chicago  Tribune.    

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