Check Out this Year's Welcome Package & Practice Challenges

After approximately 10 years, I retired Maestro’s Top Dogs. Here is what I came up with:

20 & 40 Piece Challenge

This challenge encourages us to explore different types of music and at a variety of levels. This forms your “Set List” of go-to pieces that are ready to perform for family, friends, and the community.

How it works:

  • Pieces need to be at least 16 bars long (8 bars for beginning students).

  • Pieces can be

    • Challenging (a little bit above your playing playing level)

    • At your current playing level

    • Easier, fun to learn pieces

  • Try out pieces of differing musical styles.

  • Pieces can be assigned ones or pieces that you choose and start on your own.

  • A piece will be added to your 20 & 40 Piece Challenge List when it’s performable. That means that you can play through the piece at a steady tempo, with mostly correct notes, fingering and rhythm - with some musical expression.

Rewards:

  • 20 pieces: 4 Cake Pops baked by Ms. Rhona-Mae

  • 40 pieces: $10 gift card (choice of Amazon, Starbucks, Xbox, Roblox, Nintendo, App Store or Google Play) OR 8 Cake Pops baked by Ms. Rhona-Mae

  • 20 Piece Challenge & 40 Piece Challenge Badges for your Badge Card

  • Your name on the Challenge Board

Technique Wizards Challenge

These year-round challenges are geared towards leveling up your technical skills to build the chops needed to tackle your pieces more easily. Earn badges when you complete all scales, chords or arpeggios in a level, played at a steady tempo, with correct notes and fingering.

Scale Zen Master Challenge

How it works:

  • To clear a scale, it must be performed at a steady tempo, with correct notes and fingering. Once cleared, you may mark  the corresponding key on your Technique Wizard Progress Card.

  • You may perform your challenge scales at your lesson or send a video of you performing to your teacher.

  • No skipping levels allowed. However, Intermediate & Advanced students may start the challenge at Scale Apprentice.

Chord Zen Master Challenge

How it works:

  • To clear a chord, it must be performed at a steady tempo, with correct notes and fingering. Once cleared, you may colour it or mark the corresponding key on your Technique Wizard Progress Card.

  • You can choose how far you would like to progress in the challenge. Obviously, the further you get, the more rewards you get.

  • You may perform your challenge chords at your lesson or send a video of you performing to your teacher.

Arpeggios Zen Maste Challenge

How it works:

  • To clear an arpeggio, it must be performed at a steady tempo, with correct notes and fingering.  Once cleared, you may colour it or mark the corresponding key on your Technique Wizard Progress Card.

  • You can choose how far you would like to progress in the challenge. Obviously, the further you get, the more rewards you get.

  • You may perform your challenge arpeggios at your lesson or send a video of you performing to your teacher.

 60 Second Mini Challenge

This mini-challenge will run for 4 weeks.

How it works:

  • We’re looking for perfect scores, using Note Rush or Poco A Poco’s Read Music app. Alternatively, you may use any other note-naming app.

  • You may work on the challenges during your lesson or send a screenshot of your score to your teacher if you complete the challenges at home.

Additional Challenges to Come

Some of the other challenges include a sight-reading one, a transposition one, a practice goals one, and an ear-training challenge. These are still in the planning phases.

Visit Nicola Cantan’s blog to get the badges, posters, and more teaching ideas.

All the materials pertaining to this year’s challenges will be made available on the Studio’s Ko-Fi page at a later date.

Adventures with Kombucha Brewing

Adventures with Kombucha Brewing

After years of talking about it, I finally got into the kombucha brewing game in the Fall of 2022. To make my initial foray as simple as possible, I picked up a complete kombucha brewing starter kit from Heyday Fermentables when I saw their booth at the Millarville Farmers’ Market. That began my journey of exploration with various recipes.