About Dog Intelligence Tests

Ever wonder just how smart your dog is? There are several websites that offer dog IQ tests.

Maestro and I tried one for fun. I figured he'd do pretty well, as terriers are pretty smart.

However, my concern with the dog quiz is that it  was extremely treat oriented. A dog who is treat trained is going to score extremely well. Conversely, a dog who couldn't care less about treats may not do as well.

Maestro is praise-oriented, so I used his favourite snacks for this exercise to get him going. However, he is used to hunting for snacks (Hide & Hunt), so any delay that was experienced was due to him thinking "Oh, she could have hid a treat here. Or here. She hid something over here last time. Or last, last time."

He scored 36 - genius level. It took him 5 seconds to answer most questions. Some of our funnier moments included the following:

• During the blanket over the shoulders test, Maestro didn't do anything initially. I suspect it's because I have sometimes placed a blanket over his head when we play Hide & Hunt (He has to sit and wait until all the treats are hidden). I had to encourage him to escape from the blanket. He backed himself up and out of the blanket in 8 seconds.

• For the long-term memory question, there was a slight delay because Maestro thought we were playing Hide & Hunt. He began to hunt but still managed to switch gears and find the treat in 6 seconds.

• Problem-solving: I put the treat in a dark spot under the bed. He whined a little until he scented the treat. It then took him 8 seconds to wiggle far enough to get the treat.

• Language Comprehension question: Maestro cocked his head and looked at me like I was an idiot for saying "Fridge" and "Movies". His expression really seemed to say, "You're not at the fridge. What do you mean?" and "What do you mean, "movies"? We're not at the kotatsu table."

• The final question: He did try to go around the cardstock on the right side. Then he tried to stick his nose underneath. Maestro's solution was to push the lap desk out of the way (to the left of the cardstock, on the floor) and paw at the barrier until it broke. See below:

DSC_0059.jpg

It took him 55 seconds to come up with his plan.

Here is a list of some dog intelligence quizzes that I found. We tried the first one:

• Dog IQ Test pets1st.ca - Resources for you and your pet

• NBC News - How Smart is Your Dog?

• Animal Attraction - Dog IQ Quiz

Where to Find Free Piano Music Online

A look at Free Art License, as well as various websites that legally offer free piano sheet music of anime, classical, video game, pop, and rock songs.

Numerous websites offer free sheet music for piano. However, tracking down a suitable arrangement legally sometimes requires a bit of digging.

Free sheet music that is legal falls under the Free Art License, which "grants the right to freely copy, distribute, and transform creative works without infringing the author's rights." Works in the public domain, as well as arrangements and transcriptions posted by the arranger to be downloaded for free fall under this category.

Once the intellectual property rights on a work have expired, they become part of the public domain. These works are copyright-free and can be printed, copied, distributed, and modified.

An arrangement is a music score of a piece that a musician has done by hand or with music notation software. It includes his or her own editorial markings or it is set to a style or instrumentation that differs from the original version.

A transcription is not the same as a reproduction. To make a transcription, a musician picks out the melody and harmonies of a song by ear and then writes out the notation by hand or with the aid of music notation software.

The following are some websites that offer free printable piano sheet music:

Free Anime Sheet Music and Video Game Music Online

Josh's Anime Sheet Music Collection boasts an extensive collection of anime and video game music transcriptions and links to other websites with fan transcriptions. Theme songs from popular anime such as Bleach, Naruto, and K-On! are available. Difficulty level ranges from intermediate to advanced.

Ichigos has one of the largest collections online of free video game and anime sheet music. Theme songs from popular anime such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Melancholy of Harurhi Suzumiya, and Clannad, as well as music from popular video games such as The Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, and Final Fantasy are available.The difficulty level of the sheet music varies from low intermediate to upper intermediate.

Free Classical Sheet Music On the Internet

Music-Scores contains over 500 pieces of classical sheet music. There are arrangements for piano, violin, woodwinds, and more. The site features music by the greats like Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms, and Mozart. The level of difficulty is listed with each piece. Members have access to more music scores than non-members.

The Sheet Music Archive has over 5000 works that are in the public domain. Classical sheet music by famous composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms and Chopin are included in this library. Visitors can download up to two works a day for free. Subscribers have unlimited downloads.

The International Music Score Library Project (IMSP), otherwise known as the Petrucci Music Library, contains an extensive collection of public domain music. Sheet music, as well as recordings are available. It contains over 234, 000 scores and 23, 000 recordings.

Websites With Free Piano Sheet Music in a Variety of Styles

Easy Sheet Music houses around 500 songs for piano. Music is listed in five categories: Music from Around the World, Popular Classics, Boogie & Blues, Opera Classics, and Mission - Not That Difficult. Non-members are limited to three free downloads per day, while subscribers get unlimited downloads.

Free Piano Music! contains approximately 100 pieces of classical, popular, and Christmas songs. The pieces are ordered by level of difficulty, from beginner to intermediate. Midi files are also available for educational purposes.

Sibelius Music - Score Exchange has a wide range of printable sheet music, including classical, Christian, Christmas, historical, jazz, pop/rock, educational, and original works. The site contains music for piano, voice, guitar, strings, and ensembles. Although there are many free music titles, there are some available for purchase.

For further suggestions, read Finding Free Sheet Music and Christian Sheet Music Websites.

Things to Watch Out for When Downloading Free Printable Piano Sheet Music

There are three things to watch out for when searching for free sheet music online: illegal scans of copyrighted scores, poor transcriptions, or editions:

A fan making his or her own transcription or arrangement is legal. However, scanning a copyrighted work is illegal. Musicians should inspect the score carefully. Fuzzy quality is a sign of photocopying or scanning. A transcription is genuine when "Transcribed by" or "Arranged by" is part of the text.

Some music was originally written for an ensemble to be performed by a computer. An anime theme song that requires the right hand to play a chord that spans three octaves is just not "piano friendly." The musician must modify the transcription to avoid musician injury. Music students should consult with their music teacher if they require assistance.

With regards to classical music, it is wise to consult and compare several editions as edition quality varies. Students taking a piano exam should use an edition that is approved by the music conservatory conducting the piano examination.

Downloading an arrangement, transcription, or copyright-free work are three ways to legally obtain free printable piano sheet music. Good transcribers and arrangers are able to make their arrangement "piano friendly." Fans who wish to download free piano sheet music should be cognizant of the difficulty level of the arrangement and look for signs that a transcription is legitimate.

Originally published on Suite101.com on June 16, 2010. Updated April 16, 2013. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.

Calgary Jazz Orchestra A Perfectly Frank Christmas 2010 Concert Review

Calgary music aficionados love Christmas music, Frank Sinatra and the Calgary Jazz Orchestra. Concertgoers lined up outside and around River Park Church in Calgary, Alberta on Sunday, December 19, 2010 for a chance to get tickets to CJO’s sold out jazz concert, "A Perfectly Frank Christmas".

The concert start time was delayed by 15 minutes to ensure that the audience could find seats and get settled. The programme featured big band jazz arrangements of Sinatra classics along with fresh arrangements of popular Christmas songs.

Hazel Proctor and Greg Baker Sparkle in the Opening Set of “A Perfectly Frank Christmas”

The CJO set a relaxed yet festive tone to the evening with Hark! arranged by Paul Ashwell. This moderate swing number featured easygoing solos by Dr. Jeremy Brown (saxophone) and Bob Erlendson (piano).

Director Johnny Summers traded his trumpet in for the microphone for three numbers: Sleigh Bells, I’ve Got You Under My Skin from “Songs for Swingin' Lovers” (1956) and Just the Way You Look Tonight from “Sinatra Sings Days Of Wine And Roses, Moon River, And Other Academy Award Winners” (1964). Sinatra’s music wonderfully showcases Summers’ wide vocal range and warm timbre, especially on the upbeat numbers.

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra welcomed jazz vocalist Hazel Proctor as a guest performer for the evening. Proctor comes from a rich musical heritage that set roots in Alberta in 1910. She has performed at Dixieland jazz festivals throughout Canada and the US. Proctor currently sings with the Dixie Boppers of Calgary, Alberta.

Proctor joined the CJO on two numbers: Please Come Home for Christmas and The Christmas Song. Her down-to-earth nature drew the audience in. Proctor’s rich, earthy tone wowed the audience, often drawing cheers and applause throughout her performance. The Christmas Song marked the first duet that Proctor and Summers have performed live together.

Another performer that elicited the same response was drummer Greg Baker. Summers did a special arrangement of Little Drummer Boy to display Baker’s talents. His playful nature, tempered with technical virtuosity brought the house down. His solos ranged from youthful reminiscings (pounding) to the “drum roll please” groove and from toe-tapping rock to mind-blowing funk.

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra rounded out the first half with two additional numbers. What Child is This? was a fast swing number that ended in an extremely Baroque fashion. It featured solos by Shane Statz (sax), Al Muirhead (trumpet), Carsten Rubeling (trombone) and Bob Erlendson (piano). I’m Walkin’ was a bold, lively number that featured strong solos by Johnny Summers (vocals), Richard Harding (sax), Andrew Wickenheiser (trumpet), Gerry Hebert (sax), Carsten Rubeling and Kodi Hutchinson (bass).

Strong Jazz Solos, Swing Dancers and Comedic Moments Mark the Second Set

The jazz band launched the second set with Ol’ Santa Claus, a quick march-like call and response number. A 3-2 clave pattern wound its way into the drums, keeping it extremely rhythmic and lively.

Silent Night showcased Richard Harding on sax. His improvisation was quite varied and yet always maintained the soulfulness of the original melody. Harding’s final improv was done against an ostinato of the first two bars of the melody, played by the rest of the saxophone section.

Summers invited Matthew Isenor and Nicole Tomes of Toe Tapping Swing to show off their graceful choreography for his next vocal number, Come Fly with Me. Another memorable number was What a Wonderful World in which Baker and Summers exchanged places. Baker surprised the audience with his rousing tribute to Louis Armstrong, successfully imitating Satchmo’s rumbly timbre.

One of the fun things about playing jazz music is being able to put a completely new spin on old classics. Deck the Halls was good example of this. Baker’s arrangement moved this traditional carol into a minor key and threw in a sultry Latin groove (Besame Mucho, anyone?). This featured solos by Johnny Summers (trumpet) and Gerry Hebert (soprano sax).

One audience member learned what happens if you have the misfortune of arriving late to a CJO performance. She was on the receiving end of some good-natured ribbing throughout the evening. Molly will undoubtedly show up on time to next year’s performance and without her “winterscape” sweater that Summers admired. Others Sinatra hits performed in the second set included Love Me or Leave Me, Star Dust and All or Nothing at All.

The CJO closed the programme with Oh Holy Night. This arrangement was an interesting blend of styles – part gospel, part classical, and part country. The music soon gave way to an upbeat, double-time groove and featured solos by Sarah Matheson (baritone sax), Carsten Rubeling and Greg Baker.

The audience quickly rose to their feet to give the CJO a standing ovation and called out for an encore. The jazz band complied with one final Frank Sinatra hit, I’ve Got the World on a String. Isenor and Tomes returned to the stage, complementing the music with their toe-tapping swing.

About the Calgary Jazz Orchestra

The Calgary Jazz Orchestra is a sixteen-member jazz band that was founded in 2004 and is directed by Johnny Summers. "A Perfectly Frank Christmas" featured Johnny Summers, Hazel Proctor and Greg Baker on vocals, Gerry Hebert, Richard Harding, Jeremy Brown, Shane Statz and Sarah Matheson on saxophones, Johnny Summers, Kim Beachum, Gordon Wilhelm, Andrew Wickenheiser and Al Muirhead on trumpets and Tim Embree, Carsten Rubeling, Shawn Hamilton and Greg Robertson on trombones. Bob Erlendson (piano), Kodi Hutchinson (bass) and Greg Baker (drums) complete the jazz band. The band arrangements for this concert were by Paul Ashwell, Johnny Summers and Greg Baker.

The CJO delivered a lively programme with strong performances at "A Perfectly Frank Christmas", held Sunday, December 19, 2010. The band launched its 2010/11 season in September, featuring music by Charlie Mingus and Oscar Peterson. Upcoming jazz concerts include “ENTERTAINMENT!” on January 30, 2011, featuring music from pop culture (pop, movies and video games) and on April 10, 2011, the music Duke Ellington and Harry Connick Jr. For more information about the CJO, visit their website.

Originially published Suite101.com on December 20, 2010. Updated on April 13, 2013. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.

Meditate it Forward

As a follow up to my post about taking brain breaks, I was looking for a meditation clip and found Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra's Meditate it Forward series:

It's part of their 21-day Meditation Challenge.

Musespeak Studio Student Band Wins Award

Some of you remember my post about four of my students who submitted an entry into Long & McQuade's annual Music Education Contest in February. I nearly jumped out of my chair when I received an email from Long & McQuade, informing me that my students' entry won one of the bonus prizes.

I can just imagine the energy level when my students next meet to rehearse for the APTA Festival's Piano Combo class. Lots of "W00ts!" and happy dances. I imagine they will use their winnings to buy needed supplies to help record their debut CD.

They submitted a photo entry but this audio submission was their entry for the bonus prizes:

Seeing as they had to give permission to L&M that their entry could be used for promotional purposes, I'm exercising the teacher's right to promote them too!

Congratulations, WEDG - you deserve it!