As I am waiting for page 10 of 15 to print out from the paper I just finished writing, I wanted to highlight a few excellent things I found during my research. One of our assignments was to pick a topic in regards to Math and Sciences and write an independent inquiry on it. I decided to question why the Fine Arts isn’t given priority along with the core subjects. The paper has been fascinating to write so I hope that my teacher likes it. I found a good article over at
http://www.artisticforum.com/ArtTalks-TeachArt.html and there was a section that talks about Music as subjects. Here are some highlights of what I found:

Music is a Science: It is exact, specific and it demands acoustic. A conductor’s full score is a chart, a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody and harmony all at once with the most exact control of time.

Music is Mathematical. It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fraction which must be done instantaneously, not worked out on paper.

Music is a Foreign Language. Most of the terms are in Italian, German, or French, and the notation is certainly not English-but a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language

Music is history. Music usually reflects the environment and times of its creation often even the country and/or racial feeling.

Music is Physical Education. It requires fantastic coordination of fingers, hand, arms, lip, cheek, and facial muscles, in addition to extraordinary control of the diaphragmatic, back stomach, and chest muscles, which respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets.

Music is an art. It allows a human being to take all these dry, technically boring (but difficult) techniques and use them to create emotion.

It reminds me of how cool it is to love Music!

I am usually really good with keeping things in their perspective places. I tend not to lose the really important things so I never have to worry! Today was quite different and I hated the feeling. As I was in a very good little Mexican restaurant today with my friend for lunch, (note to self-never eat a heavy lunch and then have a big chunk of home made lasagna hours later…burrrrp), I went to pay for the bill. The last time we went, she paid so this time it was my turn. Easy enough. I open up my wallet and notice that something looks very different. I started searching for my company credit card because it looked absent…but it NEVER gets misplaced. I took out everything in my wallet except for the change, and the card was gone! (more…)

Don’t you just LOVE this template for my blog?? I must admit that I really didn’t want to change from my fabulous lillies template, but since Russ moved me from a 1.2 version of Wordpress to a 1.5, we figured it would be neat to check out some new blog templates. I half heartedly looked around and didn’t find anything I had liked. Either the versions were so cold looking with a lot of grey, or they had pictures of wierd people in them. I had told Russ that I wanted a blog face that was bright and hip-maybe something with flowers, something totally me.

I only had to look through 7 or 8 templates until I stumbled upon this one. I wasn’t sure about it but then Russ tweaked up some features, changed some colors, enlarged the fonts and the titles…and voila…here it is! I love everything about this blog because it if colorful, fun, fresh and full of growth. Since this blog is meant to document my growth as a person over the time frame of however long I write, this theme is fitting for the appropriate season. It just makes me want to write and write and write some more…and as luck would have it, I may now have a bit more time to do that!

So cheers to my fresh new start on this blog, and may the colors of Spring inspire you to bring back a little color in to your lives.

It is quite ironic…a few days ago (well um a week maybe), I was going to post how I REALLY felt about the school where I am doing my practicum. I even went so far as to have typed up a whole she-bang against them and what was going on. Then the next day, the principal had a meeting with all of us and reminded the student teachers that there is a code of conduct for every school. Ooooooooook that was a hint I guess. (more…)

Who can believe that another year has gone by?? This entry has taken me far too long to submit because I was having difficulties with the uploading of my pictures. Grr!! I thought I would let the pictures speak for themselves as opposed to me actually writing a detailed account. I must warn you that in order to get these pictures below, I took mannnny other pictures of us over the year. Instead I decided to pick out a handful.I also realized that I have almost one picture for every month of our journey. Enjoy (more…)

This is just a small funny I thought I would share. Kids are funny little creatures, sometimes WAAAAAAY too honest, but nevertheless, they make for good entertainment in the teachers lounge at lunchtime. Ever see the commercial with the little kids talking and one of them (in a small vignette) says to a bride, “Mommy says you shouldn’t be wearing white” or something like that?? I can’t remember which commercial it is, but that pretty much sums up what kids are all about. (more…)

I am sure it won’t surprise anyone to know that I am not a bar girl…never have been, most likely never will be. On March 4th, I had tickets to go to Coyotes bar here in Calgary to see Billy Klippert perform as the opening act to Soul Decision. I had missed his other show which I STIL regret, but I wanted to get to this one for sure-even if he was the opening act, I could still see a good half hour of him singing. (more…)

Wow!! March already!! How absolutely hard to believe. In another month I will have sucessfully completed my first year of this degree..in a year and another month, I will have sucessfully graduated with my 2nd degree..and perhaps in a year and 5 months, I will be an official teacher in an elementary school..that is, IF I go down that route. Either way, it should be here in a heartbeat. (more…)