I never showed any interest in learning an instrument when I was a kid. I am the eldest of three so there were no older siblings practicing away, inspiring me to do the same. My earliest musical memories involve Orff classes and listening to music in the car, asking my mom what the lyrics to each song meant. My local public school had a great strings program that began in grade four. I remember auditioning for the program (you had to sing Happy Birthday and clap some rhythms)

Listening is the number one thing you can do as a parent to make your child learn quickly and easily. Without listening, you’re not learning

I was inspired to start playing after my family went on vacation to the east coast. After hearing a night of incredible fiddle music, I was

After attending your child’s music lesson, you leave the studio and head to the car. You unlock the car and load child and violin into the back, thinking about what you are going to make for dinner that night. You then remember that you have an important meeting at work tomorrow and a dentist appointment the following day. The dog also needs to go on a walk this evening. You’re driving home and a thought crosses your mind – “what was it that the music teacher said my child ne

We post a lot of pictures of happy children smiling sweetly at the camera while sitting at the piano or holding their instrument.  But truth

"You play your personality," a good friend of mine often says.  In all my years of playing the violin professionally, I have never

There's a reason why we're sort of cello-happy these days.  Cello is trending UP, and it's not really surprising considering the

As my cello and I travel around Toronto on the TTC, one of the questions I’m often asked is how long I’ve been playing. And I love telling p

When I was five years old I told my mom that I wanted to play violin. My mom, assuming it was a passing phase, ignored me until I was six, but after a year of requesting violin lessons she decided I was serious and sought out a violin teacher for me in our hometown of Oakville. She phoned Pierre Gagnon, a well-known violin teacher, to ask if he had any room in his studio. Luckily, Pierre’s wife Susan answered the phone that day. Susan said that Pierre’s studio was full,

Let me preface this by saying that practicing violin with my four-year-old daughter usually happens while my three-year-old repeatedly tackl