We Are Tuning Up For A Great Year!

I hear that we have a great turnout for orchestra this year which is music to my ears (ha ha.) I hope you all have a wonderful experience in the program - just remember to ALWAYS check with your teacher to see what work you have missed EACH and EVERY class that you have gone to your orchestra with Mr. B. Use your agenda to keep track of assignments and exams, stay on top of your homework and it will all be good! Your teachers are here to help and your classmates can also keep you up-to-date on notes you may have missed. Just keep in mind that you are the one who is ultimately responsible for checking to see what went on while you were gone!

I don't often post TED talks here because they are a bit long, but this one is worth watching. Ji-Hae Park is a violin virtuoso who discusses her journey back from depression. Here is her biography from the TED website:

Why you should listen to her:
Ji-Hae Park was on the fast track to violin stardom when she ... paused. Why was it simply her goal to be the best violin player in the world? Was there more to music than that? And thus she began to think differently about how to "play" her life. Now -- along with playing prestigious concert halls, winning prizes and making a new album for Decca called Baroque in Rock -- she makes time to play in hospitals, churches, prisons, anywhere she feels she can reach people with music. Her friendly, entertaining rearrangements of classical music invite new listeners in.
She was named The Respected Korean 2010 for her leadership and influence on the national development. She is playing on the Petrus Guarnerius 1735, Venedig on loan from the German Foundation (Deutsche-Stiftung- Musikleben) since 2003.

Welcome Back!

Aren't we all super-excited to be back at school? I know I am! Orchestra is shaping up to be even more awesome this year, and Mr. B is hoping to have all of you showing off your skills more than ever. Mr. B as usual had a very busy summer not only keeping up with the horses and cowboy-type work, but teaching at fiddle camps, participating in a concert celebrating the 110th anniversary of the arrival of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary in Saskatchewan in 1903, and attending the 2013 Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition where his son Wyatt was a showcase performer. BTW, first place in that competition went to James Steele, from Saskatoon! Go Western Canada!
I hope all of you who are signed up for orchestra are as enthusiastic about the program as Mr. B and I are! It really is such a wonderful opportunity and you would be amazed at what just a few minutes of regular practice each night will do for you over the school year! Remember to keep an eye on that orchestra schedule - it is vitally important to attend those classes and your subject teachers are aware of that and will arrange for you to catch up on what you have missed in your other classes. Speaking from Quinn's experience, she was a bit apprehensive at first - she waited until grade eight to sign up - but it became one of the favourite parts of her day! I really, really hope for that for all of you this year!

Mr. Bernier playing at the 110th Anniversary concert of the Sisters in July.