What I've Been Up To Lately

A view of the -34C weather in Edmonton from the
26th floor of the Coast Edmonton House

This has been one of the busiest years on record for me. With over 50 students, my schedule (including two classes this year at the RCM) has been a lot tighter than in previous years. Here are some of the things I've been doing, with a huge announcement appearing last:

• In January, I spent two weeks examining in Alberta, with stops in Edmonton, Calgary, and Lethbridge. In April I'm off to Halifax, with another week and a half in northern Alberta and BC in mid-June.
• I've been appointed to the Faculty Association table team for collective bargaining negotiations at the RCM this spring. You almost certainly won't be hearing any progress reports on this front until we reach a deal for the faculty's next collective agreement.
• A few weeks ago, I gave a lecture recital about some of the musical activities I've been up to lately. I'll post the speech in the next few days.
• This is the biggest news: Wendy and I bought a house! Just a short drive away from where we live now, I'll be able to continue teaching my entire Oakville studio in a much larger studio space, featuring a 12-foot ceiling. In addition, I just discovered a monumental coincidence a few evenings ago: my next-door neighbor will be none other than Oakville piano teacher Melodie Hewer as well as her son, composer (and long-time CPB reader) Trevor Hewer. Yes, the two busiest piano teachers in Oakville will be living next door to each other.

I'm not the only one who's had a busy schedule - here's my student Tiffany in a performance a few days ago at the Toronto Kiwanis Festival, playing the first movement of the Dussek Sonatina in E flat major: