David Story Toronto Musician
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Music in the 5th Decade

What did I learn this week?

9/29/2020

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Teaching kids is fun. 

​David
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Summer 2020. Learning new things, time well spent.

9/25/2020

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Fall update: 2

9/24/2020

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It looks like rehearsals may soon be shut down again. Crap. What will I do?
  1. Take lessons
  2. Practice
  3. Compose
  4. Mix tracks I've prerecorded
  5. Learn some video editing skills
  6. Exercise
  7. Practice some more
  8. Plan events for the spring and warmer weather
  9. Network
  10. Listen to music, lots of music. Modern stuff, music made by musicians half my age. Shake things up a bit. 

David


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Fall 2020

8/29/2020

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Despite the ongoing pandemic we are finding safe ways to play together. When the weather gets cold it will be a challenge, but we are staying on top of developments. If we must take the winter off, so be it.

In the belief that this will pass, I’ve signed up for another year of classical piano classes and drum lessons. I’m currently completing a course on online piano teaching. I’ve made room in the fall schedule for practice, exercise, and socialising within a busy work life.

This past week I’ve played safely 4 times with musicians of my vintage. All of them are fine musicians. It was very satisfying.

The pandemic has reminded musicians that music making is primarily a team sport.

David

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The balance of August 2020

8/14/2020

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  1. After a few weeks of holidays things are getting back to normal. teaching resumes next month; it will be another sellout year. 
  2. Jamming this month with the classic Rock band "The Vintage People". Most fun drumming I've done in a long time.
  3. Next week Fade/Dissolve cinematic noise trio records some new tracks. I'm looking forward to giving my new Microfreak synthesizer a workout.
  4. Classes with drummer Lowell Whitty and pianist Jacqueline Leung are resuming. Working with professional musicians half one's age keeps it fresh and me humble.
  5. The fall is looking busy with many sessions planned in safe spaces with the appropriate Covid-19 precautions in place.

Cheers, 

​David
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Week of July 13 2020

7/14/2020

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1. Jam with singer/guitarist Michael McGuire: Swing and Trad. Oh what fun that was. Drumming
2. Rehearsal with guitarist Andrew Stevenson, a fellow educator. We'll be reviewing, refreshing our list of memorized jazz standards. Piano

David Story

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New Acquisitions

7/4/2020

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Tis the season to buy instruments. 
This is going to be fun. The microfreak is for synthesizer freaks, no generic patching here. Just hours of knobby fun to look forward to. 

Gretsch Broadkaster drums, Bebop sizes. I tuned this puppy up, way up and ping. Jazz Heaven. Someday I'll be worthy of them. 
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Business advice for music teachers

6/19/2020

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I'm a minnow in an ocean of sharks. That being said, I have a thriving micro-business. I'm grateful, especially in the age of Covid-19.

From time to time piano teachers call me for advice and a consult. I admire their courage to reach out. Here my notes from a recent meeting with a young piano teacher with amendments. 

Notes from out meeting:
 
  1. Call city hall. Most cities and town have small business programs. Here are sources of inf. for the city of Hamilton Ontario. Lots of resources here. Embrace the label "small business owner".  https://www.hamilton.ca/starting-small-business https://investinhamilton.ca/hamilton-business-centre/
  2. Check your webpage from someone else's phone. This teacher was unaware there were security problems with theirs. 
  3. Customers buy benefits, not features, so consider purchasing happy pictures of piano students from a stock photo shop for your landing page. Take your mug off your landing page. 
  4. Flyers worked last year for you. Start this year in August.
  5. Canada Post worked in October, so try 4 months: August to October, then January. January for the "I got a keyboard for Christmas crowd".
  6. Online small business training through night school. Mohawk or similar institution https://www.mohawkcollege.ca/ce/area-of-study/business
  7. Work on your visibility status in the elite arts crowd in Hamilton.
  8. YouTube channel of RCM repertoire.
  9. Blog for website on helping your child practice. Be the expect in your town. 
  10. Study webpage and blogging strategies. This is an ongoing process as the search engines change things up regularly.
  11. Continue to work on your USP: Unique selling proposition. Otherwise you are a commodity. 
  12. Know your numbers KPIs: Key performance indicators. This are numbers, mostly about calls and $$.

Good luck and call me in a year. 

​David

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Week of June 7 2020

6/7/2020

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Making music in the time of COVID-19
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A time of deep reflection
  • Classical piano coaching continues with Jacqueline
  • Jazz piano coaching continues with Mark
  • Drum coaching with Lowell is going strong
  • Fade/Dissolve cinematic noise trio posts another video this upcoming week. 
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1st Covid duo jam this Wednesday with Rory. He'll stand inside the front door, I'll be in the dinning room on piano 15 feet away. It's a large room, good ventilation, masks. 

July we restart the trios. 

​David
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Week of May 24 2020

5/24/2020

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Practice, study, and teach. Most importantly: reimagining the future. 

​David
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  • Home
  • FADE/DISSOLVE Cinematic Noise Trio
  • Luminous Gestures 2.0 Video
  • Audio and Video
  • Blog: the aging musician
  • Musings
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Photo/Biography
  • Drum Transcriptions
  • Piano Lessons
  • Drum lessons