Music Ed Monday – Driving Lessons
I got to spend some time in Canmore, AB (Canada) this past weekend. You know, this place: It’s a really beautiful town, but I really didn’t have a hot clue where I was going most of the time. I’m a pretty nervous driver when I’m in a place that I don’t know very well, so I was being extra observant and extra careful. Most of … Continue reading Music Ed Monday – Driving Lessons
BEAT ALL THE FINAL FANTASIES – FFX
I’m trying to remember exactly when I was playing Final Fantasy X for the first time. It came out when I was in Grade 10, though I first saw it when my cousin showed it to me at my grandmother’s house in Gimli, the town where I grew up. But even still, I don’t think I started really playing it until I was university, which was … Continue reading BEAT ALL THE FINAL FANTASIES – FFX
Music Ed Monday – The Year of No
A few years ago, two of my very good friends made a New Year’s Resolution to say yes to anyone invited them out to something, hoping to embark on some new adventures and live a little more. “Want to go out for drinks?” Yes. “Want to go snowboarding next weekend?” Yes. “Want to come to the beach in fifteen minutes?” Yes. Yes. Yes. And so on, … Continue reading Music Ed Monday – The Year of No
Music Ed Monday – …Because They’re Hard
The following is a story about how I finally did the thing that most people I grew up with did when they were twelve. In the past sixteen years, I have started The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time four times. The first time, I only got to the Goron Village and then I had to return my friend’s Nintendo 64 because it was 1998, after … Continue reading Music Ed Monday – …Because They’re Hard
Music Ed Monday – The Quest for Beer at the Orchestra
Back in Summer of 2015, I was asked by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra if I could do an arrangement of a pop song for a divisional choir and the orchestra. Every other year, the River East Transcona School Division hires out the orchestra to play with their choir. This was an enormous opportunity, so of course I said yes, then got it done on time … Continue reading Music Ed Monday – The Quest for Beer at the Orchestra
Music Ed Monday – Fine-Thanks-And-You (Part 1)
(This is part one of a two-part post. The first part will introduce the topic, while the second will address some of the skills associated with what it looks like in a classroom, at least at a rudimentary level). The CBC (our public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) ran a program this past year on its current events show about mindfulness in the classroom. It … Continue reading Music Ed Monday – Fine-Thanks-And-You (Part 1)
VGM Wednesday – “Demise of the Ritual” from Shadow of the Colossus
“Demise of the Ritual” from Shadow of the Colossus, by Ko Otani Shadow of the Colossus is one of those games that I never, ever thought I would beat. I don’t know why, but I had this fear of it, like I wasn’t very good or something. I knew a ton of people who’d beaten it, but I never thought I’d be one of them… … Continue reading VGM Wednesday – “Demise of the Ritual” from Shadow of the Colossus
Icelandic Folk Song Suite – PREMIERE!
The Winnipeg Wind Ensemble is premiering my new work, “Icelandic Folk Song Suite,” on May 3rd and 4th! Hope you can make it out! The May 3rd premiere takes place at Gimli High School in my hometown of Gimli, MB, Canada. They will be joined by the Gimli High School Senior Concert Band, which is really crazy because that’s the band I grew up in. … Continue reading Icelandic Folk Song Suite – PREMIERE!
BEAT ALL THE FINAL FANTASIES: IX
[Some spoilers, but come on, the game came out fifteen years ago!] I’ve really put this on the backburner, but I’m still slowly working through one of the most important series of my life. I’ve put a lot of time and love into these stories, and it’s quite a bit different revisiting them as an adult – not better or worse, just different. I was … Continue reading BEAT ALL THE FINAL FANTASIES: IX
Sabbatical Roundup – Highlights
Today is the last day of my sabbatical. Who would’ve thought 150 days would blow by so quickly? It’s been a very productive five months, though, and I thought that I’d share some of my favourite events and projects from my sabbatical time. 1) Premiering Morgun with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra There is something very surreal about getting to work with some of the best musicians … Continue reading Sabbatical Roundup – Highlights