Report on Youth Suicide

This is a report I wrote on a couple of youth suicides earlier this year. This report was published in Issue 2 2011 The CAPA Quarterly, the Journal of the Counsellors and Pychotherapists Association of NSW Inc. To subscribe to this journal email office@capa.asn.au or check out their Blog www.thecapaquarterly.blogspot.com
May 2011 Journal

Hogpiano Cup Progress

Have just updated the Hogpiano Cup Progress page. Check it out at the left of this screen.

Youth Suicide & Cyberbullying

GREAT weekend in Port Macquarie at a CAPA PDE. I'm a member of the CAPA Regional & Rural SubCommittee representing regional Counsellors. We organised a weekend series of workshops. Can't wait tell you about it ALL! 

BUT...to start with....Great presentation on Youth Suicide & the Social Media/Cyberspace! See Hastings Youthspace link below, but the 'take home' message was STOP - BLOCK - TELL about CYBERBULLYING!!!

We organised this workshop following a couple of recent related adolescent suicides in the Port Macquarie region. We thought this was a timely topic to discuss for NSW regional Counsellors.

BIG MESSAGE - DON'T KEEP THOUGHTS ABOUT SUICIDE A SECRET!!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001959576627

Great weekend at Port Macquarie!

Finally home after a great weekend in Port Macquarie. Great speakers - love catching up with regional Counsellors! Can't wait to update you when I catch up on my sleep. Big drive from Newcastle!

A Weekend at Port Macquarie

This weekend I will be attending a CAPA Workshops Weekend at Port Macquarie. Am looking forward to seeing a session on Mental Health with Carers, & also a session on Youth Suicide & Social Media. All places are fully booked & the weekend promises to be a good one.

Creativity to Heal

Creative pursuits such as painting, drawing, music and writing really help people who are feeling depressed.

Painting a brighter future - Art weaves a way out of depression - ABC Sydney - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Alice's 6 Missing Teeth

This morning Alice came for her lesson missing 6 teeth. She pointed to the space where her front teeth should be & told me that's what she wants for Xmas! I asked her if daddy had taught her how to whistle through the hole. She said NO. But she CAN stick her little tongue out through the gap at the front! Tooth fairy is probably getting poor in Alice's house! :)

Is It Realistic?

We often bounce our way through life happily dreaming about the way things should be. We judge ourselves and others according to our own rigid set of rules about how things are meant to be. Sometimes we're not even aware of these rules we set - they're just an automatic thing about us....or so we think. These are our expectations - the boundaries around our existence. How we, or others, fit or don't fit inside this fence in our mind is met with either approval or non-approval. We judge ourselves and others and, in our own case, this forms our 'evidence' for self-pride or shame.

Then one day, we get smacked in the face with......REALITY. Reality is that thing that just hangs around trying to find a way to burst our bubble of  contentment. At some stage, those rose-coloured glasses of ours start to warp a little. Not too much at first, but it adds up until eventually they just fall off as we frantically attempt to shield ourselves from the glare. There's something about that harsh blinding light that destabilises us. For a while, we can't seem to get our bearings.

A cold windy day is perfect for...

Cold & windy outside today - perfect day to snuggle inside in the warm with the piano. Today I went to Lathams Music at Kotara, where they're having their annual sale. There are loads of boxes of great cheap music! Oh...what would I do with $1 000 at Lathams????  (we can dream, can't we?)

At the sale I picked up The Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream - SUCH a beautiful piece of music composed by Mendelssohn! Think I might be 'tinkling' later (my word for just relaxing at the piano) with Mr Mendelssohn!

A snuggle with Bach

Yesterday I downloaded several different versions of the Bach Prelude & Fugue I'm playing from Itunes. I put them on my Ipod & had a lovely night snuggled in bed listening to them all. 11 different professionals interpreting the same pieces of music. Such a difference! It's amazing what they each help you to hear!

My Piano Practice

There's no getting around the fact that finding time to do some piano practice is difficult. There's always something better or more important to do. It seems like just another chore. Like 'self-care' piano practise just needs to be a planned task!  There's the sermon over with!

One of the things that I'm learning at my piano practice is a Bach Fugue (Nr 23 in Book 1 of his Well Tempered Clavier, in B Major). I'm playing both the Prelude & Fugue & it's a 'head scratcher' at times! It seems like everytime I go to my piano lesson my teacher gets me to change the fingering of the Fugue again. This time she's photocopied another edition with different fingering for me to compare & work out what's best. Ordinarily I'd be frustrated by all these changes & the seemingly drawn-out process of learning the Fugue. However this time I'm finding it exciting! All this working out of fingering is actually making it easier to get through all the notes.

With this Fugue in 4 voices, & notes just everywhere, it's really hard to accomplish the finger gymnastics required. But, with the help of all this experimentation, I'm actually finding that I'm ploughing through it quicker! It gives me such a nice sense of achievement & with that the excitement of getting there finally! And I just LOVE the sound of this Prelude & Fugue!!  It's so melodic - so beautiful to listen to.

So when I actually get to sit down & practise I'm hooked!  Can't stop - it gets me IN!  LOVE the feeling of LOVING PRACTISING!!  Speaking of practising......think I'll just do some right now.....in my pyjamas.....   :)))

Ultimate Excuse for not Coming to a Lesson!!

Sharon:  I missed you last week at your lesson Renee
Renee:    I was in London at the wedding!
Sharon:  Really??  You went to the wedding in London??
Renee:   Yes!  It was really beautiful & the dress was really big!  Did you see it on TV?
Sharon:  Yes. Where were you standing?
Renee:   Oh...just near the church!  Then when it started we went inside the little hallway to watch.
(Renee continues with a blow by blow description of the wedding & attendees, while remarking on their beauty & fashion, & the order of flower girls & page boys.)
Sharon:   So Renee. How did mummy get the tickets?
Renee:    Oh, they just came in her letterbox!
Sharon:   Really?   Who sent them?
Renee:    I don't know (shrugs shoulders) they just CAME!  We flew back on Friday.

When daddy picked her up after the lesson I remarked about them being in London last week. He said, "No?'. I said, "Well Renee said you got tickets in the mail."  Daddy laughed & said, "No. If we had tickets, I'd have them on Ebay quick smart!'

after lunch..

2.35pm...lunch over....now time for 45 min horizontal study before first student arrives. Almost the weekend....   :)

Introducing the Hogpiano Cup for Term 2

Introducing the Hogpiano Cup for Term 2.

For the uninitiated, the Hogpiano Cup is a fun event that my piano students engage in each term. They score points for their practise & achievements each week. The points get tallied on the scoreboard so that everyone can see how the competition is developing. It was very exciting last term, with the eventual winner being Dobby House, & the highest individual points scorer being Matthew. Matthew & the Dobby House members were all highly excited to recieve their own Hogpiano Cup trophy. Many of the children this term are not only trying to be in the winning house, but also to improve on their Term 1 individual points score.

Friday mornings

10.30am Friday morning. Just finished morning teaching so it's now breakfast time. I love Friday mornings starting with little Alex who is so curious & funny. Then a couple of retired students. Have just finished with Graham who has decided to learn Leonard Cohen's Hallelujiah!   How fun - reckon I'll be singing that all weekend...

Learning a Fugue in 5 Easy Steps (apparently)

I really like this 'how-to' to learn a fugue. Not sure if it passes as 'easy' but I think it might help. I'm learning a Bach Fugue at the moment. Fugue Nr 23 in Book 1 of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. A beautiful Fugue in 4 voices that is turning my hair grey but keeping my eyes sparkling.
http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/how-to-learn-any-fugue-in-5-easy-steps/

7 year old studying Grade 8 piano

What do you think about a 7 year old who is studying Grade 8 piano??
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyamahadownload.yamaha-europe.com%2Flive_news.php%3Fid%3D415%26mtcCampaign%3D-1%26mtcEmail%3D63690293&h=a5be2

Hokey Pokey at Community Fundraiser

On Saturday night I led the Hokey Pokey on the piano at a Community Fundraiser for Qld Premier's Appeal. It was fun! Almost $1000 was raised on the night by Coal Point Progress Association. GREAT JOB! The hall looked beautiful!! My personal favourite was Russ the Harmonica Player who played Blues Harmonica - he was AWESOME!!!
Check out my facebook page for other interesting stories like this  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ellamentary-Counselling-Piano/113114688770329?ref=ts