Calgary plans for the year

Our 2009-2010 Calgary planning continues to evolve. Two new bits of the puzzle have fallen into place. First, we think we've found a piano teacher for Erin in Calgary. The wonderful woman who has worked with her a tiny bit as an accompanist to her on violin has expressed enthusiasm for the idea of helping her learn to work as an accompanist on piano. We'll be fleshing out that possibility as we head more into the fall. Erin's keen on the idea of this sort of piano lesson, which would focus on accompaniment parts for repertoire she's likely to be called on to play with her friends back here at home.

The overnight bus back from Calgary arrives in Nelson in the morning. I could pick her up (a three-hour round-trip drive), but four and a half hours later I'd have to turn around and drive her and Fiona and a carload of teenagers back to Nelson for a choir rehearsal and piano lesson. The other puzzle piece comes courtesy of her former piano teacher, who has offered to pick her up at the bus station and let her nap or dump her luggage or practice or vegetate in a corner of her home until I arrive in the afternoon with the rest of the crew. Excellent! This will make all the difference.

Noah seems to be making progress in becoming an effective viola practicer. I hold out hope that his regimen of merely monthly lessons will serve him a little better than it did last year. Overall he had a great summer with lots of success and challenging musical experiences under his belt.

We'll be heading to Calgary this week for the first go 'round of the year. I'll be helping Erin figure out public transit and the bus station rigmarole. She's a seasoned traveller, it's true, but not in North America, and she's always had adults with her in the past. She'll be coming home next week on her own. On the overnight bus. Here's hoping there are no creepy guys on the first trip at least.