Christmas Play-In & Party
December 15, 2024
It has been a tradition in my school to hold an annual Play-In and Party for my students.
We hold this in December during the festive season of Christmas. It is a time when my students meet in an informal setting, show off and play for one another, get together over pizza and goodies, get to know more about each other, and hopefully bond new friendships.
I believe that this social interaction creates an atmosphere where my students develop more self confidence, find inspiration to love their music more, and motivate themselves to practice more and play better.
It is wonderful to see my students bonding with each other over pizza and goodies.....
A Wonderful Day of Music
2024 Spring Recital
Spring is my favorite time of the year. This is why we hold our annual recitals in this season of beauty and happiness. Each time I go up the stage at the start of our recitals, I look at all my students properly seated in the front rows eagerly waiting to be called up for their performance. As I gaze upon them I imagine I am in a beautiful garden blooming with flowers. What a wonderful sight I see. What a refreshing feeling.​
The students are the plants and flowers in my imagined garden. The younger ones are like the new plants slowly but nicely growing under the bright sun. They are the delicate seedlings that need to be nurtured, watered, fertilized and patiently cared for. They are the children in the process of learning and growing in their early musical life. Many years of development, practice and studying lie ahead of them. Teacher and parents will sprinkle them with love and discipline in order to ensure that their musical lives will grow well
We will not rush them, but we will not stop. In Dr. Shinichi Suzuki’s words, “Don’t hurry, don’t rest. We’ll surely get you there.”
As with a well kept garden, where mature plants radiate their beauty and splendor, there are also advanced students who have already spent many years of learning and training and who now play and perform beautiful music to the delight and accolade of their audience. They have reached musical maturity. They are the mature flowering plants in my imagined garden.
A fantasy garden where music can grow to decorate the lives of people - These are the visions and thoughts that come to my mind each time we hold our annual spring recitals.
It is a new beginning for the little ones who start with piano lessons; it is also a new beginning when as grown-ups they leave.
Spring always comes. When it ends,
we know it will come again.
2024 ORMTA Piano Competitions
Etobicoke Mississauga Branch
Yet Again. Another Year. Another Medal Haul
My students did it again this year. They took home five (5) First Places and Six (6) Second Places. CONGRATULATIONS
Sean Zhou, Annabelle Man, Jason Lau, Marie Noel Nasr, Marc Andre Nasr, Ethan de Jesus,
Robbie de Jesus, Joanna Rymbai, Rheena Magaso, Nathalie Magaso, Hosanna Emmanuel
and to finalisits Noah Masucci, Helam Sim, and Valerie Wang.
Adjudicating the competition was DR. JOE FERRETTI shown here in dark business suit.
Annual Spring Recital
June 11, 2023
Another marvelous Recital performance by all my talented students.
It was a delightful Sunday afternoon. Proud parents and happy grandparents came to watch and marvel as their children displayed their talents and played the music they've learned this past year.
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I want to thank all my students for working and practicing diligently in order to polish their pieces. I also want to thank all the parents for the effort of taking them to piano lessons every week and for giving their children all they support they need in furthering their music education.
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2023 ORMTA Competition Finals
BRAVO !!! What a spectacular performance by my students!
In the recent Finals of the 2023 ORMTA Piano Competitions in Etobicoke Mississauga, held last May 27-28, eleven of my students were in the finals. They brought home a total of TEN MEDALS - Seven First Places, two Second Places, and one Third Place.
2023 ORMTA ASSESSMENT
ORMTA recently held its piano assessment in order to choose which students qualify for the Final Competition to be held next May. I am very proud to say, that as in all previous years, all my students who joined the assessments have qualified for the Finals.
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CONGRATULATIONS - Sean Zhou, Noah Masucci, Jason Lau, Angelique Villacastin, Valerie Wang, Nathalie Magaso, Rheena Magaso and Helam Sim. Last December's assessment qualifiers are Marie Nasr, Marc Nasr, Joanna Rymbai,
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ABOVE: Noah Masucci playing "Sonatina in G Major" by J. Dussek.
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BELOW: Rheena Magasso playing "Sonatina Opus 55 #1" by F. Kuhlau.
2023 ORMTAÂ MasterClass
Dr. Jared Dunn, Clinician
Sean Zhou Performing
One of my Grade 10 students, Sean Zhou, performs during a MasterClass under the direction clinician Dr. Jared Dunn shown seated in the foreground. Sean's piece was "Romanian Folk Dances" by Bela Bartok.
Lita Zagala and other ORMTA teachers pose for a photo with Dr. Jared Dunn
A MasterClass in piano is a special class taught by someone who is an expert in a particular class of music. It fortifies and adds to the lessons that a student gets from his regular teacher. ORMTA holds MasterClasses on a regular basis for the benefit of students of ORMTA members.
2022 Spring Recital
My student Sean Zhou won 2nd Place in the ORMTA Greater Toronto Area Piano competitions recently. Congratulations Sean.
Congratulations to my students who participated in the 2022 ORMTA Assessments. All are moving up to the Scholarship Competitions to be held in May this year.
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MARCH 29 UPDATE
Congratulations to Sean Zhou
for winning the Branch Zone Intermediate Competition. He will represent the Etobicoke-Mississauga branch in the GTA competitions in June.
PHOTO ABOVE -- 2019 PRE PANDEMIC CHRISTMAS PLAY-iN
I miss gathering my students together for some fun, like the photo above taken in December 2019. I wish we could go back to normal when I could resume our traditional Christmas Party and Play In for my students. So much fun with kids enjoying a Holiday get together where they can show off their piano skills to one another. That said, here is WISHING EVERYONE A VERY MERRY & BLESSED CHRISTMAS, and I hope everybody is staying safe.
September 2021 - My students are now able to return to my studio for IN PERSON lessons.
