One of the recurring conversations I've had recently has been about traits in people that are valuable in situations such as at work, with family, or friends. Like the stock market, the value of these traits can rise and fall over the passage of time. More vs. Less Valuable Traits looks at some of these, as well as one I've noticed to be increasingly important.
If there's one thing I'm guilty of as a teacher, it's boasting about my students and their accomplishments, both when they study with me and after. Although Emrys Bourdeau studied piano with me a few years back, she plays bass and sings vocals in Whine Problem, which just released Sleem, their debut EP. The lyrics on this EP are brilliant and it's your own problem if you're offended.
Although Carlos Rojas Rodriguez is an Engineering Science major at the University of Toronto, he is nevertheless a dedicated pianist and studies with me at the RCM's Oscar Peterson School of Music. Late last year he performed the Etude No. 6 from Franz Liszt’s Grande études de Paganini. Today at 5pm, you can see Carlos playing the Canadian premiere of Manuel Ponce's Balada mexicana (fusión versiones orquestal y dos pianos) in Mazzoleni Hall at the RCM.
Here's some interesting stuff from around the web:
- The Liberating Effects of Uncertainty - Anne-Laure Le Cunff on the finding freedom in uncertainty.
- Despite the horrors, the laundry must be done; despite the laundry, the horrors must be faced - useful tools from Annie Mueller on how you can process reality on your own terms.
- Exposure to Anger and Performance - an interesting study by Alberto Chong on the correlation between anger and performance in a cooking competition. Maybe my viola teacher was right to yell at me all those years ago.
- What Kind of Colleague Are You? - Generosity scores high on Susan Eichhorn Young's meditation on what it takes to be a valued colleague.
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Pictured this week is Wendy's "Playtime 2", currently hanging in our Gallery Studio and available for purchase in our store.