Winter recitals at The Lane School of Music are next week. Our students have been preparing for months! We aren’t kidding! It takes that much time to set yourself up for a successful performance. Rebecca and Zara are here with five tips to help you get ready for your next recital. They have advice on choosing repertoire and outfits, practicing and …

Rebecca and Zara are back with more interesting instruments! This week we are learning all about the clarinet. And no one is better to give us the ins and outs of this member of the woodwind family (and a few of its cousins) than Kelly Sanchuk. Kelly is a multi-instrumentalist hailing from Saskatchewan. She is also one of The Lane School of Music’s…

The Hockey Sweater is a Canadian children’s book by Roch Carrier. It tells the story of a boy in Quebec who gets the wrong jersey in the mail and is forced to play hockey with a group of Montreal Canadian’s fans, while repping the Toronto Maple Leafs. In February, The Toronto Symphony will be presenting this book in concert form. How cool is that? …

Music is a big part of any celebration, and the holidays are no exception! We have created a list of holiday musical classics to make your season even more merry and bright. It includes classical, jazz and pop music inspired songs and shows. Watch and listen live or cozy up with a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy at home. How will you be adding music…

The music world is VERY small! Today’s guest is extra special because she is the parent of one of Rebecca’s former violin students and a fellow music studio owner. Rhonda Hanson is a music teacher and soon to be accredited music therapist based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At her music studio, she runs a very important and unique program called Sing It…

In this episode Zara steps down from hosting duties to be a KQTM guest! She is joined by soccer teammate and Lane School of Music student Norah to compare playing sports and taking music lessons. From an outside perspective they may seem to have no connection. But, both involve winning, practicing, scoring, building skills and teamwork. They often …

Tania Miller believes that anybody can be a conductor, just like her! Tania grew up in small town Saskatchewan and now conducts orchestras all over the world. She even conducted Rebecca in the RCM orchestra 15 years ago. And no, her job does not involve driving a train. She shares with us what the conductor does up on the podium, what the white sti…

If you’re in Toronto between October 14th and November 4th, head over to The Four Seasons Centre to see the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Carmen by Georges Bizet! Carmen is one of the most well-known and commonly performed operas in the world. It is a tragic love story, full of earworms and a very energetic children’s chorus. In this episo…

Fall lessons are back in full swing! How did you prepare over the summer? Did practicing not quite fit into the summer schedule amongst beach days, soccer games, and camping trips? It’s always ok to take some time off, but here is some advice to re-start practicing after a long break. Rebecca and Zara have three easy tips to get back to music makin…

Welcome to season 3 of Kids Q The Music! We are getting ready to bring you another year of musical adventures. To kick off this season, Rebecca and Zara are reminiscing about their favourite episodes (remember all the “fluffy noises” when our LSM students came up with new definitions for the word tutti?) and making a wish list of who they want to i…

Season 2 of Kids Q The Music brought us tons of laughs, helped us discover new and interesting music, and allowed us to meet very talented musicians from across the country and abroad. In this episode, Rebecca and Zara are revisiting five of their favourite moments from the past year. (It was so hard to choose only five!) Did your favourite musical…

We often think opera singing is for grown-ups only. It requires advanced technical skills and a deep understanding of music and languages. But did you know there have been tons of roles written for children? Very famous examples are the Three Spirits from Mozart’s The Magic Flute. The Spirits, played by children, help guide the main character, Tami…

The Musical Terms Trivia Show is back for a second round! This time it’s a violinist party. Rebecca and Zara are joined by Siobhan and Corinne to give fresh definitions to four musical terms. These Lane School of Music students are experts when it comes to following musical directions. They know when to cut violin strings, how to whistle a song fro…

You know the saying the show must go on? No matter what happens backstage or onstage, musicians must present their performance to the expectant audience. While events that could de-rail a performance are, for most musicians, just a scary thought that never comes to fruition; Lane School of Music violin student Brooksley experienced this firsthand. …

Kids grow quickly, but unfortunately their instruments will always stay the same size. There comes a point when your mini musician isn’t so mini anymore and will have to say goodbye to their best musical friend. This is what happened to two of the Lane children just a few weeks ago. Zara has a new violin named Kevin or Bob (name pending) and Charle…

Have you ever met an opera singing bassoonist? Rebecca and Zara have, and she’s only nine years old! Olivia Pady is a quint (mini bassoon) player and member of the Canadian Children’s Opera Company’s principal chorus. The CCOC works in collaboration with the Canadian Opera Company, allowing its young members to perform in professional operatic prod…

Rebecca, Zara and special guest co-host Chirps have complied a playlist guaranteed to make you fall in love with classical music. Get ready to be transported to outer space, the forest, a carnival, and into a beehive by orchestral scores, narrators and familiar melodies. These five pieces are sure to be loved by kids and parents alike! Playlist: ht…

Have you ever fallen out of your practice routine? It happens to every musician at some point, and it can feel cumbersome to get back on track. If this sounds like you, take this as a sign that April is your month to get back on track. (Especially if you are a Lane School of Music Student trying to become a practice star during practice month!) Reb…

Where do you find musical inspiration? For artists, simply looking up to the sky can stimulate the creative juices. Many musicians have been inspired by birds, rainbows, stars and the sun. For Halifax based-pianist Jennifer King, her musical inspiration comes from the moon. Jennifer has released two solo piano albums O Mistress Moon and O Mistress …

Writing and producing an opera is no small feat. It marries the art of music and theatre, so it’s nothing without a gripping storyline! In this episode, Zara is re-writing the plots to three popular operas, based their title, main characters and a single plot point. The first, is the story of a prince named Tamino who turns the world into cheese. T…

Student’s enrolled in the Claude Watson Secondary Arts Program at Earl Haig Secondary School have the unique opportunity to focus their studies on visual or performing arts. Those students who successfully audition as music majors, are taught by Deborah Pady. Deborah joins us this week to discuss how she teaches and inspires her students to compose…

Zara has finally realized her greatest dream, playing the piano! After many Kids Q The Music guests advocated for playing both violin and piano, Rebecca won mom of the year but signing her young violinist up for piano lessons. They discuss what to expect at your first lesson, the difference between online and in-person lessons and what kind of pian…

Rebecca and Zara are joined by another mother-daughter musical duo in this week’s episode! Patricia Ahern is a baroque violinist who plays with the world-renowned, Toronto based orchestra, Tafelmusik. Her daughter, Liliana Mahave, is a music major in the Claude Watson Arts Program at Earl Haig Secondary School and is already making a name for herse…

If are a long-time listener of Kids Q The Music, you know Zara has been wishing with all her might for a piano. Well, her wish came true and has opened a new door of musical exploration. We are thrilled to introduce Zara Lane, composer. Zara discusses the compositional process and techniques, and even performs her own pieces. Her current catalogue …

Four-year-old Jialiang Zhu just wanted a piece of birthday cake and ended up with a piano. It was a happy accident though! Jialiang is now a professional pianist based in Toronto and is the only pianist in her piano trio, The Bedford Trio. Don’t worry, she clears up that confusion for us! She shares with us how the trio formed, what kind of music t…

This week we are joined by a violinist, composer, photographer, cat lover and movie star. Oh! Did we mention this is just one person? Alice Hong is a musician who wears many different hats, and being a musician is what granted her all these opportunities. Alice is a member of the Edgewood String Quartet (who get to play for 1000 candles twice a wee…

In the olden days, it was common to have a name inspired by your career, class status, or place of birth. But what else can a name tell you about someone? Maybe their wealth, favourite food, or species...? In this episode Zara creates biographies of lesser known composers based only on their, very interesting, names. Hildegard von Bingen: http://ww…

Inspired by a local youth string orchestra, Tanya Charles Iveniuk has been on the path to "making it big" as a freelance violinist since the age of 10. (She's definitely made it!) On her way to Carnegie Hall, she stopped by to answer some hard-hitting questions for us. Why do violinists have to stand when they play? Why do performers get flowers? S…

The Nutcracker ballet is a beloved holiday classic all over the world. E.T.A Hoffmann’s story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” paired with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s score, bring holiday dreams to life. Each year the National Ballet of Canada produces a spectacular production of The Nutcracker that includes rollerblading bears and the spectacul…

Do you have a mini musician in your life who needs a special holiday gift? Well, we have a few ideas for you. Form sparkly rosin to symphony tickets, these gifts are guaranteed to bring holiday cheer, and music, into your home! Magic Rosin: https://www.thesoundpost.com/en/store/accessories/violin/rosin/magic-rosin Manhasset music stands: https://ww…

Zara's guide to musical terms is expanding and this time she brought along some friends. We have gathered some of the brightest and most creative minds The Lane School of Music has to offer for a musical terms trivia show! Pianists Vivianne and Mirei, and singer Norah are ready with lemon toast, nocturnal animals, and modelling clay to give fresh d…

Donna Rhodenizer is a composer, songwriter, performer, multi-instrumentalist, and elementary music specialist. She is known for her imaginative and humorous compositions for children. (If you've ever done a Royal Conservatory of Music voice exam, you may have sung one of her songs!) With Donna, we discuss why learning to sing is so important and ho…

We use music in our day-to-day lives to relax, motivate, learn and have fun. But music can also be used to help heal and strengthen our bodies and minds through music therapy. Music therapy uses music to help reach non-musical goals such as movement and communication (and much more) with the help of a music therapist like Mia Clow. This week Mia te…

In Honour of Remembrance Day, we sat down with Dr. Michelle Boyd, professor of musicology at Acadia University. Wait a second! Shouldn’t a doctor be working at a hospital, not a university? Well, Dr. Boyd is a very special kind of doctor. She holds a PhD in musicology making her an expert in music research! Her job is to research how music relates …

Sheet music and repertoire books are covered in special instructions, often written in unfamiliar languages. It’s difficult to memorize them all, so Zara is here to assist you. What’s an anacrusis? Obviously, it’s when you invite your friend Ana over to play before practicing. Have you ever seen the term da capo? It’s just a friendly reminder that …

Happy Halloween! Our treat…or maybe trick for you this year is a selectin of spooky classical music. (Sorry, we already ate all the chocolate). There is a deathly dance, a marching band of witches, a familiar but frightening organ fugue and a few monsters on a mountain to get you into that creepy, crawly Halloween mood. Did we scare you? Hear the f…

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a concert you could carry around in your pocket? Something small, and compact that you could listen to anywhere? Science hasn’t quite come that far yet, but musicians Rory and Emily have come up with the next best thing! Rory McLeod, violist and Emily Rho, pianist are co-directors of Pocket Concerts. They have created a …

It's been over a year since the last Rebecca Reads! If you didn't catch them last summer, Rebecca and her kids read a musical book each week on The Lane School of Music Facebook page. Now, very special guests Charles and Thomas Lane, are here to help Rebecca and Zara review their favourite musical books. They have books about piano playing bears, c…

Pianos can fall out of tune for a variety of reasons. Playing it too much, not playing it enough or changes in the weather are the most common. But what do you do when this happens? Buy a DIY kit on Amazon? No way! Call your friendly neighbourhood piano technician. Michael Janes is a piano technician who has tuned pianos from Dubai to Newfoundland …

From “Invasion of the Ant Colony” to writing operas for the Canadian Opera Company, Ian Cusson has been telling stories through music since he was 8 years old. Ian is a Canadian composer of opera, art song and orchestral works who is heavily influenced by his Métis roots. He shares how he tells stories through sound, the benefits of brushing your t…

By Rebecca Lane and Zara Lane

Suzuki, Star Wars, and Zoom don't seem to go together. But, Lane School of Music violin teacher Adrian Irvine found a way for them to blend together in perfect harmony!.. Literally. Adrian is here to share how a Suzuki violin group class can still play together in a Zoom recital and make it really fun for both the students and audience. All it take…

So many instruments, so little time! Sometimes it's hard to decide which one we want to learn. Lane School of Music student Shaila knows how that feels! She was one of Rebecca's very first violin students, is currently a voice student at LSM and is soon to be a pianist too! Shaila shares how transitioning between instruments has helped her excel in…

Lane School of Music students have become experts in the art of virtual performing over the past year. At the beginning of June, 325 students performed in 12 recitals over Zoom, to display their hard work and talents to family and friends. In this episode, Rebecca and Zara interview two students who gave stellar performances. Pianist Sadie, reveals…

Non-profit, volunteer run arts organization Fuse, believes art is for everyone. We at Kids Q The Music fully agree! Rebecca and Zara sat down with two of Fuse's directors, Breanna Lalonde Director of Marketing and Roland Kessler Director of Community Engagement, to talk about their mission and recent projects. They broadened our idea of what an art…

What is music? How should it make us feel? What should music written today sound like? These are the questions contemporary composers are trying to answer…and so are Rebecca and Zara. This week they learn that music can sound like an epic movie scene or like an animal jumping on the piano. They also discuss if singers need a melody and if rubber du…

The world is full of interesting instruments! We are sure you can name tons, but some are less common than others. Join Rebecca and Zara as they see and hear five instruments they’ve never heard of and you probably haven’t either. Some are very old, some come from far away islands, and others are just a little wacky. Learn more about these instrume…

How do you become a professional clarinettist? It’s not just about being lucky. It takes a ton of practice and a bit of bravery! In this episode Rebecca and Zara interview clarinettist Sean Rice about his journey from school band to The Juilliard School to this day to day life as a member of one of the world’s top orchestras; The National Arts Cent…

St. James Town Community Arts provides musical opportunities for kids in the community of St. James Town right here in Toronto! In this episode, Rebeca and Zara chat with one of St. James Town’s senior voice students Thaanya. She gave us the ins and outs of online voice lessons (as a student and teacher) and how music will help her in dreams of bec…

To practice or not to practice? This is often the question students and parents ask as the school year comes to an end and summer draws nearer. Should our instruments go on vacation with us? Should they hibernate for an entire season? Will my instrument be upset if I don’t play it for two whole months? Rebecca and Zara breakdown three options for s…