How Did Complimentary Time and Materials Impact Your Students this Year? What Worked and What Didn't Work?

Like many teachers, I dove in head first to find a way to keep my students on track during our pandemic year. I think it is safe to say that most teachers whole-heartedly invested extra time, materials, and sought out new opportunities for their students this past year. And we found that this may not have been as constructive for our students as we had hoped. Now, I am not saying our efforts were a total loss: Personally, I had a few students who took full advantage of the opportunities and made significant progress...but not as many as I expected.  

My complementary online music class was conducted as a show-and-tell for students to bring scales, exercises, or pieces they were working on to share. It was a "safe" environment because it was a student only atmosphere with a large age range. (It helps students to hear what others are working on, even if it is a simple scale or one line of a work that interests them.) But the students only brought finished pieces which limited the discussions about the challenges and hurdles presented by the music. This was not the learning experience that I had planned for them. Soon students stopped attending if they didn't have a completed work to present. I tried to redirect the class back to its intended purpose, I failed.  

My "Pando-Vibe Special" was open to my private studio students as well as my students who come to me through a commercial studio.  The only difference was in private lesson fee. I chose to reduce my private studio fee during the year to help those parents and adult students who had lost work hours. While the commercial studio increased the fee to their customers (I have no control over the commercial studio fees.) Any student working with me was welcome to join the once-a-month online class without an additional charge. 

Some of you have shared opportunities and materials that you extended to students on your blogs and in facebook groups and it seems we all followed the same path: purchasing studio licenses for music so students could access music that was out of publication this year, gaining membership into organizations that offered online assessments to students, adding new devices and upgrading technology in our private studios, downloading online music games for students, purchasing music magazines for students with music history supplements, and so much more - all while experiencing a drop in student enrollment. 

As teachers we would all do it again, without hesitation, for our students. But there was a lot of unexpected energy that went into this year that we never could have imagined. I would love to hear your thoughts as private tutors and instructors. What worked, and what didn't work with students this past year in your classrooms and studios? Send your comments to LowCountryStudios@yahoo.com 

 

It's St. Paddy's Day & Music Circles

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you! 🍀 This is a day I celebrate with joy because it reminds me of good times sharing music with other musicians in music circles throughout the years, both in the States and abroad. 

I love Trad and Old Time music because they are historically music genres that bring people together to learn and share tunes without performance pressure. 

Trad tunes are traditional Irish tunes that are well recognized and shared. Old Time music is music that came out of the Appalachian area and is often reminiscent of tunes brought over from the British Isles. I spent a lot of time in Kentucky with my grandmother when I was young and met my passion in this music when I received my first dulcimer made in Berea Kentucky by Warren Mays. Soon I started attending workshops and learned from elders who shared their music. 

Since moving to Charleston South Carolina in 2004 I have been placing ads to attract other folks who would like to gather for slow jams. Slow jams are music circles where people come together purely for enjoyment and learning tunes. I haven't found momentum for Irish music or Old Time music here in the Lowcountry, but there are groups up near North Carolina where I have had opportunities to share.  

I have faith in this town and keep stirring the pot to find other like minded folk who want to share the music. With its history, Charleston should be rich in string music circles. But drum circles are what you find here on the beaches and the string music circles continue to be further North toward Asheville NC or further South into Georgia. 

If you would like to be part of a music circle here in Charleston, learning Trad or Old Time music in a slow jam session, please reach out to me. Acoustic instruments (guitars, mandolins, fiddles, dulcimers, bodhrans, tin whistles and pipes) are most welcome. For now I will continue to share through the internet. 

                                                             💚

These are photos are from my days in Connemara near Clifden where I stayed with my friends, the Krandalls. Norman Krandall owned Peter O'Toole's old family home near the cliffs and was very generous to me on my musical visits. 

 I met Junior Davey and Joe Kennedy in Tubbercurry, South Sligo. They are Bodhran champions and shared their technique in playing the instrument with me. I will always be grateful for their time and mentoring. 

When I lived in Detroit I would often visit the Irish-Canadian club in Windsor, Ontario. It's a small world when you find Canadian friends to jam with a thousand miles away. 

Norman Krandall's generosity will never be forgotten. He owned Peter O'Toole's old family home outside of Clifden in Connemara by the sea and opened his doors and his wallet to me whenever I visited. Norman fought for fair Salmon fishing in Ireland and was well liked by all.

A small pub music circle in Clifden. On the far left is Rollande Krandall, Norman's daughter. She performed on ocarina, mandolin, and bodhran. With Rollande are the King Sisters. The Guiness and Harp on tap are far better than what you find in the States - and I never saw a red head all the days of my time in Ireland.

The stone house above and the stone house below belonged to the Krandalls. It was known around Clifden as the O'Toole house. I am not sharing pictures of the inside for privacy but it was quite lovely with whitewashed walls and a fireplace that you could walk into. Peat, or turf, was burned in the fire to warm the house and the smell was lovely. A small staircase led to a bath and bedroom fitted with two twin beds where I shared a room with Rollande. Norman would climb a ladder to get to his bedroom in an upper loft. It was a short walk to the cliffs over the Atlantic. And sitting on the cliffs I could feel sorrow lifting up out of the rock, from generations past, all around me. Truly this would be a place to live for writers of verse and song. 

This last photo is of a house just a short distance up from Norman's home. It was a round house with a thatched roof owned by a friend of the Krandalls. (Just in case you have never seen a house with a thatched roof.) 

Body Awareness as a Musician

Few musicians pay attention to the body alignment and technique approaches taught to them in their youth. And fortunately young bodies are made to handle this struggle. But as musicians age they will often start to notice aches and limitations. Flute players develop tendonitis, others develop hip pain, etc. That is when they return to a professional coach for alignment help with their instrument. The Alexander Technique has helped many musicians and was often taught to us in University classes. But the popularity of that technique has waned and now musicians often turn to other specialists for help. I have had the privilege of working with artists as a bodywork professional for musicians when I lived in metropolitan areas: I am still called upon for virtual help by musicians who live in other areas. I know the challenges are still out there. So, I want to share a link here that I have shared with my private clients. I think it will help you to be more aware of your body, and movement, while rehearsing, performing.  

Here is the link to the website:  avoid injury 

What Kind of Metronome Should I Buy?

When I was a child I had two metronomes that I used to practice my music. The oldest was an electric box with a lightbulb on top. It was very impressive and had to be from the 40s or 50s. When it stopped working I acquired the traditional triangle shaped metronome with a pendulum. You would wind it up like a clock. If you had a cat that liked to sit on the piano while you played, the cat would be batting at the pendulum when it went back and forth making for a lot of missed beats. (And a lot of fun!) Today, choosing a metronome is a more complex task.

For budget minded individuals, you can use your phone's search bar and simply put in the word "metronome." A simple metronome will appear with a slider bar that allows you to increase or decrease the beats per minute (bpm), and a start/stop button. The sound you will hear is a clean consistent tick.

For those who own keyboards, you may have a metronome built into the unit. However, the sounds of the metronome vary with keyboards: some are clicks, but simpler models have beeps.

If you go to a music store and request a metronome, you will be faced with many choices. And this is where students get lost. Many of the metronomes produced today contain beeps that are irritating to some students. Others are not as simple as turning off and turning on a beat. Some devices make you choose the time signature and note breakdown. New students are simply not able to understand how to figure out and enter this information into the metronome - so they give up on using a metronome altogether. 

I realized recently that I need to tell my students which metronome to purchase because a customer service representative in a store will often have them over-purchase. I felt especially bad when I sent an elderly student to purchase a metronome and he was talked into buying a $200 unit that he never could understand how to use.

So here is my suggestion. It is a Wittner MT-50 metronome that produces one sound - a click. It is run by a single battery and can be found for under $25. If you are a student of mine and the music store does not carry this model, or tells you they can not order it for you, you can order it online, or I will be happy to order it for you. In my book, a simple metronome, with a toneless click, will always be a student's best choice. 

My Patreon Page, Online Gatherings, PLUS A Welcome Hand from Columbia SC

Since I last posted a lot has been happening in the music studio. I have been donating time every month to hold an online music class so that children and adults can have the opportunity to play music for one another. Without the space or opportunity to come together for recitals (due to the pandemic restrictions) this has been a positive and fun experience for everyone. The children get to see one another and everyone is so supportive. 

I am excited to tell you that I am building a Patreon site. You know my passion for making music a part of everyone's life: Well, I am hoping this site will be a key to that manifestation. When I lived in other areas I had Angels that would give financial scholarships to my studio so families experiencing financial challenges could have 6 - 12 months of music lessons at low to no cost. I am searching for those Angels in this Holy City. I believe there are people here that would love to help - I simply haven't met them yet.

If you would like to become an Angel and donate a dollar a month or more to my Patreon project you can join my Patreon page at www.Patreon.com/LowCountryStudios. 

Another step in a positive direction, for this music studio, was made in 2020. We were blessed to be welcomed into a Columbia chapter of the National Federation of Music Clubs. Their kindness in welcoming me and my students, and allowing me to form a Junior Music Club here in Charleston, has given my students the opportunity to take part in these yearly National Music Festivals. The  NFMC requires each student to perform a piece of music by an American composer in addition to a foreign composer. So many children can name Bach, Beethoven and Mozart - but are not aware of our rich heritage of American composers. Nine of my students are taking part in this event next month. Charleston has never had opportunities for private music students through this well respected organization. I am so very grateful to have been given the opportunity to open this door for music students. 

Change

2020 has insisted on changing everyone's routine.

Now, as teachers and providers of music, we are working every day to discover new ways to encourage and educate our students. At the same time, we are researching new ways to bring live art and music to our audiences. 

As instructors and creatives, we will not give up. We know how important access to the arts is to individuals of all ages, especially in challenging times. 

Fortunately, we have a means of continuing to educate our students through the internet. And we have found that it has been a special blessing for some. 

For students who have sensory perception struggles, online lessons have been a wonderful thing. Those students remain in a surrounding where nothing is changing. The space is in their home and is consistent. The piano is theirs.  The lighting, sound, and surfaces are all familiar to them. They can focus on a screen that is a small part of the world that surrounds them. They can look into this screen to learn and they feel safe and have more control of their learning environment. And that is a positive. 

Students working with Dolly Paul are now learning music in new ways:

• over the phone with only audio access 
• through the mail for those who are continuing exclusively with theoretical work, and 
• through the internet with live time one-to-one lessons.

We want you to grow musically in a safe way. So lessons will be continuing on alternative teaching platforms, including online lessons, even when it is safe to come back together. There are more choices now. 

I care about you. Keep practicing. Keep sharing. Be kind to yourself and others. 🎵Dolly.

Natural Amber Resin or Imitation?

It happened again. Another show where customers told me my Lithuanian Amber pieces were too expensive because the guy a few booths down sold them a beautiful piece of amber for just $ xx.xx. When I lightly mention it to the other seller they always say, "Hey, it is a 'buyer beware' market and I expect that all my customers are educated individuals. Anyway, the color is amber (turquoise, jade, etc.) so I am not lying about the piece." 

Now let me take a minute here to tell you that a number of jewelers use a play on words when selling their goods because the US does not have a standard assaying process for jewelers. So, you really do have to trust your jeweler if you don't do your own research. Baltic Amber is a natural resin : However, the imitation resin that is sold as amber is a chemical mixture which is poured and fixed. So you see how they can use the word resin and not be lying to the customer. There are natural resins that form in nature, and there are chemical man made resins. Also, just as with any stone or metal jewelry, a piece of jewelry can be sold by its color and not its material. (Amber, Turquoise, Gold, Ruby, Silver...)  Do you understand this?

It does bother me that customers think they can get Baltic Amber, old Jade, and solid American Turquoise pieces for a low pricetag. And it also bothers me that customers think I am gouging them when I ask over $100.00 for pieces of true Natural Amber or Solid Natural Stone. So I am doing a little educational post today just to make myself feel better. 

Today's post will be on Natural Amber Resin vs. Imitation Resin. After this, if a customer wants to pay for imitation amber from a store or festival vendor, perhaps I will feel a little less upset. I am doing my part to aide the customer who chooses to be an educated buyer.

I am starting with Amber because of all the baby necklaces I see on children. I can usually spot an imitation resin or plastic necklace a mile away. And the parent will always announce how proud they are that they got such a good price on the necklace. Inside, I cry for the baby who would benefit if it were true Amber. 

What follows are photos I took this morning. I made a mixture of saltwater using a lot of table salt and warm tap water. 

The first photos are from a piece that a "reputable" dealer sold me which had already been set. I didn't have the privacy or the ability to clean the item so I could "taste test" it for a bitter imitation resin taste. And I have purchased stones from this person before that were true - so I trusted him. But when I got home and had the opportunity to look closer at the piece, I realized it was not natural amber resin. I took a hammer to it and broke it out of its setting for this example.

You will notice in all of these photos that the imitation resin sinks to the bottom of the container when placed in salt water. Fake resins and plastics are heavy and will always sink to the bottom of a saltwater mixture. 

Next, I strained the same water into an identical container, removing most of the imitation resin particles.

Here you can see the strained resin and the original salt water in a new container.

Next I added my true Natural Baltic Amber beads to the saltwater.

And this is the proof. AMBER FLOATS. This is usually how Amber is found on the Baltic seashore. It floats to the top of the ocean when it breaks off from its host. And then it is washed ashore. Amber is a light naturally formed resin and it floats on saltwater. It will not sink to the bottom of a saltwater mixture like heavier commercial resins or plastics. 

So, without taking your baby's necklace apart, simply break off one of the stones and see if it floats in saltwater. This will not work if the amber is attached to anything. The weight of string, etc. will pull the amber down. It has to be a free piece of amber. 

You are welcome.

Low Country Studios, Ltd. Co. is Awarded in the Green Business Challenge

Winning Entry

This was my 2014 Jewelry Division winner with the Folly Art Guild. It is sterling with etched copper. A beautiful work that was purchased for a Michigan collection. (sold) 

Dragonfly

Copper Dragonfly on hand tooled copper chain with turquoise beads by Dolly Paul
at Low Country Studios

Pouring My Heart Out

Etched copper with argentium wires, by Dolly Paul at Low Country Studios

How To Measure Original Art

How do I list the measurements of my artwork? This is a common question that I am asked, by students and, by other artists. It is also an important question that needs to be answered for the collector who is looking for a piece to add to their home, office, or private collection gallery. 

The confusion we encounter in measuring original art comes to us because common measurements - of hardware products, general store items, and yes, even frames that we purchase for our prints - are all listed in the standard US form of length x width x height. 

Art is listed by its: Height x Width x Depth (HxWxD). 

Liquid Detergent

I have been getting emails asking about a liquid detergent instead of powdered. I don't like the mess of liquid but some folks believe it does a better job of dissolving and washing cold water loads. So here it is. I would love your feedback.

LIQUID DETERGENT

2 gallons of hot water
1 bar of soap (I prefer Ivory)
2 cups baking soda

Directions:

1. Melt bar soap in a pan with just enough boiling water to cover. Stir until the soap is completely melted. Do this on a low setting.

2. In a large pail or bucket pour in 2 gallons of hot water. Add the melted soap to this and gently stir.

3. Add in the baking soda and stir well.

Use 1/2 cup per average load. Use more of your detergent mix for over average or heavily soiled loads of laundry.

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Make-It-Yourself: Laundry Detergent

I have already had four people ask me how I make my own laundry soap this year, and we are still in January. So "Making It Yourself" entries are going to find a place in this blog. Low Country Studios is about making lives better with the arts and natural approaches to daily life - so, a "make-it-yourself" addition  makes sense.  

This laundry soap recipe is easy to make. I find that it works wonderfully - especially for my massage linens. You can customize the scent yourself, and it is less expensive than major brands. Also, if you don't like my recipe, there are many, many other sites on the Internet that offer liquid recipes and other dry combination recipes.

Step One: Gathering

1 box of Borax (I use 20 mule Team Borax because that's what my mother used.)

1 box of Washing Soap (I like Arm & Hammer - again the brand doesn't matter.)

1 cake of Soap (I find that Ivory works best for me because of scent sensitivities.)

1 good size, Close-able Container in glass or plastic (A large Shedd's Spread butter container or large sour cream container will work well. I happened to have had this large rectangle container around the house and chose it for this purpose.)

Wooden Spoon or Plastic/Rubber Spatula for stirring (From too many chemistry classes I have learned to avoid metal spoons when I am mixing anything other than food. Metal can act as a catalyst and alter, mostly weakening, your products.)

Grater If you don't have a grater, you can use a mandoline and then chop the thin slices with a knife.

Large Mixing Bowl

Step Two:

Carefully grate your soap into your mixing bowl or, if this is your first batch, your container.

Step Three:

Add in one (1) cup of Borax. Sometimes my Borax is clumpy. I use the end of my wooden spoon to de-clump it before pouring it out of the box.

Step Four: Add one (1) cup of Wash Soda

Step Five: Stir, a lot, until you have an even dry mixture.

Step Five: If you want to add another batch to your laundry wash container, make the new batch in a separate bowl before adding it to previously made batches.

Step Six:  Label what you have made clearly. This is especially important for make-it-yourself products because you are recycling already used containers.

To Use: I add one (1) to two (two) tablespoons, of my homemade dry laundry detergent, to the wash tub as it is filling with water. It is important to know that this is not a high suds product that you have made. And, that it will rinse more easily because of its low suds action. I have been told, by high efficiency machine sales persons at Sears, that this homemade product is safe to use in their high efficiency washers because of it's low suds action.

I like to add a couple drops of essential oil to my laundry. For extra sanitizing I use tea tree essential oil. I always add tea tree essential oil to my massage linens. It is also nice to add if someone has been sick, or has a skin concern within the family. For a nice feminine scent, you can add a drop or two of lavender essential oil - which also acts as a disinfectant. There are other essential oils that you can select from your local health food store.  Remember, a drop goes a very long way with essential oils! Experiment and have fun with your homemade laundry detergent. 

Your comments are welcome. Thank you.

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Thank you Golf Digest and Matt Ginella!

It is always nice to be recognized for one's work. Imagine my surprise when a colleague told me that I had been acknowledged for my massage skills in Golf Digest!

In Detroit my clientele included members of the Detroit Tigers, Pistons, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Michigan Opera Theater.  After moving to Charleston my focus has been on expanding my work to Golf and Tennis Pros.  Finding my name in Golf Digest made my day.  My thanks to Matt Ginella who mentioned my work at the Sanctuary Spa in Golf Digest July 2011.

What a nice surprise to be recognized for my work by Matt Ginella in Golf Digest July 2011. Thank you Matt! You made my day!

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/golf-travel/buddies/2011-07/away-game-kiawah-south-carolina?currentPage=2

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Making Monotypes at Redux

I use oil on glass or plexiglass for my mono prints and monotypes. I also etch copper plates. Here I am creating monoprints at Redux on the French Etching Press. 

me working the french etching press

Welcome to the Low Country Studios Blog

When I arrived in Charleston I received a greeting from a utility man who said, "Welcome to the Low Country, Miss Dolly." I remember saying to myself, "Low Country Studios. That would be a nice name for an arts focused business." (Why plural? I hope to open a number of studios for others to show, perform, teach, and create on the Southeastern shoreline.) The Charleston studio was born that day in 2004! 

A special thank-you goes out to Louise, from the Charleston City office. She patiently walked me through the steps I needed to get my City Market license and to open a business in Charleston and the State of South Carolina.  Low Country Studios is a Ltd. Co. within the State of South Carolina. 

Along with Music and Arts postings, I will also be sharing information on folk healing methods and body therapy information, which has been an interest for over 20 years. I have incorporated body awareness tools for visual and performing artists in private studio lessons since 1983.

I hope you find encouragement here and will feel welcome to share your thoughts on my posts. Thank you for visiting!