January 2017

  • First Week of a Beginning Instrumental Music Class (Part 2)

    This is part 2 of an on-going series for new instrumental music teachers who are leading a class of beginning music students. Last week, I shared the first two lessons I taught my classes this year. This week, we will look at the next two lessons that you can use to kick off your semester. Trying […]


  • One More Douglas Adams’ Trip Through Space and Time

    Doctor Who: Shada by Douglas Adams (novelization by Gareth Roberts) Douglas Adams never completed Doctor Who story has finally seen the light of day in a novel that does justice to the story he likely would have told. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. There were moments that were laugh out loud funny. The dry with and humour […]


  • My List of 2017 Reads

    Five years ago, I decided to start blogging about every book that I read over the course of the year. This is an exercise that I would encourage anyone to do. Not only does it give you a chance to share what you read with an audience, but it gives you some pretty interesting data […]


  • First Week of a Beginning Instrumental Music Class (Part 1)

    Here are the first few lessons I used to start off the term with a brand new, introductory music class. I hope that you will find them useful. Teachers helping teachers is what this is all about. Day 1 Music Lesson Plan Creation-Time Give the students ten minutes to create something out of Play-Doh. The goal […]


  • Now Reading – Star Trek: The Next Generation

    Star Trek: The Next Generation – Omnibus Later this year, Star Trek: The Next Generation will celebrate it’s 25th Anniversary. It’s hard to believe that it has been that long since this iconic sequel to Star Trek took over television and changed the shape of what was to come. That’s no small feat for a […]


  • Long Range Plans – AMU3O (Grade 11 Music)

    I am back to teaching and loving every minute of it. I have a Grade 11 music class full of eager students wanting to learn how to play an instrument for the first time. As such, if you are a Grade 7 or 8 instrumental music teacher, you may find this long range plan to […]


  • The Return of Teaching Tip Tuesday!

    I am very happy to be teaching once again and to relaunch this very successful series.


  • Five Rappers Who Will Breakout in 2017

    In the world of hip-hop, we hope 2017 will be just as awesome as 2016 was, with its many surprises from new album releases to the introduction of new musicians in the limelight. Despite the challenges some of the musicians experienced, there were several great releases. The rise of some musicians has created a buzz […]


  • Winter Trail Hike

    I can’t remember the last time I went out for a winter hike through the woods. If you are a regular follower of this blog, you will know that I’m always running these kinds of trails in the summer. It was a nice change of pace to leisurely walk along the main path in the […]


  • Lyrical Mind’s Birthday Bash – Oshawa

    Come out and celebrate Lyrical Mind’s birthday with some good friends, good vibes, and a great night of hip hop. Headliner: Lyrical Mind Opening Performances By: Last Breed Justn Cr3dibl3 Chezza Cizzle Tre Da Kidd Milestone Billy Marks Infamous Dance Performance By: Heather Mascarin DJ Chase March on the 1s and 2s all night long. […]