Jerry B. Shefelt Blogs

Monday, November 14, 2016

A master class with Garrick Ohlsson

I’ve been working in Germany over the weekend, tutoring a bilingual piano workshop near Düsseldorf, so I thought it appropriate to highlight a master class today.

Gelsenkirchen is a city in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany, and I’ve been visiting a couple of times a year since 2014, providing free piano classes to those who would not normally have such an opportunity. I love this concept and am very grateful to Kery Felske (director of IKM Gelsenkirchen) and our sponsors for their unwavering support, enabling the possibility to continue this important work.

The class always consists of a variety of levels and abilities (and age ranges!), from complete beginners to advanced players (probably to a standard comparable to UK diploma level), and this weekend focused on those who hadn’t played much before, although there was one intermediate to advanced level pianist. Classes are held in English, and for the younger participants this can seem somewhat daunting, but it hasn’t proved problematic as yet.

The value of an ‘open piano lesson’, which is ultimately what a master class or workshop is, cannot be underestimated; it presents a chance to observe a variety of musical and technical issues. Solving such challenges can be of benefit to everyone and therein lies its beauty. Hopefully, those who attended our two-day event found it useful, and will be encouraged to further develop their playing.

The following master class was given by leading American pianist Garrick Ohlsson and features Chopin’s Etude in A minor (‘Winter Wind’) Op. 25 No. 11 played by Netanel Grinshtein and recorded at The Jerusalem Music Centre last year.

As always, there’s much to enjoy in this class and I hope you find it of interest:

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Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Say Goodbye to Crow’s Feet – Treating Crow’s Feet with Botox

Your eyes speak volumes about your age. As we get older, we start to see the signs of aging, especially around the eyes. Crow’s feet, the lines that form around your eyes when you smile, can begin to show permanently on your face, even while you are resting. Whether you are a man or a […]

The post Say Goodbye to Crow’s Feet – Treating Crow’s Feet with Botox appeared first on Fairview Plastic Surgery Centre.

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Monday, November 7, 2016

5 Home Improvement Trends for 2016

Trends are something you always want to keep in mind when renovating your home. Here are 5 home improvement trends for 2016 that you might want to consider in making smart renovations to your home.

Image Source: Flickr

Roof
In a world where everything is becoming disposable, it’s nice to see a product that is increasing its lifespan through technology. New roofing tiles are being made from composite materials, polymer plastics and even recycled rubber tires (pictured are polymer). They look like traditional cedar shake and slate roof tiles, but they’ll last a whole lot longer. Source: DIYNetwork

Bathroom
According to the pros, 2016 is the year of the bathroom remodel. Homeowners are shifting away from tub-centric, five-piece bathrooms and opting instead for walk-in shower stalls complete with seating, shelving and multiple showerheads.
The standard lowboy toilet is being dethroned. According to HFM Builders’ Howard Molen, homeowners are shifting toward comfort-height toilets that offer higher, more accessible seating (2 to 3 inches higher than standard). Source: HomeAdvisor

Living Spaces
Over the last few years we’ve seen patio doors expand to glass walls with multiple doors sliding, sometimes hiding in the wall, to combine indoor and outdoor living spaces. The concept is alive and well but many new houses are achieving the goal with floor-to-ceiling windows that are less expensive. Here are other ideas to help you blend multiple living spaces into one:
- Indoor-outdoor connectivity using fixed glass windows, traditional patio doors or stacking glass doors.
- Creative flooring designs that flow from one space to another, breaking down old rules about defining spaces within the larger open floor plan.
- Horizontal fireplaces are very popular, with designs that enable you to add a fireplace to a hallway, entryway or other non-traditional space. Watch out artwork, you’ve now got to compete with a framed fireplace Source: HomeTipsForWomen

Open Kitchens
A connection between kitchen, eating, and living space continues to influence both new home construction and remodels. The advantages, such as a connected family and a cook that’s not isolated, are why open kitchens have maintained their remodeling project popularity. Source: BHG

Repaint
Painting tips and trends:
- Choosing brighter interior paint colours will improve the ambiance of your home and your mood.
- Cooler colours give an elegant look.
- Painting your ceiling a lighter colour than the walls will give an effect that your ceiling is higher than it actually is.
- Painting it darker will make the room feel more intimate.
- To achieve a brighter, more airy room, choose golds, reds or purple hues.
Stick with using only up to two colours per room. In order to draw your guest’s eye to a specific place in the room, paint one wall your colour of choice and add a darker complimentary colour to the focus wall. This will create a focal point in your favourite room. You can also enhance the focal point by painting the skirting or cornices a light colour, like white or beige. Source: About.Homely

We hope this guide helps you think of valued design trends you can bring to your home. Need a helping hand during your home project? Call us now!

Contact:
Kerrisdale Roofing & Drains
8279 Ross St, Vancouver, BC V5X 4W1
(604) 360-2114

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Choosing Jewelry For Your Wedding Gown’s Neckline

Wearing stunning jewelry boosts a girl's confidence on her wedding day. Don't let these wonderful pieces ruin your ensemble by being too much or too little in contrast to your wedding gown. Listed below are some accessorizing tips for four common wedding dress necklines that will surely help you out.

MAISON MARGIELA FINE JEWELRY Pompadour Deconstructed Necklace

Bateau/Boat Neck
The bateau neckline follows the natural curve of the collar bone. Keep your accessories simple and elegant, so as not to compete with the fabric close to the neck. Necklaces with a little length are perfect for this retro style. You could also forego a necklace and go with mid-length earrings and a matching bracelet. We recommend drop earrings to create some movement, but not so long that they graze the shoulder or come close to the dress fabric. Depending on your hairstyle, you can accessorize with a hair comb as well for some extra bling. Source: TheEveryLastDetail

Illusion Neckline
Illusion necklines guarantee a double take, but Brenner says to get even more glam with the look. "It's best to go with an earring and let this delicate trend speak for itself around your neck," Brenner explains. Source: Brides

Strapless Neckline
Bold multistrand necklaces, bejeweled bibs, and even classic pearls sync up exquisitely with this dress shape -- think of it as the ultimate blank canvas. Then follow the "less is more" mantra for earrings: Studs or small drops hit all the right notes. "A strapless neckline shows off your clavicle and shoulders," says bridal designer Reem Acra. "To accentuate these areas even more, choose jewelry that hits right at your collarbone." Source: MarthaStewartWeddings

V-Neck
Add a delicate pendant necklace to a gown with a low V-neck. It will give just the right amount of glitz to an otherwise simple look. Source: Elle

Contact:
KAVUT
102 Scollard St.
Toronto, ON M5R 1G2
(416) 820-0440

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5 Top Tips To Improve Your Listening Skills

I occasionally contribute to Pianist magazine’s newsletter (in addition to writing a ‘how-to-play’ article in the magazine), which pops into a subscriber’s e mail box every other month. It’s full of interesting articles, competitions and everything piano! If you would like to subscribe, click here.

The most recent newsletter article contains 5 tips designed to cultivate and improve our listening skills, and I thought it may be of interest to readers; hope you find them useful.

We might think we hear what we play, but often our attention is focused elsewhere; finding notes, reading the score, pedalling – the list is endless. But when we are finally able and ready to concentrate on the sound we produce, we can really elevate our piano playing.

1. Begin with a few single notes, hands separately. Play each note softly at first, listening to and noting the sound as it dies away. Only play another note once the sound from the previous note has ceased.

2. Now play single notes with greater sonority, but this time don’t allow the tone to die completely, instead sound a further note and ‘match’ the timbre and dynamic to that of the dying first note. This requires careful listening and will attune the ears.

3. Experiment with chords (perhaps a C major triad in both hands). Start pianissimo, and build to fortissimo through a series of 8 or 10 chords. Each one must be placed more powerfully than the last, again fine tuning listening skills.

4. We can learn to hear our own playing when we release ourselves from looking at the score. Once learnt thoroughly, if possible, play through a passage from memory, and when secure, you are free to listen to every note with a clearer perspective. Now record yourself, checking whether the performance is the same as you imagined you heard whilst playing it.

5. Aim to observe the way your body moves; a flexible wrist, arm, and upper torso has an important impact on tonal quality, and by moving freely and encouraging flexibility, you can expect to hear a warmer, richer sound.

By implementing a few of these suggestions, you will hopefully unlock the key to ‘hearing’ with a sharpened perception.

Read the original article here.

Image link

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Wednesday, November 2, 2016

October 2016 Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver Statistics Package with Charts

October 2016 REBGV Statistics Package Vancouver BC Mike Stewart Realtor from Mike Stewart

Home sale and listing activity dip below historical averages in October

Reduced home sale and listing activity are changing market dynamics in communities across Metro Vancouver*.

Residential property sales in the region totalled 2,233 in October 2016, a 38.8 per cent decrease from the 3,646 sales recorded in October 2015 and a 0.9 per cent decrease compared to September 2016 when 2,253 homes sold.

Last month’s sales were 15 per cent below the 10-year October sales average.

“Changing market conditions compounded by a series of government interventions this year have put home buyers and sellers in a holding pattern,” Dan Morrison, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) president said. “Potential buyers and sellers are taking a wait-and-see approach to try and better understand what these changes mean for them.”

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Metro Vancouver totalled 3,981 in October 2016. This represents a decrease of 3.5 per cent compared to the 4,126 units listed in October 2015 and a 17 per cent decrease compared to September 2016 when 4,799 properties were listed.

Last month’s new listing count was 9.5 per cent below the region’s 10-year new listing average for the month.

The total number of properties currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 9,143, a 4.5 per cent decrease compared to October 2015 (9,569) and a 2.3 per cent decrease compared to September 2016 (9,354).

The sales-to-active listings ratio for October 2016 is 24.4 per cent. Generally, analysts say that downward pressure on home prices occurs when the ratio dips below the 12 per cent mark for a sustained period, while home prices often experience upward pressure when it surpasses 20 per cent over several months.

“While sales are down across the different property types, it’s the detached market that’s seen the largest reduction in home buyer demand in recent months,” Morrison said. “It’s important to work with your local REALTOR® to help you navigate today’s changing trends.”

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $919,300. This represents a 24.8 per cent increase compared to October 2015 and a 0.8 per cent decline compared to September 2016.

Sales of detached properties in October 2016 reached 652, a decrease of 54.6 per cent from the 1,437 detached sales recorded in October 2015. The benchmark price for detached properties is $1,545,800. This represents a 28.9 per cent increase compared to October 2015 and a 1.4 per cent decrease compared to September 2016.

Sales of apartment properties reached 1,178 in October 2016, a decrease of 23.7 per cent compared to the 1,543 sales in October 2015.The benchmark price of an apartment property is $512,300. This represents a 20.5 per cent increase compared to October 2015 and a 0.3 per cent increase compared to September 2016.

Attached property sales in October 2016 totalled 403, a decrease of 39.5 per cent compared to the 666 sales in October 2015. The benchmark price of an attached unit is $669,200. This represents a 25.7 per cent increase compared to October 2015 and a 1.1 per cent decrease compared to September 2016.

Download the complete stats package by clicking here.

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