Patti's Blog http://pattilamoureux.com/blog.cfm Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:35:00 GMT http://bandzoogle.com There's No Place Like Home http://pattilamoureux.com/blog.cfm?feature=3172807&postid=1965101 As I reflect over the past year, I am so grateful for the life I lead. &nbsp;A year ago my fiddle brought me to Norway and Alex and I were able to share Easter with some great friends, <a target="_new" href="http://www.trentbruner.com/">Trent Bruner and family. When I think about success, this is what I think about. &nbsp;It's not the size of the bank account, it's the ability to be able to do something I love and make a living from it. &nbsp;It's a lot of work, but it's so incredibly satisfying, and when I reflect on the past couple of days I am humbled and honored that people ask me to share my talent at their events. On Friday, Jeremy Rusu and I hopped into the vehicle and headed up Hwy. #6 for a gig on Lake Manitoba First Nation. &nbsp;The event was a fiddle and square dance jamboree and it was in the heart of the province's &quot;M&eacute;tis Fiddle Country.&quot; &nbsp; As we drove north, I took the opportunity to take a good look at the land around us, and felt such a rush of contentment. &nbsp;As I gazed upon the flat, ever changing prairie, it occured to me that what I used to dislike the most about living in Manitoba, was now what made it so special to me. &nbsp;The never-ending expanse holds a beauty that I was unable to appreciate when I lived here before. &nbsp;As I passed through the <a target="_new" href="http://www.rmofstlaurent.ca/">St. Laurent area, I noticed the M&eacute;tis infinity flags flying proudly in the wind, and could smell that wonderful aroma of wood smoke in the air. &nbsp;I smiled to myself as I thought that if I were to randomly choose one of these homes, grab my fiddle, and knock on the door, chances would be very good that I'd be invited in, offered coffee, and treated like a long lost friend. &nbsp; On Saturday, Jeremy and I headed to Portage la Prairie for a gig at the <a target="_new" href="http://www.glesbycentre.com/">Glesby Centre. &nbsp;Jerry and his wife were wonderful hosts and <a target="_new" href="http://www.johnnydietrich.ca/">Johnny Dietrich put together a fantastic roster of entertainment for &quot;<a target="_new" href="http://glesbycentre.com/performances/special-concerts/voices-of-the-prairie.html">Voices of the Prairie&quot;. &nbsp;The event was sold out and again, as I sat at the CD table during intermission, I was a victim of the &quot;warm fuzzies&quot; as I recognized more faces than I didn't! &nbsp;It was great to visit with these people, and am grateful to be able to bring smiles to faces with music. &nbsp; In the past 12 years it seems that I was searching for the perfect place to be. &nbsp;In 2000 my ex and I had the bright idea to become hotel owners in very small town Manitoba. &nbsp;We were both entertainers and we thought we'd be a huge success in the business. &nbsp;Three years later, our metaphoric tails between our legs, we walked away because we had lost everything and were completely beaten up financially. &nbsp; Ottawa seemed like a good place to start over. &nbsp;The <a target="_new" href="http://canadiangrandmasters.ca/">fiddle community was huge and I was able to get a good number of students in a fairly short amount of time. &nbsp;It was a great three years, and then we got bitten by the adventure bug again, and we were off to Vancouver Island; the gorgeous <a target="_new" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3R-VHj_T6c">Comox Valley. &nbsp;The three year mark came and went, and we were still there, however, trouble had been brewing, and ultimately resulted in a marriage separation. &nbsp; In September 2010, I packed up my 2000 Dodge Caravan with as much of my stuff that would fit, priority given to my musical instruments, mementos of Mom, and my dog Zoe, took my last BC Ferries trip as a BC resident, and headed east to Winnipeg. &nbsp;I had a house rental waiting for me, thanks to a new musician friend I made at the <a target="_new" href="http://www.kenoseekitchenparty.ca/">Kenosee Kitchen Party, and as soon as I hit the city limits, I knew I was &quot;home.&quot; &nbsp;It didn't take long to unload the van and get things organized in the house, which was a good thing because within days I was on a plane to Paris, France for &quot;<a target="_new" href="http://www.festival-america.org/spip.php?rubrique11">Festival America&quot; with <a target="_new" href="http://www.ramblingdan.com/">Dan Frechette! &nbsp;It was my first time overseas, and a real whirlwind of a trip of 5 days, including the 2 travel days! When I returned home, I immediately settled into the routine of teaching fiddle, having a roster of 50 students already set up and ready to go. &nbsp;All things pointed to Winnipeg being the perfect place to be, indeed. Today, 19 months later, I am solidly integrated into the fiddle scene here in Manitoba, and have made so many new friends, both musically and otherwise. &nbsp;I am grateful for the chance to start over in my &quot;homeland,&quot; happy to be close to my 81 year old dad, and yes, even loving the snow and cold weather. &nbsp;It's neat to see people not even blink an eye when the temperature dips to -30 and when there's a snowstorm. &nbsp;It's just a day for an extra layer of clothing, and to take it more careful than usual on the streets and highways. &nbsp;No big deal! &nbsp; I'll sign off this blog with a <a target="_new" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH_DrAiusPM">video link to a little jam session that happened in my living room one Sunday afternoon. &nbsp;Hope you enjoy it! Patti Trent Bruner and family.

When I think about success, this is what I think about.  It's not the size of the bank account, it's the ability to be able to do something I love and make a living from it.  It's a lot of work, but it's so incredibly satisfying, and when I reflect on the past couple of days I am humbled and honored that people ask me to share my talent at their events.

On Friday, Jeremy Rusu and I hopped into the vehicle and headed up Hwy. #6 for a gig on Lake Manitoba First Nation.  The event was a fiddle and square dance jamboree and it was in the heart of the province's "Métis Fiddle Country."  

As we drove north, I took the opportunity to take a good look at the land around us, and felt such a rush of contentment.  As I gazed upon the flat, ever changing prairie, it occured to me that what I used to dislike the most about living in Manitoba, was now what made it so special to me.  The never-ending expanse holds a beauty that I was unable to appreciate when I lived here before.  As I passed through the St. Laurent area, I noticed the Métis infinity flags flying proudly in the wind, and could smell that wonderful aroma of wood smoke in the air.  I smiled to myself as I thought that if I were to randomly choose one of these homes, grab my fiddle, and knock on the door, chances would be very good that I'd be invited in, offered coffee, and treated like a long lost friend.  

On Saturday, Jeremy and I headed to Portage la Prairie for a gig at the Glesby Centre.  Jerry and his wife were wonderful hosts and Johnny Dietrich put together a fantastic roster of entertainment for "Voices of the Prairie".  The event was sold out and again, as I sat at the CD table during intermission, I was a victim of the "warm fuzzies" as I recognized more faces than I didn't!  It was great to visit with these people, and am grateful to be able to bring smiles to faces with music.  

In the past 12 years it seems that I was searching for the perfect place to be.  In 2000 my ex and I had the bright idea to become hotel owners in very small town Manitoba.  We were both entertainers and we thought we'd be a huge success in the business.  Three years later, our metaphoric tails between our legs, we walked away because we had lost everything and were completely beaten up financially.  

Ottawa seemed like a good place to start over.  The fiddle community was huge and I was able to get a good number of students in a fairly short amount of time.  It was a great three years, and then we got bitten by the adventure bug again, and we were off to Vancouver Island; the gorgeous Comox Valley.  The three year mark came and went, and we were still there, however, trouble had been brewing, and ultimately resulted in a marriage separation.  

In September 2010, I packed up my 2000 Dodge Caravan with as much of my stuff that would fit, priority given to my musical instruments, mementos of Mom, and my dog Zoe, took my last BC Ferries trip as a BC resident, and headed east to Winnipeg.  I had a house rental waiting for me, thanks to a new musician friend I made at the Kenosee Kitchen Party, and as soon as I hit the city limits, I knew I was "home."  It didn't take long to unload the van and get things organized in the house, which was a good thing because within days I was on a plane to Paris, France for "Festival America" with Dan Frechette!  It was my first time overseas, and a real whirlwind of a trip of 5 days, including the 2 travel days!

When I returned home, I immediately settled into the routine of teaching fiddle, having a roster of 50 students already set up and ready to go.  All things pointed to Winnipeg being the perfect place to be, indeed.

Today, 19 months later, I am solidly integrated into the fiddle scene here in Manitoba, and have made so many new friends, both musically and otherwise.  I am grateful for the chance to start over in my "homeland," happy to be close to my 81 year old dad, and yes, even loving the snow and cold weather.  It's neat to see people not even blink an eye when the temperature dips to -30 and when there's a snowstorm.  It's just a day for an extra layer of clothing, and to take it more careful than usual on the streets and highways.  No big deal!  

I'll sign off this blog with a video link to a little jam session that happened in my living room one Sunday afternoon.  Hope you enjoy it!

Patti




]]> Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:35:00 GMT E95811D126D6305A35373624BC66C52B One Reason I Love What I Do http://pattilamoureux.com/blog.cfm?feature=3172807&postid=1802041 This past weekend, something very special happened. &nbsp;For the last couple of months, I'd been working on tunes with my students in preparation for a performance at a venue called &quot;Auberge du Violin&quot; at a huge event called &quot;<a target="_new" href="http://festivalvoyageur.mb.ca/festival-du-voyageur/">Festival du Voyageur&quot; here in Winnipeg. &nbsp;I was asked to put together a group of students to showcase in the &quot;Parade of the Violins,&quot; which featured 3 local fiddle teaching establishments. &nbsp; I have between 35 and 40 students per week, and of those, I managed to persuade 7 of them to perform. &nbsp;Six were young people between the ages of 11 and 18, and the 7th was a lady who, in her retirement, decided to tackle learning the fiddle. &nbsp;Many of my students, probably about half, actually, are online students who don't live in the area, so they weren't possible performers. &nbsp;Another good chunk of them are fairly beginning level players who just didn't have the repertoire yet to be faced with a live performance. &nbsp; For about 2 months, we learned new material, I cross referenced their tune lists, and put together a set of both group tunes and solos. &nbsp;Not once were we able to all meet and practice together. &nbsp;While there was a tiny fear in the back of my mind that things may not go so smoothly on stage after not rehearsing as a group, it was quickly laid to rest once I counted in the first tune. &nbsp;To hear all 7 of these people play together minutes after meeting each other, I was overcome with emotion and could feel my eyes burning and my heart swelling with pride. &nbsp;The kids were all friends by the end of the night, swapping email addresses and BBM names and phone numbers, and my senior student, who, I made very clear was my &quot;favourite&quot; student, was the perfect complement, taking on the sweet Grandmotherly role. To me, this is why I do what I do. &nbsp;Music is the unspoken universal language that brings people together who may have never met otherwise, and creates bonds that will stand the test of time. &nbsp; Thanks to all the students, the parents, and the people in the crowd who were so supportive. &nbsp;And to the students who couldn't make it, or who just weren't quite ready, don't worry, because we WILL be doing this again, sooner rather than later! Patti Festival du Voyageur" here in Winnipeg.  I was asked to put together a group of students to showcase in the "Parade of the Violins," which featured 3 local fiddle teaching establishments.  

I have between 35 and 40 students per week, and of those, I managed to persuade 7 of them to perform.  Six were young people between the ages of 11 and 18, and the 7th was a lady who, in her retirement, decided to tackle learning the fiddle.  Many of my students, probably about half, actually, are online students who don't live in the area, so they weren't possible performers.  Another good chunk of them are fairly beginning level players who just didn't have the repertoire yet to be faced with a live performance.  

For about 2 months, we learned new material, I cross referenced their tune lists, and put together a set of both group tunes and solos.  Not once were we able to all meet and practice together.  While there was a tiny fear in the back of my mind that things may not go so smoothly on stage after not rehearsing as a group, it was quickly laid to rest once I counted in the first tune.  To hear all 7 of these people play together minutes after meeting each other, I was overcome with emotion and could feel my eyes burning and my heart swelling with pride.  The kids were all friends by the end of the night, swapping email addresses and BBM names and phone numbers, and my senior student, who, I made very clear was my "favourite" student, was the perfect complement, taking on the sweet Grandmotherly role.

To me, this is why I do what I do.  Music is the unspoken universal language that brings people together who may have never met otherwise, and creates bonds that will stand the test of time.  

Thanks to all the students, the parents, and the people in the crowd who were so supportive.  And to the students who couldn't make it, or who just weren't quite ready, don't worry, because we WILL be doing this again, sooner rather than later!

Patti
]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:50:00 GMT E6EA20A720D9CEF7058CE90DFCFFF0F2 New Web Site http://pattilamoureux.com/blog.cfm?feature=3172807&postid=1767608 I remember when I was in grade 7, our class made a list of all the things that we envisioned would be present in the world in the year 2000. &nbsp;Back in 1983, it seemed like forever until I'd turn 16 and be able to drive, never mind see the year 2000! &nbsp;That day would NEVER get here! &nbsp;Not only did it arrive (with much hoopla...remember <a target="_new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2000_problem">Y2K??), it arrived 12 YEARS AGO! &nbsp;What? &nbsp;How in the world did THAT happen? So many things have changed from since I went from being an awkward 13 year-old to now, being a slightly less awkward 41 year old. &nbsp;The world of music has changed, as did how we acquire and listen to our music. &nbsp;Online presence is probably the number one way that people are noticing musicians, and combining online activity with live performance is how we all have to roll. My first web site was a huge URL name. &nbsp;It was something like: &nbsp;www.angelfire.com/839488578394/pattikusturok/5895848793049/fh.eork.rgl.fldf.9490349....You get my point. Nowadays it's about short and sweet. &nbsp;It's about quick and easy, memorable. &nbsp;Easy to recall. &nbsp; A couple of years ago I got the son of a good friend of mine to do my first professional web site. &nbsp;Hogne Midtbo-Vevle set it up, I bought the domain rights for pattilamoureux.com, and boom, there was a REAL web site! I'd like to thank Hogne for doing such a great job on the site. &nbsp;He's a genius with the computer and I think he was all of 14 or 15 years old when he first set it up! &nbsp; Now that it's 2012, I think it's time for another change. &nbsp;I decided to do a new web site and went to work. &nbsp;When I think about the days before the Internet made everything so easy to access, when you had to go to the library for an afternoon to look up facts, and how today through the wonder of <a target="_new" href="http://www.google.com">Google and <a target="_new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki">Wikipedia we can find out the answer to any question that we may have, I can't believe that I've progressed into a person who has the ability to put a web site together. &nbsp;But, apparently I am, and I did! I hope you enjoy the new look and the new features, and that you sign up for mailing list so I can keep you posted on the latest news and gigs. &nbsp;Drop me a line in the <a target="_new" href="./guestbook.cfm">Guestbook; feel free to comment on the blog. &nbsp;I'd love to hear from you! There are a couple of new things that come with the new web site too! &nbsp;Firstly, if you sign up for the mailing list, you can download a free tune! &nbsp;Actually it's 2 tunes, a medley! Second, I've decided to do away with the cost of shipping for all orders. &nbsp;The cost of purchasing a &quot;real live CD&quot; is $20, and that includes the shipping costs. &nbsp;If you prefer downloading individual tracks directly from the web site, you can do that as well! &nbsp;It's that easy! Well, enough for this blog post. &nbsp;Most of the web site is ready to go live, but I'm constantly adding new things daily, so check back often! &nbsp;Thanks for reading, thanks for checking out the new site, and thanks for listening to my music! Patti I remember when I was in grade 7, our class made a list of all the things that we envisioned would be present in the world in the year 2000.  Back in 1983, it seemed like forever until I'd turn 16 and be able to drive, never mind see the year 2000!  That day would NEVER get here!  Not only did it arrive (with much hoopla...remember Y2K??), it arrived 12 YEARS AGO!  What?  How in the world did THAT happen?

So many things have changed from since I went from being an awkward 13 year-old to now, being a slightly less awkward 41 year old.  The world of music has changed, as did how we acquire and listen to our music.  Online presence is probably the number one way that people are noticing musicians, and combining online activity with live performance is how we all have to roll.

My first web site was a huge URL name.  It was something like:  www.angelfire.com/839488578394/pattikusturok/5895848793049/fh.eork.rgl.fldf.9490349....You get my point. Nowadays it's about short and sweet.  It's about quick and easy, memorable.  Easy to recall.  

A couple of years ago I got the son of a good friend of mine to do my first professional web site.  Hogne Midtbo-Vevle set it up, I bought the domain rights for pattilamoureux.com, and boom, there was a REAL web site!

I'd like to thank Hogne for doing such a great job on the site.  He's a genius with the computer and I think he was all of 14 or 15 years old when he first set it up!  

Now that it's 2012, I think it's time for another change.  I decided to do a new web site and went to work.  When I think about the days before the Internet made everything so easy to access, when you had to go to the library for an afternoon to look up facts, and how today through the wonder of Google and Wikipedia we can find out the answer to any question that we may have, I can't believe that I've progressed into a person who has the ability to put a web site together.  But, apparently I am, and I did!

I hope you enjoy the new look and the new features, and that you sign up for mailing list so I can keep you posted on the latest news and gigs.  Drop me a line in the Guestbook; feel free to comment on the blog.  I'd love to hear from you!

There are a couple of new things that come with the new web site too!  Firstly, if you sign up for the mailing list, you can download a free tune!  Actually it's 2 tunes, a medley!

Second, I've decided to do away with the cost of shipping for all orders.  The cost of purchasing a "real live CD" is $20, and that includes the shipping costs.  If you prefer downloading individual tracks directly from the web site, you can do that as well!  It's that easy!

Well, enough for this blog post.  Most of the web site is ready to go live, but I'm constantly adding new things daily, so check back often!  Thanks for reading, thanks for checking out the new site, and thanks for listening to my music!

Patti
]]> Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:30:00 GMT 3BCEA773CBE0F9575413F3D04DDC87BB