At age 10 my mother gave me a choice - Hebrew school or piano lessons. Although I didn’t know it, it turned out that my decision determined my career. After studying piano and playing flute during my high school years, I knew the only thing I wanted to study in university was music. After graduation (University of Toronto – Bachelor of Music), I taught music as an Itinerant Music Instructor (IMI) for the Scarborough Board until I put my school teaching on hold to raise my three incredible children. During this time I had a “cottage industry” clothing business and taught private piano lessons. After an eighteen-year hiatus from working for the School Board, I returned to teaching for the Toronto District School Board as an IMI and playing flute with the North York Concert Band and The Encore Band.
But, I did not stop there.
I realized that there were so many others who had also temporarily abandoned their instruments due to life circumstances and I saw this as an opportunity to create a fun, social atmosphere where people could return like I did to playing music. I hoped that by creating such an environment it would also give others the same joy and pleasure while also providing the opportunity for them to learn and then share their accomplishments with each other. My ultimate goal, which has been realized, is to have members of the band learn repertoire, perform to audiences and share their expression of music within the community.
And that’s how Resa’s Pieces (the name was chosen by the Band members) was born.
Along with conducting and developing Resa’s Pieces I have also had the wonderful opportunity to lead workshops as a flute specialist and have conducted ensembles for the School Board and at Toronto Music Camp.
It is one of my greatest joys every week to share my love of music with all of the dedicated individuals in the Resa’s Pieces Concert Band.
By the way, I finally took those Hebrew lessons and was called up as a Bat Mitzvah at age 39.
email: conductor@resaspieces.org
