Oops, I made a typo on my poster! 

Please see my “Maia at The Barns” (Jan 7, 2017) Event page here:  maiawaern.com/event/maia-at-the-barns 

Home Is Where the House Concert Was

Re:  House Concert with Jay Linden and Maia Waern, Sat Nov 5, 2016

By:  Maia Waern

As I warmed up the soup and set up the chairs, Jay Linden drove in from Cambridge with an armful of instruments and a chocolate cake.

And as I tuned up my ukulele and tried on my cowgirl shirts, audience members came from Kitchener, Bradford, and Orangeville, as well as from up the street, from around the corner, and from the basement.

The food table was our opening act, with organic comforts of home including Maia-made rainbow salad and fresh local apple cider.

The concert began with a hush. The welcoming silence felt like a gentle spotlight. I cheered inside.

And as I embraced my ukulele in my cushioned wooden chair, I was partly still a little kid who dreams of being a performer, and partly an adult who has achieved my childhood dream.

By the soft light of old lamps, in our time-honoured style, Jay and I swapped songs, back and forth, one by one, until we were good and done.

In my grateful opinion, I had the best seat in the house.

I wish that I’d caught a photo of our whole audience.  And another of Chris – when he began to premonition the punchline of Jay’s ‘Bob Dylan’ song.  He wasn’t the only one.  We all groaned and squirmed in our chairs.  The healing howls of laughter filled the air.

And then the whole room went completely silent again, like open arms, inviting me to play my next song.  My childhood dream came true, again and again, until well after midnight.

Speaking of dreams coming true, Julian Fauth (julianfauth.com) will be joining us in January!

www.maiawaern.com/event/house-concert-with-julian-fauth-and-maia-waern 

Are uke ready? Here strums some great news…

Announcing MY NEW MIDTOWN LOCATION!
North Toronto Institute of Music
550 Eglinton Avenue East
Between Mount Pleasant & Bayview

THANK YOU, Mary Kenedi! Strum kind of wonderful!

I AM GRATEFUL to Gavin at Remenyi House of Music for giving my name to Mary Kenedi, and thankful to the Remenyi family for making me feel at home in many ways. This includes providing me with a new instrument to introduce to my students!

LOOG GUITARS are a 3 string acoustic or electric instrument built for kids, available in Toronto exclusively at Remenyi House of Music. My students are invited to rent or rent-to-own a Loog ~ courtesy of Remenyi. Ukulele rentals are also available.

LOOKING FORWARD to meeting new students and their families! Here’s to impromptu family and caregiver jams! My students are always welcome to invite loved ones. And that includes teddy bears…

PRIVATE LESSONS & DUO SESSIONS are unstructured and compassionate, and adaptable to each kid, and each day. Boredom is transformed into lyrics on Maia’s watch! Ukulele, Loog, songwriting, singing ~ students can decide how to spend their Maia time, as long as it’s musical ~ or expressive.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC CIRCLES are just as fun as they sound ~ and only $36 per kid per hour. Very young children might do better with half-hour music circles, to accommodate their compact attention spans. Music circles are in groups of 4 to promote individual connections. Kids can expect ukuleles, percussions, small drums, my big voice, and my teddy bear crew…

PLEASE NOTE ~ caregivers are required for preschoolers. This might also apply for older kids, as necessary.

SICK DAYS can be rescheduled (in circle sessions). Family members or caregivers may participate in the place of a sick kid; rates are the same.

NO DIGITAL DEVICES are allowed in class, except to look up song sheets or bizarre chords!

TEDDY BEAR JAMS are available! Yes, you read that right… It’s a music circle with ukuleles and teddy bears ~ AND each kid gets to keep a teddy bear of their choice! Groups of 4 kids ~ family and caregiver participation encouraged. Personal teddy bears are also welcome to participate and meet new friends…

FOR BOOKINGS:

Email “Maia” at maia@maiawaern.com to book now or to ask a question (eg. Rates)

www.facebook.com/maiawaernmusic
www.twitter.com/maiawaern

To learn piano, or to inquire about another instrument, or about the school:
Contact “Mary” at the North Toronto Institute of Music
(416) 488-2588
info@ntimusic.com

www.ntimusic.com
www.facebook.com/NTIMusic
www.twitter.com/northTOmusic

FOR LOOG GUITARS and UKULELES:

Contact Loog Guitars via their website ~ www.loogguitars.com

Visit Remenyi House of Music ~ 210 Bloor Street West, Toronto

Contact “Gavin” at Remenyi’s Guitar Department
(416) 961-3111
guitars@remenyi.com

www.remenyi.com
www.facebook.com/RemenyiHouseOfMusic
www.twitter.com/Remenyi_House

Let the strum begin!

“Buggies!!” said the email, with the photo attached.

The buggies looked as cute as I remembered them, parked in a polite row at The Stop’s Farmers’ Market inside the Wychwood Barns.

It was earlier that morning when I saw my bright blue buggy nestled happily between two uniquely colourful buggies. I couldn’t keep quiet:

“Look at those happy buggies — so cute and colourful! And me, without my camera!”

Luckily, one of the buggies’ owners had one of ‘those’ phones.

As she took the shot, she was grateful to me for seeing it. And I was grateful when she offered to email me the photo, which she did on the spot. We smiled at each other many times.

Thanks again, I said. Thank you too, she said. Have a good day, we all said.

That is a 3-minute snippet of my 2 hours at the market today.

The food is only part of the healthy lifestyle that a weekly farmers’ market provides. I am grateful for the positive personal connections that, all together, become a healthier community, and a healthier world.

The Stop’s Farmers’ Market is on Saturdays from 8am to 12:30pm (open until 1pm in summer, outside) at Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie Street (south of St. Clair Ave West). Remember to bring your buggy…and your camera!

Success at its cutest!

The last 2 Kids Open Stage events at Ellington’s Music & Café were so much fun that my smiling muscles were exhausted afterwards!

December 21, 2014’s Kids Open Stage featured many seasonal sing-a-longs and just as many kids’ songs. Our intimate crowd was cute enough for the whole room.

Jasper was in fine form – he sure knows what kids like! He’s a natural at being a ham, and at putting toddlers and young kids at ease. He will soon be a very well employed babysitter.

Sometimes kids come to Kids Open Stage to perform, and sometimes kids come to see the show. It’s a good thing that Jasper loves to entertain!

Ukuleles are one of the most joyful gateway instruments. Playing ukulele, at any age, plants musical seeds that continue to grow for a lifetime. Plus, ukuleles are child-sized, which makes them feel like a comforting toy, while being a real instrument at the same time. The best of both worlds!

Thankfully, eventually, and most often inevitably, audience members become performers…

January 18, 2015’s Kids Open Stage was such a huge success that I lost track of how many kids came! I’m guessing about a dozen overall. At one point, Jasper counted 27 people, cozily gathered at the back of Ellington’s Café, near the stage, and near each other.

It was like a gathering of friends; the kids got along famously and the jovial exchanges between parents had an old-friends feel. This made this particular event more like a party than previous Kids Open Stages. What a delight to see my vision become a success!

The day before the Kids Open Stage, while I was busking with my ukulele at The Stop’s Farmers’ Market at Wychwood Barns, I met a few young musicians. One of them was a ukulele player and we had a mini uke jam! Then, the very next day, to my delight, she brought her ukulele to Kids Open Stage. Her ukulele was tuned in a different way, and she played it ever-so sweetly.

Lean on me
When you’re not strong
I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on

Even the youngest kids treated my 3 colourful ukuleles with affection and care. And excitement! I loved watching them watching Jasper as he strummed rhythmically, and irresistibly. Before long, they were strumming along!

Like a kitten to a box, give a kid their choice of every size of drum in the world, and they’ll sit on the floor with the tiniest tambourine.

I am grateful for the beautiful piano at Ellington’s. And I am also grateful for the piano players who silenced the room (especially for their patience with the happy toddlers who played off-beat percussions during their performances).

Jasper was better than ever before, adapting easily to the larger-than-ever audience. He entertained the crowd with talent and humour, winning hearts with his genuine charm. I could see the kids looking up to him, and not just because he’s taller than me now!

From babes-in-arms, to parents with tired arms, to teens with long arms, Kids Open Stage is for every loved one.

The next Kids Open Stage is on Sunday, February 15th, 4-6pm at Ellington’s Music & Café.

Bring your little loved ones, and I’ll bring mine!

Maia Waern
January 21, 2015

November’s Kids Open Stage at Full of Beans Roastery welcomed 5-year-old Sheba and her mom. Sheba came to try a ukulele!

We also welcomed Eduardo Lima, a friendly father and well-travelled photographer, sent by Metroland for the Parkdale Villager to take photos of Kids Open Stage! (www.eduardolima.ca)

Eduardo took beautiful photos, including this one of Sheba learning to play her first “C” chord on the ukulele. She was strumming all of the strings, just like a pro – with a solid, rockin’ rhythm!

If you’d like to sing along with this photo, we were playing ‘There were 5 in the Bed, and the little one said…’

Here is my photo of Eduardo taking a photo of Jasper singing ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’. I’m happy that my boy loves country music as much as I do!

And here is Eduardo’s completely gorgeous photograph of Jasper singing ‘Annie’s Song’.

Our audience this month was patient, but sort of stuffy. (And very cute…)

For the grand finale ~ which was also sweetly captured by Eduardo ~ Jasper and I sang ‘We Go Together’ (a clever country song, sung by George Jones & Tammy Wynette).

“We go together like the moon and June
Just like the fork needs a spoon
Just like the song that needs a tune
We go together”

Many thanks to Eduardo for his excellent photos, interesting stories, and all-around kindness. I hope to see him and his family at an upcoming Kids Open Stage!

And I am most grateful to Sheba & her mom for venturing out on a cold day to sing a song about being in bed! (It appears that our kids’ strum circle plans might be even more fun than we imagine!)

I’m looking forward to both of December’s Kids Open Stages, with carolling and costumes:

Saturday, December 20, 2-4pm
Full of Beans Roastery

Sunday, December 21, 4-6pm
Ellington’s Music & Café

Bring your little loved ones
And I’ll bring mine

😀

Maia Waern
December 2, 2014

Jasper took this photo of this month’s successful Uke Jam – great shot, Jasper! What a pleasure to see my goal and efforts rewarded with enthusiasm. It was a warm and friendly strum circle with many smiles and enjoyable moments.

At one point, 7 people were strumming, including a dad who brought his 5-year-old boy to try a ukulele on for size. It was a perfect fit!

It was a treat to hear so many ukuleles at once, with voices singing in harmony. I have always felt that communal music is one of the sounds of a peaceful society.

We sang a few songs just for the boy, including Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, and You Are My Sunshine. I loved how he kept saying, with the widest eyes ever, “Hey, I KNOW this song!” And it seemed like every time I looked at him, he was either smiling at me or laughing at Jasper being silly.

A few jammers brought their own collection of song sheets, which took our musical time machine beyond its usual routes. Welcome to the Hotel California!

To all of our delight, one return jammer brought a U-bass with a little amp. This added something that I didn’t even realize was missing…

Jasper even drummed along on his ukulele’s bum for a while. 5 ukuleles, a U-bass and a uke bum – talk about a groove – we put the “Jam” in Uke Jam!

I look forward to December’s Uke Jam, which will be specially enriched with the carols and spirit of Christmas and winter celebrations. Thursday, December 18, 5-8pm at Full of Beans Roastery – oh strum all ye faithful!

Maia Waern
November 21, 2014

I smiled for 2 hours straight at this month’s Kids Open Stage at Ellington’s! We had 2 returning kids and a very enthusiastic new boy. And I was happy that Jasper was also there (my boy who is now a young man); he practically hosted the whole event and was, as he is, great with the kids.

Jasper and I sang Take Me Home, Country Roads, with the rhythm of our ukuleles sweetly synchronized. Once again, I could hear our voices meeting on a compassionate, common ground, in tune on levels beyond music. Perhaps it’s time for a Mother & Son set at my next gig…

The new boy was a piano player! He played many songs from a well-loved instruction book, and he sang along to a few of the pieces. His mom told me that he wrote the lyrics with his piano teacher, to enrich his learning and to make practising more fun. What a great idea! He was very proud to share his songs with us, and we were all very proud of him. For me, it shone upon another positive aspect of Kids Open Stage ~ loving emotions shared communally, one song at a time.

The United Jesters’ frontman returned, and at first he told me that he just came to be part of the audience. But then he changed his mind. He silenced and wowed the room with 2 original written works that could easily be from an award-winning novel. The imagery whisked me out of the room for a moment and put me into his written world. It was a dark and bloody world! That boy is a brilliant writer. If it was his desire, he could get a multimillion-dollar book publishing deal, or a lyric-writing contract with Metallica.

The returning girl danced her way into Ellington’s Café like a superstar diva! She bounced up and down until it was her turn to sing. Gleaming with confidence, she made up a song on the spot that I’m pretty sure was called, “I Like…” In a nutshell, she likes trees, food, cake, ice cream, tea, drums, that table, and that chair over there. And jazz, she really likes jaaazz. She likes eeeverythiiing in the world. That girl has a lucky mom!

After another song that was all about liking Jaaazz, we were treated to a darling verse of Lean On Me. I took the cue and invited her back up to join Jasper and I, doing the same song, all together with our ukuleles. I could hear the audience clapping to the beat, and I could see them swaying to the music. And one of the moms harmonized with her absolutely beautiful voice while her son hand drummed!

The harmonizing mom was keen to learn ukulele. She absorbed a mini uke lesson and strummed along on one of my in-house ukes. You Are My Sunshine, This Little Light of Mine, Rockin’ Robin. It was like some Uke Jam on a Kids Open Stage sandwich!

After the new boy had played all of his piano pieces, he got up on stage and sang a Remembrance Day song that he had learned at school. The returning girl ran up, grabbed the other microphone, and sang along! Get this: they don’t even go to the same school. That is one of the ways that Kids Open Stage is as unique as it is enjoyable. Now I’m looking forward to Christmas carols!

The next Kids Open Stage is on Saturday, November 29, 2-4pm at Full of Beans Coffee House & Roastery, 1348 Dundas St West, between Dufferin & Dovercourt ~ see Events page for details.

The next Kids Open Stage at Ellington’s Music & Café will be announced soon ~ stay tuned!

Maia Waern
November 18, 2014