The Consulting Arts
The Consulting Arts spawns environments that are catalysts for creativity, focusing on piano, voice, creativity coaching, art and writing. Karen Smith-Will teaches students of all ages and with various learning styles, disabilities, and health concerns. Typically her students' ages range from 5-100, and accommodations can be made for exceptional students.
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Why music?
- Great for an aging brain - a longitudinal study with >1000 participants
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- Written by Karen Smith-Will
- Category: The Consulting Arts
When I saw Edvard Munch's Scream at a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' 2016 exhibit, I had no idea 1 (oil) of its 4 versions (2 oil + 2 pastel, the latter as shown at the photograph to the right) had been stolen and returned. Would-be-theologian, turned Scotland Yard "art theft detective," Charles "Charley" Hill tracked down this artwork, among many others, during his storied career, returning them to art museums and collectors, alike.
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- Written by Karen Smith-Will
- Category: The Consulting Arts
The Consulting Arts teaches composition to students interested in adding that to their voice or piano repertoire. Multiple TCA students have earned awards and praise for their compositions through the last 15 years.
"Bittersweet" is reminiscent of the folk songs in the 1960s and 70s, with a hint of jazz.
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- Written by Karen Smith-Will
- Category: The Consulting Arts
How many days a month do you listen to music? Practice music? Play music for others? Lead music professionally, as a performer or as a teacher?
The 25 students of The Consulting Arts made it their goal to play or sing music every day during the month. And you know what? It was hard! Every student we have participates in multiple activities…BUT—they still tried. All our students increased the number of days they played music in October 2017.
The winner of the contest (link to original article), with 29 days of music in October, was Anna DeLung.
Read more: Play Days 2017 is finished—& music can improve your life!
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- Written by Karen Smith-Will
- Category: The Consulting Arts
Virtually all of our students at The Consulting Arts have a strategy for learning music theory. Some of them have separate Theory books, in addition to their lesson books. Some students have whole sessions on a difficult topic (like the circle of fifths), or go through lengthy sessions taught by one of our friends, a former music professor.
One of the readers of this blog, Anna, brought to my attention that that there are many additional resources that can be useful. She is a Girl Scout, and her message reminded me that many of our students have been scouts.
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- Written by Karen Smith-Will
- Category: The Consulting Arts
This contest exclusively for registered The Consulting Arts students is inspired by one of my friends who has always said that instead of calling it “practice,” you should just call it “playing music.”
How many days of the month do you really play or sing? Now that you’ve started back to the routine of Fall, you should have a good idea of where music fits in your new schedule. The TCA student that plays the most days in October 2017 will be the winner. If there is a tie—we hope there will be tons of students that play every day in October!—there will be a drawing on Wednesday, November 1.
Prize: 2 Exhibits Tickets to the Science Museum of Virginia (expiration November 30, 2018)
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