The beauty of the sounds coming from the piano played by Miss Jennifer Lin is magical. Jennifer was 14-years old in this video, and she speaks of how she is able to compose music in her mind and play it instantly…this is profoundly amazing! Jennifer has been on Oprah and ABC World News Tonight and her virtuoso performances have been known to reduce audiences to tears.
Click on the video to enjoy Jennifer and her Simply Amazing skills!
Happy listening!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Spotlight: Simply Stravinsky
“Is it not by love alone that we succeed in penetrating to the very essence of being?” This is a quote by the renowned Russian composer, Igor Stravinsky, named by Time magazine as one of the most influential people of the 20th century. Stravinsky received recognition not only for his compositions but also for his skills as a pianist and conductor.
Stravinsky was born in 1882 in Oraniebaum, Russia but raised in St. Petersburg. According to his autobiography, his childhood was troubled. His father was a bass singer and young Stravinsky began piano lessons, studied music theory, and began his hand at composing. Even though he clearly had a fascination for music, his parents expected Stravinsky to become a lawyer. The studies clearly did not interest him, as he attended less than 50 classes in four years. His father passed away in 1902, and after being prevented from taking his law finals and earning a half-course diploma, Stravinsky was able to focus all his attention to his musical interests.
In 1905, Stravinsky began to take private lessons from Rimsky-Korsakov, who became a father figure to him. In that same year, he became engaged to his second cousin, Katerina Nossenko. They married in 1906 and had two children—Feodor and Ludmila.
In 1909, Stravinsky presented his Fireworks composition in St. Petersburg. In attendance was Sergei Diaghilev, the director of the Ballets Russes in Paris. Diaghilev was impressed and commissioned Stravinsky for orchestrations and then for a full-length ballet score, The Firebird.
Stravinsky moved to Europe and penned three more ballets for the Ballets Russes: The Rite of Spring, Petrushka, and Pulcinella. Stravinsky’s work can be classified into three stylistic periods: the Rite of Spring and Petrushka ended his Russian Period. Stravinsky moved next into his Neoclassical Period—defined by Pulcinella and Octet (1923), which lacked the large orchestras of former ballets and used wind instruments, the piano, and choral and chamber works. Lastly was his Serial Period, which included the use of dodecaphony, the twelve-tone technique devised by Schoenberg. Stravinsky’s ballet Agon displayed this technique.
For many years, Stravinsky romanced two women—his wife Katarina and his mistress Vera. Katarina, Stravinsky, and their daughter Ludmila were all stricken with tuberculosis; Katarina and Ludmila died from the disease. After months in the hospital, Stravinsky survived and moved to the United States shortly thereafter. His marriage to Vera was a happy one despite rumors of several affairs. Stravinsky died in 1971 at the age of 88.
There is much more interesting information about him on the Simply Stravinsky page…click on the link to read all about him!
Happy Learning !
Stravinsky was born in 1882 in Oraniebaum, Russia but raised in St. Petersburg. According to his autobiography, his childhood was troubled. His father was a bass singer and young Stravinsky began piano lessons, studied music theory, and began his hand at composing. Even though he clearly had a fascination for music, his parents expected Stravinsky to become a lawyer. The studies clearly did not interest him, as he attended less than 50 classes in four years. His father passed away in 1902, and after being prevented from taking his law finals and earning a half-course diploma, Stravinsky was able to focus all his attention to his musical interests.
In 1905, Stravinsky began to take private lessons from Rimsky-Korsakov, who became a father figure to him. In that same year, he became engaged to his second cousin, Katerina Nossenko. They married in 1906 and had two children—Feodor and Ludmila.
In 1909, Stravinsky presented his Fireworks composition in St. Petersburg. In attendance was Sergei Diaghilev, the director of the Ballets Russes in Paris. Diaghilev was impressed and commissioned Stravinsky for orchestrations and then for a full-length ballet score, The Firebird.
Stravinsky moved to Europe and penned three more ballets for the Ballets Russes: The Rite of Spring, Petrushka, and Pulcinella. Stravinsky’s work can be classified into three stylistic periods: the Rite of Spring and Petrushka ended his Russian Period. Stravinsky moved next into his Neoclassical Period—defined by Pulcinella and Octet (1923), which lacked the large orchestras of former ballets and used wind instruments, the piano, and choral and chamber works. Lastly was his Serial Period, which included the use of dodecaphony, the twelve-tone technique devised by Schoenberg. Stravinsky’s ballet Agon displayed this technique.
For many years, Stravinsky romanced two women—his wife Katarina and his mistress Vera. Katarina, Stravinsky, and their daughter Ludmila were all stricken with tuberculosis; Katarina and Ludmila died from the disease. After months in the hospital, Stravinsky survived and moved to the United States shortly thereafter. His marriage to Vera was a happy one despite rumors of several affairs. Stravinsky died in 1971 at the age of 88.
There is much more interesting information about him on the Simply Stravinsky page…click on the link to read all about him!
Happy Learning !
Monday, October 22, 2007
Extremely Talented
Sirena Huang is now 12 years old; she probably loves what all 12 year old girls love: talking with her friends, school, books…but she is also a world-renowned concert violinist. Sirena began violin lessons at the age of 4 and made her professional debut with the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra at the ripe old age of 9! She is the recipient of numerous prizes, won in international competitions and has an amazing musical imagination. Being that she is only 12 years old, there is not much more information on her…but her mastery of the violin begins to write a biography that you already are looking forward to reading…
Click on the video to look and listen to Sirena:
Happy learning!
Click on the video to look and listen to Sirena:
Happy learning!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Spotlight: Simply Le Corbusier
Born Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, Le Corbusier was a world-renowned architect and writer famous for his contributions to Modern Architecture. Although he was born in Switzerland, he became a French citizen in his 30s and was a pioneer in studies of modern design and was focused on providing citizens of large, crowded cities with more space and better living conditions.
Le Corbusier studied at the La-Chaux-de-Fonds Art School under Charles L'Éplattenier. Le Corbusier’s architecture teacher at the school was René Chapallaz, who had a huge influence on his earliest houses. During his early years, Le Corbusier traveled around Europe, sketching structures. Of these, his sketchings of the Parthenon would become famous and he would praise the structure in his collection of essays titled “Towards an Architecture” (Vers une architecture) released in 1923.
In 1918, Le Corbusier met and teamed up with the Cubist painter Ame'de'e Ozenfant and together they published a manifesto, Après le Cubisme, established a new movement, Purism, and established the Purist Journal, L'Esprit Nouveau. It was in the publication of the first journal in 1920 that Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris adopted Le Corbusier as his pseudonym. It was a reflection of his belief that anyone can reinvent himself.
Le Corbusier’s most famous works, the Villa Savoye, were located in the suburbs of Paris. The villa was made of reinforced concrete and combined classic and modern elements. The villa was predominately white, with little decoration, reinforcing Le Corbusier’s thoughts that white was functional, practical, and that color distracted from the landscape.
There is so much more to study about Le Corbusier. His most famous buildings, his paintings, and his furniture designs are just a few of the interesting things to absorb about him. Skip over to Simply Le Corbusier and be prepared to be dazzled! If you have any questions, send a question to the expert via the Forum. And don’t forget to take the Simply Le Corbusier poll and while you’re at it, send a friend an electronic postcard!
Happy Learning!
Le Corbusier studied at the La-Chaux-de-Fonds Art School under Charles L'Éplattenier. Le Corbusier’s architecture teacher at the school was René Chapallaz, who had a huge influence on his earliest houses. During his early years, Le Corbusier traveled around Europe, sketching structures. Of these, his sketchings of the Parthenon would become famous and he would praise the structure in his collection of essays titled “Towards an Architecture” (Vers une architecture) released in 1923.
In 1918, Le Corbusier met and teamed up with the Cubist painter Ame'de'e Ozenfant and together they published a manifesto, Après le Cubisme, established a new movement, Purism, and established the Purist Journal, L'Esprit Nouveau. It was in the publication of the first journal in 1920 that Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris adopted Le Corbusier as his pseudonym. It was a reflection of his belief that anyone can reinvent himself.
Le Corbusier’s most famous works, the Villa Savoye, were located in the suburbs of Paris. The villa was made of reinforced concrete and combined classic and modern elements. The villa was predominately white, with little decoration, reinforcing Le Corbusier’s thoughts that white was functional, practical, and that color distracted from the landscape.
There is so much more to study about Le Corbusier. His most famous buildings, his paintings, and his furniture designs are just a few of the interesting things to absorb about him. Skip over to Simply Le Corbusier and be prepared to be dazzled! If you have any questions, send a question to the expert via the Forum. And don’t forget to take the Simply Le Corbusier poll and while you’re at it, send a friend an electronic postcard!
Happy Learning!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
What about the Gifted Kids?
An article published by The Washington Post recently turned the spotlight on gifted children and why, in increasing numbers, parents of these children are pulling their children out of public schools. The reason given is because of the No Child Left Behind Act and the fact that it focuses on low-performing students and pretty much leaves the gifted students out in the cold.
Most at risk are math prodigies and creative writing students. Because the focus now is on teaching the basics and raising school district test scores, the school’s curriculum is structured and does not include enough flexibility to include a different way of thinking to resolve a problem. Because of this, students who may be math geniuses begin to hate math; kids who may be future novelists begin to hate to write and rue the thought of another writing worksheet in class. Our teachers’ hands are tied; they can see that some of the students are well past some of the rudimentary exercises presented in class; but they also have a curriculum to follow and lack incentives to appropriately educate all the students in the classroom to master the curriculum, not just pass it.
It takes a special kind of person to educate a child; a person of strong will, courage, and lots of patience. And that is just to deal with the imposition and intrusion of the government in their job. But it is a job of love. Most teachers try to do as much as they can with gifted students, including book reading programs, extra creative writing assignments, math projects, and other things that may go outside of the curriculum. Thankfully, some teachers will not be hampered by governmental policies; instead they will use it as motivation to do what they love best: teach and watch children flourish.
Happy Learning!
p.s. Click here if you would like to read the Washington Post article.
Most at risk are math prodigies and creative writing students. Because the focus now is on teaching the basics and raising school district test scores, the school’s curriculum is structured and does not include enough flexibility to include a different way of thinking to resolve a problem. Because of this, students who may be math geniuses begin to hate math; kids who may be future novelists begin to hate to write and rue the thought of another writing worksheet in class. Our teachers’ hands are tied; they can see that some of the students are well past some of the rudimentary exercises presented in class; but they also have a curriculum to follow and lack incentives to appropriately educate all the students in the classroom to master the curriculum, not just pass it.
It takes a special kind of person to educate a child; a person of strong will, courage, and lots of patience. And that is just to deal with the imposition and intrusion of the government in their job. But it is a job of love. Most teachers try to do as much as they can with gifted students, including book reading programs, extra creative writing assignments, math projects, and other things that may go outside of the curriculum. Thankfully, some teachers will not be hampered by governmental policies; instead they will use it as motivation to do what they love best: teach and watch children flourish.
Happy Learning!
p.s. Click here if you would like to read the Washington Post article.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Spotlight: Simply Yeats
“But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
The above is a quote from William Butler Yeats, a Nobel Prize winning poet and dramatist. Yeats was born in 1865 and studied in London. From an early age, he was interested in both Irish legends and the occult, which showed up in the early phases of his work. Yeats earliest volume of poetry was published in 1887, displaying heavy influence by Percy Bysshe Shelley and Edmund Spenser.
Yeats was profoundly interested in Irish myth and supernatural experiences—so much so that he was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an occult group which combined themes of Christianity with those of medieval Kabbalah, Theosophy, magic practices, and ancient pre-Christian religions. He was an active recruiter for the Golden Dawn, bringing in his uncle George Pollexfen, Maud Gonne, and Florence Farr.
Yeats held an unrequited love for Maud Gonne and after many years of pining for her, she married someone else (oh, the horror!). Yeats went on to marry George Hyde-Lees, a woman he had met through his occult circles. Despite a 27-year age difference, the marriage was a success and produced two children, Anne and Michael. Not only was the marriage itself a success, Yeats and George worked together on his works, engaging in a form of automatic writing. This involved George contacting various spirits and guides who then, in turn, communicated back characters and history during trances. Wow!
Yeats is definitely a fascinating historical icon. There is a wealth of information left to be studied, i.e., his poetry, more information on his occult involvement, and some very interesting notes to some of his poems (available in free downloads). Hop over to Simply Yeats and read about one very captivating poet!
Happy learning!
The above is a quote from William Butler Yeats, a Nobel Prize winning poet and dramatist. Yeats was born in 1865 and studied in London. From an early age, he was interested in both Irish legends and the occult, which showed up in the early phases of his work. Yeats earliest volume of poetry was published in 1887, displaying heavy influence by Percy Bysshe Shelley and Edmund Spenser.
Yeats was profoundly interested in Irish myth and supernatural experiences—so much so that he was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an occult group which combined themes of Christianity with those of medieval Kabbalah, Theosophy, magic practices, and ancient pre-Christian religions. He was an active recruiter for the Golden Dawn, bringing in his uncle George Pollexfen, Maud Gonne, and Florence Farr.
Yeats held an unrequited love for Maud Gonne and after many years of pining for her, she married someone else (oh, the horror!). Yeats went on to marry George Hyde-Lees, a woman he had met through his occult circles. Despite a 27-year age difference, the marriage was a success and produced two children, Anne and Michael. Not only was the marriage itself a success, Yeats and George worked together on his works, engaging in a form of automatic writing. This involved George contacting various spirits and guides who then, in turn, communicated back characters and history during trances. Wow!
Yeats is definitely a fascinating historical icon. There is a wealth of information left to be studied, i.e., his poetry, more information on his occult involvement, and some very interesting notes to some of his poems (available in free downloads). Hop over to Simply Yeats and read about one very captivating poet!
Happy learning!
Monday, October 8, 2007
What Does Your Picture Look Like?
Because of cutbacks in school programs, it has been said that schools have become regimented and structured; often missing out on tapping into the creative side of the students. At Simply Charly, it is our goal to offer a new and different portal for students and teachers to explore historical figures. How exciting would it be to pull up the Simply Charly Web site, completely devoted to favorite historical figures, after studying them in class? Simply Charly’s Web sites come complete with awesome caricatures, quiz questions about each icon’s life, electronic postcards that could be sent to others, and other exciting information that could be downloaded and referenced again and again.
Simply Charly is designed to serve as a complement to our teachers and educators and offers a way to stir the students’ creative minds. We provide students and other absorbers of knowledge a new and different way to gather information on historical icons by supplying access to videos, audio clips, and other materials that can be used to supplement the curriculum received through regular learning environments.
Speaking of creative minds, Sir Ken Robinson makes a very compelling argument that students have all been educated to be good workers, rather than creative thinkers. He believes that a radical rethink of our education system needs to be done; one that cultivates creativity and acknowledges that everyone does not learn the same way.
Click on the video to watch this very enlightening presentation.
Happy learning!
Simply Charly is designed to serve as a complement to our teachers and educators and offers a way to stir the students’ creative minds. We provide students and other absorbers of knowledge a new and different way to gather information on historical icons by supplying access to videos, audio clips, and other materials that can be used to supplement the curriculum received through regular learning environments.
Speaking of creative minds, Sir Ken Robinson makes a very compelling argument that students have all been educated to be good workers, rather than creative thinkers. He believes that a radical rethink of our education system needs to be done; one that cultivates creativity and acknowledges that everyone does not learn the same way.
Click on the video to watch this very enlightening presentation.
Happy learning!
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