KANATA, ON, March 2013 --Music for Young Children has been teaching children for 33 years, have you ever wondered what some of those MYC grads are doing today?
I was recently at an event where a band called Jiggs Boson was performing. When talking to the accordion player, Lisa Bebyck, I discovered that she took MYClessons as a child. Lisa (in photo) is 36 years old and took lessons with her brother in Edmonton.
Here's what Lisa had to say:
What do you remember most about Music for Young Children lessons?
The one thing I remember the most about MYC lessons is learning that rhythm exists in every day life. We would go around the circle and clap out the syllables in our names. Who knows, maybe the rhythm exercises had such a profound influence on me and perhaps that's why I became a percussionist later in life. Another thing that I remember is that we often sang the MYC songs at the start and end of the lessons. To make it more challenging though we had to stomp and clap a 3/4 pattern at the same time we sang. That really taught us coordination!
What musical training did you continue with after MYC?
Right after MYC, I went on to private piano lessons. I took my Royal Conservatory exams all the way to Grade 10. I kept up with the theory, harmony and music history courses that go along with the RCM levels. In grade 7, I took up percussion at my school and continued with percussion all the way through university. My degree at the University of Alberta is a BEd with a major in Music (with percussion as my primary instrument).
Tell me about Jiggs Boson, who is in the band, what kind of music you play.
Jiggs Boson is comprised of four Reserve Army musicians who all play a secondary "Celtic" instrument beside their main concert band instrument. Here's the instrumentation of Jiggs Boson -- Dan Beaulac: guitar, mandolin and vocals; Gordon Tait: whistles, bodhran, guitar and vocals; Angela Hardy: fiddle and vocals; Myself (Lisa Bebyck): accordion and percussion. We play a variety of Celtic music from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada.
How did the band get together?
Last year in April 2012, Dan and Gordon had convinced our Director of Music Lieutenant Colonel Chilton-Mackay from the Governor General's Foot Guards Band that there was a need for a Celtic ensemble. I wasn't part of the group at the time. The three members played one gig and the Lt.-Col. loved it so much that she booked the trio on more gigs. There was a need to have a 4th member, so I offered my skills as a pianist. We did one rehearsal together and the piano was an "okay" addition but I really wanted to play accordion which I neither owned, nor had ever played before. A member of the band offered to lend me one and in May I started practicing profusely until I had at least the basics to be able to rehearse with the Celtic ensemble. Since then I've become more confident with my playing abilities and I keep getting better. We've done a few non-army gigs as well, all in pubs around town. Our latest gig was in Stittsville at "The Glen" for Robbie Burns Day.
Where do you work now?
I've worked at St. John's Music for quite some time now (it will be 10 years in April 2013). When I first moved to Ottawa in 1999, I first worked as a music teacher with the public school board. After three years of teaching, I realized that there were aspects of the job that I didn't like, so I left the teaching profession. I had already developed a working relation with St. John's Music since I bought all my music and accessories through them. They happened to have a job available for a music education sales representative, so I took the job. My music teacher colleagues all of a sudden became my customers, so that was an interesting transition. I love the job, so it was the right decision to accept this position.
I'm also a corporal with the GGFG band. My main instrument is percussion (drum kit, mallet instruments, timpani and all auxiliary percussion). Whenever piano is required, I'm asked to do that as well. I play accordion when a gig requires the Celtic ensemble to play for an event.
If you have comments or would like more news about Jiggs Boson, you can find them on their Facebook page: facebook.com/JiggsBoson.
Janice Reade
Public Relations Manager
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