Minnesota School Of Music - October 2021

You Can Use WHAT to Tidy Up?! 4 Deep-Cleaning Hacks to Prep for the Holidays

Prepping for the holidays is exciting and fun, but it requires tons of planning, cooking, decorating, and cleaning. To avoid getting bogged down while preparing for cheerful celebrations with friends and family, try these easy ways to get your house sparkling clean and ready to host. ROLL THE CEILINGS When it comes to ceilings, especially if they are textured, thoroughly cleaning off dust, dander, and cobwebs can be challenging. When you use a broom, chunks typically go flying around and make a larger mess. However, if you whip out a painting roller, dampen it, and roll your ceilings just like you are painting, you are sure to get the job done! SOCKS ON YOUR HANDS Have you ever run a finger along a panel of your blinds and it comes up black? Blinds tend to be huge dust collectors. By throwing some socks on your hands, you can get back to clean blinds. All you have to do is find a pair of old socks, “glove up,” and dampen them. From there, if you grip each individual blind Kirsten Rotvold has been involved in music for as long as she can remember. Now, she uses that passion and experience every day as a piano teacher at the Minnesota School of Music. She has always wanted to teach, but since her primary instrument is the flute (though she is proficient on the piano as well), she didn’t consider piano instruction until she saw the posting for the Minnesota School of Music. She decided to apply for the role and became the first undergraduate to teach at the school! “My favorite thing about teaching is being able to form a unique relationship with each student by knowing what’s going on in their lives besides piano,” Kirsten says. “I also like being able to see how excited they are when they succeed. It makes them so happy, so I enjoy pushing them toward their goals.” Kirsten started taking piano lessons when she was about 5 years old. “I was really excited to play piano,” she says, “because I would always hear the organ at church, and I thought it was so cool.” She and her brother, who also played, didn’t have the most typical musical taste for children. “When I was little, my mom would take me to the library,” she remembers. “My brother and I would look at the classical music cassette tapes and take them home to play. I was interested in Beethoven and Mozart!” MEET NEW PIANO INSTRUCTOR KIRSTEN ROTVOLD! A LIFELONG PASSION

panel and slide your hand along the length of it, you will gather tons of nasty dirt and dust onto the sock. CLEANING BALLS Utilizing tennis balls for your house chores may sound strange. However, when drying a bulky bed comforter in your dryer, adding a few tennis balls will ensure the stuffing does not gather all to one side. The balls help keep everything nice and even. PILLOWCASES AND FANS Your ceiling fans collect all of the nasties — dirt, dust, bugs, and allergens. For an easy way to clean them without spreading all the grime around your home, turn to old pillowcases! Simply slip the pillowcase over each individual fan blade and then wipe. All of the debris will end up in the pillowcase itself. A clean home is the key to happy living and is paramount for hosting over the holidays. With these tricks up your sleeve, you are now a cleaning expert!

Kirsten later started flute around the age of 10, and she is now a flute performance major at the University of Minnesota. She plans to eventually go for her master’s degree, and her ultimate goal is to play flute in a professional ensemble — while still teaching on the side. In her free time, Kirsten plays in the University Symphony Orchestra and the University Wind Ensemble. She also enjoys photography and spending time with her Brittany spaniel, Lexi. As for what she likes best about MnSOM, Kirsten notes, “Playing in orchestras can feel very cutthroat and competitive, but MnSOM isn’t like that. They do a really good job of making the students feel encouraged and like they’re doing well.” Even more importantly, she says, “When you walk in, it’s a nice, friendly environment, and it feels close and tightknit. Mr. Nehring is very welcoming and friendly, and John is always at the front desk, happy and smiling.”

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