Expressions Music Academy Nov 2017

STUDENT SUCCESS STORIES

Picture a jack-o’-lantern — the glowing eyes, the nose, and the mouth made mostly of simple geometric shapes.You’re probably picturing a pumpkin, but that’s only because you were born in the last century. If you were born in the early 1800s, you’d be thinking of a different vegetable entirely. In earlier days, folks usually carved turnips.The original Celtic tale of Stingy Jack was about a man who ended up spending eternity with his spirit housed in a turnip, so the pumpkin is a deviation from the original concept. It turns out, turnips make excellent lanterns.They’re warty (great for the Halloween aesthetic), easy to carve, and less bulky, which means your kids can make individual lanterns without spending hours meticulously sculpting a large pumpkin. To carve a turnip, pick a large one. Most at the grocery store will probably be small, but you can head to a farmer’s market if they aren’t cutting it.The purple-top white globe turnip is a good, large breed.The largest ever, in fact, was a purple-top that weighed nearly 40 pounds. From there, it’s a lot like carving a pumpkin. TURNIP CARVING: BETTER THAN YOUR AVERAGE PUMPKIN? How to Make a Classic Lantern

Parents should give their children the privilege of learning the language of music, and the sooner the better. Music in early childhood creates a foundation upon which future musical learning is built. Our 10-year-old son, Benjamin, has been part of Expression Music Academy since he was 5 years old.

Music lessons are a great opportunity for any child, no

matter what their musical goals are. In fact, goals for music lessons do not have to be entirely musical. We do not expect Benjamin to become a professional musician. Instead, we want him to enjoy playing and making music, and empower him with a valuable skill for the rest of his life. Over the last few years, we feel Benjamin has become a proud and confident Piano player who has developed an appreciation for music. At school, his music grades are perfect, and, last year, he chose to pick up a new instrument, French horn! We believe, with music, Benjamin can express himself confidently, and his listening skills have improved. Like any other skill, learning music is a long and challenging process that requires the ability to follow directions accurately. The key is to be persistent and make music part of the daily routine. All that would not have been possible without the great program at EMA. Not knowing any instruments to play, we as parents were worried about our son’s progress in Piano lessons. However, the structured program at EMA and its fantastic teachers and staff make learning music fun and natural. What we like about EMA is consistency and quality of education. Benjamin has had three teachers over five years, and EMA has helped us find a good match from their awesome pool of musicians. Rather than getting a music tutor, at EMA we have access to an academy of professional musicians with a well-taught music program. At EMA, Benjamin has experienced solo playing, dual playing, state-wide competitions, and formal performances.

Photo Credit: Manx James/wikimedia commons

1. Cut off the stemmed top.

2. Scoop the middle out with a little spoon.You’ll find it a lot easier to deal with than the gloppy, smelly innards of a pumpkin.

3. Use a pencil to outline. It shows up nicely on the turnip’s skin.

4. Carve with a small knife found in your average carving kit.

We look forward to Benjamin continuing his education at EMA for years to come,

5. Illuminate with a small tea light. Large flames won’t get much oxygen in there and will literally cook the turnip.

-Amir and Mahnaz Kharazi

Unlike pumpkins, the short-term decay of the turnip will actually add to its aesthetic appearance. Outdoors in a cool environment, they have a porch life of about five days.

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