Look for the Silver Liningis an inspirational phrase that is often used, especially as of late as we all cope with the Coronavirus. Although the origin of the phrase seems to be taken from John Milton's 1634 poem "Comus," the song that Judy Garland made famous is often what comes to our minds! ♫ Our team has been making the best of this difficult time by continuing to engage with music, even if we can't currently share the music in-person with others. As Mallory put it, "[During this season,] we can better our gifts and talents while we have so much time, even though we are taking such a financial hit."  For Mallory this means setting aside practice time for piano and guitar; for Kim this means engaging in "fun, new projects that [she] did not indulge in before because [she] felt the pressure to 'prepare' for [her] upcoming gigs." And for me, this means checking off a "bucket list" item: learning the violin. My husband and dog have been good sports as it's not a pleasant instrument to listen to a beginner play! I've also had time to release creative energy through learning more about video editing which I never would have pursued without this extensive break. Here's a couple of the fun projects I completed (one as a birthday gift and one for Easter Sunday) and I hope to do more in the future:
I believe we have all been thinking more "outside of the box" lately! Kim specifically shared with our team: "A fun thing I do that I now have time for now is to play with other musicians, but they don't know I'm playing with them! YouTube is such a phenomenal learning and playing tool for us musicians, and I'm having a blast playing some of the new tunes I'm learning with some of the best musicians in the world... I accompany them and we play together. It's most fun if there is a trio or already a duet playing. [Since] I play Celtic harp... playing along with one of the best Celtic harper, an Irish fiddler, and a hammered dulcimer is fantastic fun!"  Many other members of the Lowcountry Pianist & Company team have also expressed a new energy and joy from learning new music. It has been nice to engage in music solely for self-enjoyment and self-growth. Whether you are a musician or not, we hope you will be able to also find things during this time that bring you joy. Below we have included links to a few of our favorite Facebook groups that encourage a "silver lining," positive approach to this season. We miss each of you and cannot wait to be back making live music soon! - Holly Slice and the Lowcountry Pianist & Co. TeamCorona Positive Group: This group is to help us all find the positive in dealing with the Coronavirus. Positive stories and memes are shared to help us all pass the time until the world gets back to normal. Shower Songs with Josh Groban: We'll just let Josh explain #showersongs himself... View from My Window: This group has been created to connect people from all around the world during these tough times. Members are encouraged to take a picture from the view of their window to share with others. Guidelines are shared on the page for photo submissions and after the pandemic, a book and calendar will be created to present a photo gallery with all the most inspiring photos. What is your favorite Facebook group or webpage that spreads positivity? Share it in the comments below!
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Christ has risen, He has risen indeed! If this video brings a smile to your face, please SHARE with others. I believe we could all use encouragement this Easter Sunday! Thank you everyone who made our virtual choir come to life as we celebrate Easter this year in an unconventional way. The truth of Jesus' resurrection still remains the same -- He has risen and therefore we will always have hope! Happy Easter! - Holly"So they asked Jesus, 'Do you hear what they are saying?' 'Indeed I do,' answered Jesus. 'Haven't you ever read this scripture? '"You have trained children and babies to offer perfect praise.'" (Matt. 21:16) Peacemakers Children's Choir: Directed by Holly Slice (www.lowcountrypianist.com) Special thanks to Shawna Edwards Music who wrote this incredible song! (www.shawnaedwardsmusic.com) #shawnaedwardsmusic #lowcountrypianist #virtualchoir #eastersunday #hehasrisen PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS AND CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)We know this is an incredibly difficult time financially and emotionally for all musicians, especially performers. As a performance-based music company, Lowcountry Pianist & Company has gone from 50 performances per month to zero performances due to social distancing. This is a tough hit! VIDEO CONFERENCING TO TEACH PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONSIn order to supplement income, many of our team members teach private music lessons and have moved to teaching online through video chat apps. The extended Charleston, SC, musician community as a whole has been recommending the "Zoom" app to continue their music teaching, music therapy work, and more! Kim, harpist with LCP, shared "[My son] is doing his karate classes through Zoom and I am teaching homeschool kids at home using this tool... [I like that] it is free to use... and is a way to maintain some income and some continuity and routine for the students." In this video, Holly Slice (Owner of Lowcountry Pianist & Company) interviews Emilee Johnson (Professional Musician and Music Teacher) to learn more about using Zoom Video Conferencing to teach private lessons. Emilee gives an overview of the app plus features of the app that are specifically helpful for music teachers! Learn...
(Video Filmed with the Zoom App Recording Feature) We are looking forward to "this" passing and everything returning to normal! In the meantime, if you have additional resources to share that would be helpful for others, please comment below ↓
Thank you!  ERIN: CHARLESTON WEDDING VIOLINISTErin's Background: As the daughter of a classical pianist, Erin has always been a lover of music and the creative arts. For the past twelve years she has performed professionally for weddings in both the solo and ensemble setting, accompanied praise & worship bands throughout the Charleston area, and has been featured on the albums of local indie artists including Joel T. Hamilton & Mechanical River, Slow Runner, and Run Dan Run. We are grateful that she is a part of the Lowcountry Pianist & Company team and we enjoyed getting to know her better through our recent interview! Q: What is your favorite quote?
"Only a life lived for others is life worthwhile." - Albert Einstein Where Words Fail, Music SpeaksAs we look ahead to the new year, our team has taken time to reflect on our experiences during 2019. We had the opportunity to be a part of almost 600 events where the power of music was evident. Below we have shared some of our favorite memories from performing at retirement centers, accompanying for local schools, and providing music for wedding ceremonies.  MUSIC FOR SENIORS"Nathan, [my son], and I were playing at Savannah Grace and there were several of the residents in assisted living present who had pretty significant health challenges. They rolled one elderly lady into the room and she just stared out the window while we played. I suspected she was suffering from dementia, so we just pressed on with our program.
One lady mouthed the words to a Beatles tune while I played, and a couple of folks knew the words to “Can’t Help Falling In Love” that Nathan played on the ukulele. Still, the one lady continued to stare out the window... Nearing the end of the hour, I began to play "Edelweiss," from The Sound of Music. Suddenly, the lady appeared to awaken as she began to sing along...  Meet Our Team at Lowcountry Pianist: Claire, vocalist & guitarist CLAIRE: MUSIC THERAPIST & PERFORMERClaire's Background: Claire is a board-certified music therapist who has served the Lowcountry for the last 10 years providing medical music therapy services. Music has always been an important part of Claire's life; her background includes involvement in musical theater, private lessons, church choir, orchestra, band, and opera, She has an associates degree in vocal studies from Sandhills Community College and a bachelor's degree in music therapy from Appalachian State University. She is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honors Society. Since college she has continued her education, completing advanced trainings in neurologic music therapy and NICU-music therapy. Claire is passionate about the creative arts and having a career that ties in some of her favorite qualities: music, healing, performance, mentorship, and self-care.
The holidays are almost here! We hope you are as excited as we are, however, we all know that with the holidays there is a lot of shopping to do for our family, friends, and extended community. Brainstorming for gift ideas can be difficult! In the 1990's Oprah Winfrey began "Oprah's Favorite Things" -- yes, a spin-off of the Sound of Music song, "My Favorite Things" ♫. Since then, every year Oprah shares a list of products with her audience that she feels would make a great gift. This year, we have asked our wonderful team for some of their favorite items. We hope you will become re-inspired with gift ideas for your loved ones! AMAZON'S ECHO DOT + SMART PLUG
Of course, as a musician, I love being able to request any song or genre of music to play automatically. I have also created multiple playlists which can be retrieved by voice commands. In addition to music, I've discovered that Alexa can make phone calls, share the latest news, tell me a joke, access multiple games (including Jeopardy, Price is Right, Trivia, and Would You Rather and more!)
Fun Ideas for Your Holiday Party EntertainmentSnuggle up next to fire and enjoy a cup of cocoa, because the holidays are almost here, and celebration with family and friends is upon us! ... Yes, we recognize it's only November, however, Christmas parties begin in a month and it's time to plan. We know it can be overwhelming when you are trying to get everything ready for a party (remember “Christmas with The Kranks”?)  Photo Credit: Amazon Movies Enjoyable Family & Office Christmas Party GamesIn response, we have crafted some simple and creative music-based games to make your party fun and memorable! TriviaThis game involves all your family and friends! Divide the party into two (or more) teams and play Christmas tunes. The goal is each team has to guess what it is before the other team. There are so many ways to vary the game by:
 CharadesA party isn’t the same without charades! This is a must have classic to make your night a
enjoyable, and since it is the holidays, let’s add a holiday spin....  Q: What instruments do you play and how long have you been playing each of them? / What is your music background and what inspired you to pursue music?
"I play violin and viola. My mother is a violinist and she started teaching me at the age of 3. I picked up the viola at age 12 and fell in love with the rich, beautiful sound. I prefer to play viola whenever possible. I also play a bit of guitar, mandolin, and piano, but piano is what I am currently working on." Q: What style of music do you like to play? "Classical: Mozart, Beethoven, Prokofiev, Dvorak, Mahler. Q: What style of music do you enjoy listening to? "I like listening to classical, folk, world music, and 80's tunes!" Q: How did you connect with Lowcountry Pianist & Company? How long have you been a part of the team? "I met Holly [the owner] through a teaching engagement. Since then, I have been part of the team for over two years. I like that the events are so organized and filled with positive energy!"  |
SERVICESLEGAL © 2020 Lowcountry Pianist & Co. LLC All Rights Reserved. Visual Credits to Molly Lawson: E Bea Photography |
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CONTACTHolly Slice, Owner Lowcountry Pianist & Company
Email: holly@lowcountrypianist.com Phone: (843) 471-4580 Open Tuesday - Friday: 9 AM- 5 PM By Appointment Saturday - Monday (Last Minute Bookings, Text or Call) |