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....
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 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!"  Written by Adelaide Lovelady & Holly Slice It is that time of the year... Love is in the crisp fall air and couples are getting engaged!  Did you know that the fall time is great for strengthening relationships and taking the next-step? The Warm Up shares there are four reasons the fall season enhances relationships: 1. "It's the Season for Cuddling: 'The weather starts to cool off, so it’s more cuddly weather, and it’s more of a time to cuddle up by the fireplace and sit and have long talks,” Dr. Jenn says. 'It’s an opportunity to do more ‘cozy’ activities.'" 2. "There’s a ‘Realness’ to Your Relationship.: One of the positive things about the fall is that, in the summer, it is sort of ‘fantasy island’ time,' Dr. Jenn says. 'We’re going on vacations, we’re going for walks on the beach, and we’re laying out by the pool. We’re doing these more ‘fantasy island’ activities. It’s kind of like The Bachelor, where they go on all those vacations...  Riley's Background: Riley is a Board-Certified Music Therapist who works in the Lowcountry with children and adults with disabilities through private practice. Besides her Music Therapy career, Riley is a Certified Kindermusik Educator at Kindermusik of Charleston. She enjoys the blend of music related work that she does in the Charleston area; "there is always a need, and with that you get a nice variety". Riley is passionate about helping others with music and embracing it's natural power to heal. 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: Where are you from and what college did you attend?
"I am from a small town in Western New York called Dansville. I attended the State University of New York at Fredonia for my Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy." Q: What brought you to Charleston? "I moved to Charleston for a 6-month internship at Trident Hospital. At first I thought that I would move back to NY after the internship, however, I fell in love with the area and I wanted to be away from my home and get to know who I was. I then was offered a job with a private practice here in Charleston doing music therapy plus a position with Kindermusik of Charleston working with children in early childhood music classes. Later on that year I joined Lowcountry Pianist & Company!" Q: Top 3 Favorite Books or Movies? "Tough one - I have so many! I like a variety from romantic movies and books by Nicholas Sparks to scary and crime movies!" We are so excited to announce the creation of Lowcountry Pianist & Company's new internship program for local (Charleston, SC area) college students! Our first intern, Adelaide, has already been an amazing addition to our team. Click the image below to learn more about her through our recent Instagram post, Welcome Adelaide!  Do you feel an internship with Lowcountry Pianist & Company would be a good fit for you or a college student you know? We would love to hear from you! Read more information about the program below: Responsibilites:Research ✔ Conduct local market research ✔ Determine current marketing trends ✔ Brainstorm and develop new ideas for creative marketing Content Creation ✔ Assist in content development for Lowcountry Pianist & Company’s social media and blog posts ✔ Plan and execute initiatives to reach our target audience ✔ Assist in analyzing marketing data (campaign results, traffic, etc.) to help shape future marketing strategies Client Relations & Networking ✔ Attend networking events with business owner and admin assistant as intern’s schedule allows ✔ Complete in-person marketing hours with business owner and admin Professional & Personal Skills:✔ Business major with marketing or entrepreneurship focus ✔ Self-motivated, ability to work independently ✔ Strong organization, detailed oriented ✔ Impeccable written and verbal communication skills ✔ Ability to create aesthetically-pleasing social media posts ✔ Graphic design interest or intrinsic creativity GO ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR YOUR SENIORSAuthor: Adelaide Lovelady Editor: Holly Slice Many residential facilities employ Lifestyle or Activity Directors to create a recreation calendar and support comprehensive care. For those who jobs require consistently designing new activities, creativity can be stunted. We hope that these four activities will get your wheels turning! Of course, as advocates of live music we have also included ways to enhance the activity with professional performances ♫
For ideas for types of teas to include, check out this article: 26 Types of Teas and Their Health Benefits. Additionally, Amazon offers affordable tea assortments -- you can purchase 48 different teas for only $12.99. Music: No formal tea party is complete without classical music from a pianist or string trio! Consider this beautiful tea party at the stunning Savoy in London -- the elegance of the piano greatly enhances the event! ♫ GETTY WORSHIP CONFERENCE, NASHVILLEAlthough I truly love every aspect of my music-filled week, every Sunday I have the opportunity to lead the body of Christ in worship. There’s nothing else that brings me greater joy than when I have opportunities that directly intertwine faith and music. Growing up within church, worship is also a large part of my musical “roots” -- church was the place I learned how to read music, sing with a choir, play the piano in front of a congregation, accompany instrumentalists and vocalists, and more.
Recently Rachel and I returned from the beautiful Gaylord Convention Center in Nashville, TN, where we attended “Sing!” Conference for Pastors, Leaders, and Musicians on Encouraging and Reforming Congregational Worship. I have attended this conference for the past three years and each year I have grown in both my faith and musicality. It’s hard to put an experience into words, however, I want to share some of the opportunities this unique conference provides and hope you too may attend in the future! 
Each year I eagerly look forward to worshipping with other believers. I have always enjoyed the intimacy of being a part of a small congregation, however, it simply feels like a glorious preview of Heaven to sing alongside 10,000 attendees from more than 50 countries. It is also an opportunity for worship leaders, like myself, to be fully present without thinking about responsibilities that accompany typical Sunday mornings...
 Written By: Adelaide Lovelady (Edited By: Holly Slice) Adelaide is a junior at Charleston Southern University where she is majoring in marketing and minoring in theatre. She has performed at multiple local theaters and her dream job is to be an actress in film! While pursuing her acting career, she would also enjoy being a talent agent. With a marketing and theatre background, it would be the best of both worlds! We are excited to have Adelaide interning with Lowcountry Pianist & Company this semester! IS LIVE MUSIC MORE EFFECTIVE THAN RECORDED MUSIC?I recently went to a jazz bar in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. It was hot and humid and the atmosphere smelt of cigarettes, however, the experience transported me to another time. The bass determined the tempo and set my head to nodding. The piano captivated my interest with melodic key runs while the singer touched my soul. I listened to every note they played, expectantly waiting for where the musicians would take me as I soaked in the simple times of the 40’s.  Yet driving back home, listening to my playlist in my car, I did not feel the same draw to the music as when I was in the bar. Why was I unable to fully enjoy music in my car as much as I did the live music? What were the fast neurons signaling to my brain during live music?
Music is music, right....?  We’ve all been to those events: one whose ambience is composed of awkward silence in-between music tracks and one that goes above and beyond with its seamless melodic art. You can thank the accompanist for that. Whether it be a wedding, a retirement gathering, or a choral concert, accompanists keep the music going and create the mood for the event. What qualities should you search for in an accompanist? I hope this blog will help you be better prepared when choosing an accompanist by knowing what skills are most important to ensure a smooth performance. Katie Hardwick, choral director at Cane Bay Middle School in Summerville, SC and Rachel Premo, accompanist with Lowcountry Pianist & Company, have shared their professional insight for knowing what to look for when hiring an accompanist for your event!
#1. FLEXIBILITY Accompanists are there for your special day. Whether it be a wedding, an audition, or a party, their goal is to help you in any way they can with their services, namely adapting to how your event unfolds.
Katie Hardwick believes some of the qualities found in a good accompanist are, “kind[ness], understanding, dependability, and focus.” To make this easier, Katie suggests that “memorizing large passages, practicing and sight reading frequently” helps sharpen an accompanist's flexibility... |
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© 2024 Lowcountry Pianist & Co. LLC
All Rights Reserved.