New Home for Mews and Moos!

Greetings all!

I hope you are having fabulous Tuesday so far! 

I just wanted to drop a note to let you know that Mews and Moos has now been transferred to the new and improved tiffanyprochera.com site so it will not be posted here anymore.

But there is lots and lots of new articles and other goodness, such as an interview with composer John Rutter and a discussion on the tools we use to create, at the home site so head over there..... like, now!... and get connected!

Catch ya on the flip side!

How Playing An Instrument Affects Your Brain

Hey!

So, a while back in the first episode of Muse TV I talked about some of the benefits of music education – one of them being how it unites the left and right sides of the brain.

Well, there’s more to the story!

In this video below, by educator Anita Collins as part of the TED ED video series, you will learn just how beneficial playing a musical instrument is to your brain function. It is like no other activity in the way that all parts of the brain are activated, such as those that govern auditory, language, memory and motor functions. It’s like a full-body workout for your grey matter! 

Even listening to music causes a lot of activity but playing and practicing really set all guns ablazing! But what’s even better is that those connections in the brain are transferred to other activities so, in a way, you end up doing everything better! Pretty cool, eh?

Enjoy the video and visit http://ed.ted.com/ for more Ted Ed lessons! 

Don’t forget to add your two cents (or a whole semitone if you want!) in the comments section below. Let us know what music has done for you!

Oh, and a little bit of STM news.

Doodley Doo, one of the songs from my first book for kids, Bad Moods And Seven Other Super Reasons To Sing A Silly Song, was recently featured during Canadian Music Week! 

There are also hard copies available of the new book, Brain Freezes And Seven More Super Reasons To Sing A Silly Song on the STM online store. Get your copy today!

And if you are looking for an inspiring holiday gift, might I suggest A Candle At Both Ends - my first book of uplifting poetry and prose. It's available at Radiance Gifts and The Forks Trading Company in Winnipeg or online at the STM store. 

    

Have a great day! 

Learn how to get over stage fright with MuseTV

Stage fright – that moment before your performance or presentation that can seem like hours – and sometimes it does last hours! – where you find yourself shaking with sweaty palms, thoughts of doom running through your head. 

You tell yourself it’s going to be a total disaster and you can’t go on. You would rather die!

Getting up in front of a group of people doesn’t have to be a terrifying experience – really, it doesn’t!  But what can you do to get over these nerves so you can still go out and rock that stage?

In this episode of MuseTV, I offer you four tips to help get you back on track. 

                                                                           

If you found the video helpful, feel free to share with your peeps, add your thoughts in the comments section below and subscribe to the Mews and Moos Blog for more fun stuff!

In other news, with the approach of fall, I am happy to be starting another season of vocal instruction this week! Yay! Always a fun time of year! If you or someone you know is interested in learning to sing, check out the Music Education video from the last post and don’t hesitate to contact me. With the advances in technology, not only can you take lessons with me in person if you live in Winnipeg but you can also study online via Skye. 

What will they think of next?

Well, have a great day everyone! Carpe diem!

The Flowers Are Popping Up - Along With Some Great Musical Deals And Not One But Two New Directions For STM!

Happy May Day!

It`s Tiffany here! How are you doing? Enjoying the spring so far? We had a pretty rough winter over here - as many of us have -  but it’s so great to see things growing again, or at least wanting to grow – it`s a late start but I can feel it happening! :-)

So, I thought I would set Mews and Moos in a bit of a different direction. I want to use this blog to share things that are beautiful, inspiring and feed the creative spirit. I want to share videos and stories that will help you in your creative pursuits, make you laugh and maybe even make you think differently about life.

I`ve got a bunch of ideas in the works – things about dealing with stage fright, tips for music teachers, inspiring musical stories - but I want to hear from you. What would you like to read or hear about? What would help you along your creative path? I’m ready to do the research so comment on this post and let me know what you want to see!  

Okay, so a couple of updates in tiffanyprochera.com land. I’m currently working on creating a whole new website full of awesomeness - inspiration, fun and, of course, great music! It will take time but I’m so looking forward to sharing it with you when it’s all done! This blog will be incorporated into the site so I’ll let you know when the switch-over happens.

Last month, I provided the voice for a Spanish/English video narration project – mucho fun and the folks I was working with in the studio were barbaro!

I recently returned from my first trip overseas –  a week at the International Harp Festival in Edinburg, Scotland and a week seeing the sights in London – and I had a blast! I met amazing people, learned a little harp and a little Gaelic, was mere yards away from Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle ( though I didn't actually see her) and had the chance to face some fears – of things like long flights and haggis - which was awesome!

And - drum roll, please - it just so happens that May is my birthday month and I wanted to celebrate by offering to you my two song collections - Bad Moods and Seven Other Super Reasons To Sing A Silly Song and Dreams, Magic and Other Realities - for over 25% off until the end of the month! I’ve also made some of the most popular songs from Bad Moods available as individual downloads so if you wanted Mr. Willywallywolowitz on its own without the rest of the collection, you can get it! Just head to www.tiffanyprochera.com to check them out!

Okay, so I’m so looking forward to hearing about what you want on the blog. Bring it on and have a fabulous day!

Ciaoski!