Author Archives: RocklandNYMom

What do you know about Pillows?

Posted on by Posted in Health and Wellness, In the Home, Items, Reviews, RNYM's Picks, Self Care, Shopping, Specialty Items .

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.

We have the honor or welcoming SPRY Therapeutics to our “For the Home” Directory page, where we have services and products for the home that we love and endorse.  Spry has two special types of pillows that have us reeling;  one “Recovery” which is absolutely perfect for RNYD who has had 8 back surgeries (his most recent cervical), and anther “Pure” which is perfect for my asthmatic and allergy afflicted (E). 

Deep down I think we all know how dirty our pillows become, but reading the information available on their website was a real eye opener.

Here is some background info for you to check out, full review to come.

https://sprytherapeutics.com/ 

At Spry, it is our mission to make your everyday life healthier and more comfortable. All Spry products are designed using innovative technologies that are created to give you customized comfort and better solutions to improve your health, whether you’re looking for relief from allergies and asthma, pain relief or a comfortable support pillow.

about Spry Recovery®

Made with our patented Flo-Form® technology, this pillow uniquely contours to your specific shape and curves to help support proper body alignment.

The size of the pillow makes it easy to carry and store, and its versatility makes it the perfect companion for any situation. It comes with a soft, breathable cover that can be easily removed and washed. Add a hot or cold pack to the Spry Recovery to help soothe muscles and dull the sensation of pain.

about Spry Pure®

Waterproof and breathable, Spry Pure’s PneumaPure® filtration offers full protection from viruses and bacteria, allowing only clean air to pass through. Spry Pure is the perfect solution for asthma and allergy sufferers. Plus, the pillow never requires laundering — simply wipe down the water-resistant exterior with a mild solution to sanitize the exterior.

Spry Pure is currently available in memory foam and polyfill. For children specifically, our polyfill pillows are a great option.

Who you Gonna Call?!

Posted on by Posted in Birthdays, We're Having a Party .

Disclosure:  This is an original post about parties that I have thrown for my kids.  Some links included are affiliate links.

At our house we have “Classic Movie Night” where we watch old movies that we LOVED as kids to show our children.  We showed the kids Ghost Busters (all 3) this year and they loved them.  So much that (A) choose it as his birthday theme at a local laser tag place.

*The laser tag place won’t be named as we actually had a bad experience there, luckily in the end the kids had some fun, so I am sharing the fun ideas I had and special things with you just for reference should you decide to do a similar event.  This theme is easily adapted for a water gun party, or a nerf party.*

I made sure to get (A) his t-shirt and pajamas so that he had some special birthday items.  (no photos in pajamas he’s getting so big he barely lets me)

Pizza was ordered from a local establishment and I brought red and green juice for the kids, nothing too crazy there, they are far more interested in the action than the food.  I made chocolate dipped treats that looked like ghosts for centerpieces, that the kids then took home as favors.  I will be honest, they were a pain.  If I chose to do something like this again, I would have Danielle at Chocolatier Matisse do them, shes better at it and I can use some time to work on other things.

One of my closest friends is a CRAZY talented cake artist, who works at La Promenade in Tenafly, NJ so she always makes my cakes.  They are not only beautiful one of a kind works of art, but they are so very good.

There wasn’t much to do activity wise as the main event was the tag, and I had learned the last time that I wouldn’t have time in the room to do other activities so instead I shifted my focus.  I decorated the venue not only in the room but also in the tag area with some Ghost Balloons, and also a City Backdrop that would later become our photo area.  I used lime green table cloths cut to look like slime as well.

I made an Ecto 2 sign for behind the cake, used caution tape on the tables, and cut out some on theme items.  I also put up a Ghostbusters costume and proton pack on the wall to make it realistic.

After a 5th birthday photo shoot with IC You Photography where they made my children  Large age Numbers with their theme, I have been continuing ever since, putting my own spin on things.  I made a lage 3 and painted it then hot glued some of the fake flowers on it.

Here are some of the photos from the birthday shoot with IC You– for the full story and all the photos CLICK HERE.

Here is my “8” with (A).

Askenas Chiropractic Annual Blanket Drive!

Posted on by Posted in Good Cause .

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post. 

PLEASE SUPPORT Askenas Chiropractic’s 15th ANNUAL BLANKET DRIVE.    We are proud to report that, over the years, our patients have generously donated over 1500 blankets that went to various charities throughout the county and provided warmth and hope for many of Rockland’s neediest families.   We hope you’ll help us continue this tradition.

The blankets we collect will be donated to the United Way of Rockland County to be distributed to local area residents in need. The United Way has contacted us again this year to stress that the blankets we collect truly makes a difference.  This year, more than ever, we need your help!  

We have set aside the following days for our blanket drive:

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018 – FREE DAY for Existing Patients: We will be open from 2:30 pm to 7:30 pm for our existing patients.  Those patients bringing in a FULL SIZE NEW (or CLEAN) BLANKET will receive their CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT at NO CHARGE

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2018 – FREE DAYS for New Patients: New patients bringing in a FULL SIZE NEW (or CLEAN) BLANKET will receive an INITIAL CONSULTATION, COMPLETE HEALTH HISTORY, AND A THOROUGH NEW PATIENT EXAMINATION at NO CHARGE!

Remember to tell your friends, family, and coworkers about this special opportunity.

Please call our office at 845-735-3737 to schedule your appointment as soon as possible as these slots will fill up quickly.  

We would like to thank you in advance for your participation in this worthwhile cause!

Sincerely,

Askenas Chiropractic

P.S. We will gratefully accept a BLANKET for this great cause from you or your friends even if you decide not to schedule an appointment!

A Threa Party- Fashionably Late :o)

Posted on by Posted in Birthdays, We're Having a Party .

Disclosure:  This is an original post about parties that I have thrown for my kids.  Some links included are affiliate links.

Whelp- I told you I was crazy behind… When you are so crazy busy with life ( you all know what I mean) somehow the creative “fun” posts fall to the waste side.  Better Late than never right??

When (E) turned 3 (yep she’s 6 now)I wanted to do something cute for little girls (let’s face it we don’t have that many chances once they get older and make up their own minds), and she was VERY into tea parties, so I went with that!  We called it a “Threa Party”.

I made a few tea party games to play, and let the kids run around and have fun in the yard as well.  Food was supplied by our favorite Luigi O’Grady’s.  Whenever I need to throw a party Michelle and I engage in the funniest email strings.  I tell her the theme and she makes suggestions, I just never know.  Luckily she does.  Michelle put together some mini quiche, finger sandwiches salad and a few more great “on theme” treats.  It was delivered for me before the party, so very easy!!!

One of my closest friends is a CRAZY talented cake artist, who works at La Promenade in Tenafly, NJ so she always makes my cakes.  They are not only beautiful one of a kind works of art, but they are so very good.

If you are looking to re-create any parts of the party and need supplies, click items that are “blue” as they will take you right to the item on Amazon.  These are affiliate links. 

Decorate your own Hats  

I had double sided fabric tape that we used with ribbons and silk flowers (buy whatever is on clearance at the local craft store) to decorate hats for the kids to wear.  Girls got one of these tea hats while boys were given these top hats (which my niece wanted too, so I am glad there were just options available).

Stack the Tea Cups

I made paper cups out of templates from the internet:  Not my template: https://www.redtedart.com/free-teacup-printable/

Colored Cardstock and held together with hot glue did the trick.  I saved these and used them at another party too so they have been wonderful.

Photo Opportunity

I used a large frame that I always put into the ground as a setup for photos, and put some tea party props there for the kids to use.  It’s super cute.  At this station they also each got beaded necklaces (what tea party is complete without?

I found my large frame at a garage sale, which is a great place, but they also have these fun and easier to store ones online: Photo frame

Tea Bag Toss

I made my own tea pot toss with large pots and felt, this was crazy time consuming.  Afterwards (of course) I found this cute one on Amazon Tea Toss

Walk with Good Posture

Easy peasy, we put some favorite kids books out so that everyone could walk with some on their heads to practice good posture.  We worked on arms out, and did it quickly and slowly, and with more than one book or just one depending on each child’s ability and age.

Extra Decor:

After a 2 & 5th birthday photo shoot with IC You Photography where they made my children  Large age Numbers with their theme, I have been continuing ever since, putting my own spin on things.  I made a lage 3 and painted it then hot glued some of the fake flowers on it.

Here are some of the photos from the birthday shoot with IC You– for the full story and all the photos CLICK HERE.

Here is my “3” with little (E).

A Big Decision

Posted on by Posted in Classes, Reviews, Uncategorized .

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  All opinions expressed are my own.

When my kids started swimming with Condors, it was only (A) because he was the only one who was potty trained, so its been some time. (E) has been with them ever since she was.  They have both moved up the ranks in Learn to Swim under the guidance of Ms. Ashley Telesmanic for 5 years now.  (E) is on pre-team increasing her stamina while also working on fine tuning her strokes, she’s 6.  (A) moved from pre-team to future stars past year (at 8) and was just moved up to Bronze.

For those who are unaware what means, it means that he was moved to the REAL SWIM team. Big, HUGE deal for (A) who has always loved swimming for fun but has always been adamant that he doesn’t want to compete.  This move, it required a long honest conversation, that I wasn’t sure my little man (now 9) was capable of having.

The good news is that thanks to Ms. Ashley there is another option called Technique and Fitness, its for the kids who have surpassed Learn to Swim, who want to come and workout in the water, and work on skills but don’t have the desire to compete.  So when we had the discussion we talked about that option.  In fact, I was fairly certain that is the way he was going to want to go.

He surprised the heck out of me.  He wanted to push himself.  To the tune of 4 workouts a week for over an hour each, which is way more than the 1/2 hour he was doing on future stars.  Also, eventually he would have to compete, which he didn’t want.  Well he’s changed his mind and would like to do ONE event at the first event to get the nerves out (that’s MID-OCTOBER!!!).

We decided to go to practice the first week to be sure he could handle the increased time and demands of Bronze, before fully committing and purchasing the uniform.  He did the first day and asked to return two days later, then was upset that he couldn’t go that Friday due to a school conflict.  That was it, he was hooked.  We went to uniform night and ordered his jammers, shirts, and personalized swim cap.  He’s a swimmer.  I don’t know where this is leading, or if it will become anything, but he is enjoying it, and we are supporting it.  He wants to compete and we will be there to cheer him on every step of the way.  I am thankful for the opportunity and the advice that Ms. Ashley has given us to get to this point. The time she has taken to get to know my children to help them to continue to learn and grow within the program, and ever so sorry that we are almost complete with our time with her.

 

Here is a photo of him after his first full hour practice, he hasn’t stopped smiling, he loves it and its been weeks. He’s in love, and maybe he’s found his niche.  If so I am so excited that he has found his love, if not, im so super glad that he has tried it.  I just want him (them) to have something that they love, and to be happy and healthy.  Well, it looks like we are well on our way. :o)

 

 

Upcoming Directory Member Events!!! September- October

Posted on by Posted in Birthdays, Crafts and More Crafts, Halloween, Out and about..., RNYM Events, Things to Do! .

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post. All events below are being held by directory members.  All events also have Facebook events on our page for more information and RSVP.

Sparkle Up Grand Re-Opening

Come see all the new changes at Sparkle up in New City and partake in some services, celebrity interaction, learn about our new events, have some ice cream and socialize!

Appropriate for all ages!

RVSP: Rocklandnymom@yahoo.com or via Facebook: www.facebook.com/rocknyom

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One-Time EventSomething Sweet at Jills Ceramics

Come paint something sweet at Jill’s Ceramics- a new year treat, a back to school piece, or a hand print keepsake Jill has got it all.  Open 10-am to 3 pm 9/22/19 Price varies by piece chosen.

Appropriate for artists of all ages!

RVSP: Rocklandnymom@yahoo.com or via Facebook: www.facebook.com/rocknyom

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Fun “Stuff” at Matisse

Appropriate for ages 4 and up, must RSVP.

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Evil Edibles at Matisse

Appropriate for ages 4 and up, must RSVP.

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Sparkle Up Halloween!

Come Dressed and get a monster makeover (complete with glitter tattoo), decorate a trick or treat bag, make a pumpkin spice sugar scrub or mad lab bath gel, and make some slime with Day Camp in the Park!  Also, each attendee gets neon Dracula teeth, as well as a photo opportunity in front of our Halloween Backdrop, and gets to try to eat a donut off of a string!!!

Appropriate for ages 4 and up.

RVSP: Rocklandnymom@yahoo.com or via Facebook: www.facebook.com/rocknyom

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Pumpkin Decorating at Matisse

Appropriate for ages 4 and up! MUST RSVP!

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Monster Chocolate at Matisse

 

Appropriate for ages 4 and up! MUST RSVP!

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Scary Slime at Matisse

Appropriate for ages 4 and up! MUST RSVP!

Adult Night at Jill’s

Have a personalized light up pumpkin carved for you to paint, or paint any other wonderful Halloween, or regular themed item!!!

Pumpkins must be pre-ordered and paid.  Large $50 (max 9 letters) Medium $30 (max 8 letters)

RVSP: Rocklandnymom@yahoo.com or via Facebook: www.facebook.com/rocknyom

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Kids Personalized Pumpkins!

Pumpkins must be pre-ordered and paid.  Large $50 (max 9 letters) Medium $30 (max 8 letters)

Appropriate for ages 4 and up, must RSVP.

RVSP: Rocklandnymom@yahoo.com or via Facebook: www.facebook.com/rocknyom

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Halloween at Jill’s

Pumpkins must be pre-ordered and paid.  Large $50 (max 9 letters) Medium $30 (max 8 letters)

RVSP: Rocklandnymom@yahoo.com or via Facebook: www.facebook.com/rocknyom

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Halloween Headbands- Sparkle Up Fashion Series

Make a Halloween headband, have a spooky makeover (glitter tattoo, hair, nails (or makeup) make a mad bath gel or pumpkin spice sugar scrub)

Appropriate for ages 5 and up, must RSVP.

RVSP: Rocklandnymom@yahoo.com or via Facebook: www.facebook.com/rocknyom

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Re-occurring Events

Mommy and Me Makeovers

Mini Facials, drinks, matching robes and hair!!! Cost $35

Appropriate for ages 3 and up with adult :o)

Mambo Italiano at WBT!

Posted on by Posted in Day Trips, Reviews .

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post. 

We always love a night out at #WBT and here’s another reason to love them!  The well done and witty Mambo Italiano is their most recent play!!

Westchester Broadway Theatre

Is Proud to Present The World Premiere

MAMBO ITALIANO

Based on the play and screenplay by Steve Galluccio & Emile Gaudreault
Book by Jean Cheever and Tom Polum
Lyrics by Omri Schein
Music by James Olmstead

Directed & Choreographed by Tom Polum

 

August 8 – September 29, 2019

“The big family musical where no one comes out hungry!” Follow the dominating but lovable matriarch, Maria Barbieri, as she and her devoted husband Gino struggle to keep the family restaurant afloat while adjusting to the newly found independence of their New Jersey-born adult grandchildren who they have raised since birth. The show is family friendly and laugh-out-loud funny with clever humor and universal themes of adjusting and adapting and what it takes to keep a family together.

This Pre-Broadway New Musical, based on the play and screenplay by Steve Galluccio & Emile Gaudreault, features a book by Jean Cheever and Tom Polum, lyrics by Omri Schein and music by James Olmstead.

Between side-splitting funny and genuinely heartbreaking, the story will resonate with everyone who has ever been challenged by family loyalty, loss, and a desire to be understood. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” meets “Fiddler on the Roof” in this hilarious new musical served with love. Just like mama used to make!

Starring: Joy Hermalyn as the Matriarch, Maria Barbieri, Bill Nolte as Gino Barbieri. The grandkids are played by Alex Drost (Angelo Barbieri), and Alexandra Amadeo Frost (Anna Barbieri), Diana DiMarzio (as Lina Paventi), Natalie Gallo (as Donna Lunetti), Zach Schanne (as Nino Paventi). With: Alexandra Adinah, Aaron Patrick Craven, A.J. Hunsucker, Stuart Marland, Corey Masklee, Laura Stracko, Mackenqie Rogers, Halle Mastroberardino.

Directed and Choreographed by Tom Polum, The Associate Director/Musical staging is Jill Gorrie, Technical Direction by Steve Loftus, Lighting Design by Andrew Gmoser, Sound Design by Mark Zuckerman. Costume Design by Keith Nielsen. Wig design by Gerard Kelly, The Production Stage Manager is Victor Lukas, and Lisa Tiso is the Associate Producer.

Tom Polum (Director) was co-lead producer of the multi award winning The Toxic Avenger Off- (Director, Co-book writer) Co-lead producer of the multi award winning The Toxic Avenger Off-Broadway. As a Director at WBT he has directed Oklahoma, Funny Girl, Carousel, Grease, Hello Dolly, Phantom (three times now!) and was in the original production in ’92.  He also served as associate for musical staging and helped restage the Broadway Production of Cyrano The Musical, at the Carre Theatre in Amsterdam.  Other shows Tom has created are Abelard and Heloise, Finding Frida Kahlo and The Toxic Avenger – Christmas Chaos. He is the former Chairman of Theater Resources Unlimited and creator of MusicalMeApps.com. Many thanks to Bill, Bob and Lisa for the opportunity to bring Mambo to life!

The Westchester Broadway Theatre is the longest running year-round Equity theatre in the state of New York, with a 45-year history of over 200 main-stage productions and nearly 1000 Monday/Tuesday special events and concerts. Each show is produced exclusively for WBT. The theatre is a cultural mainstay of the tri-state area and presents the best in theatre and dining!

 

Reservations: Call (914) 592-2222. Visit: www.BroadwayTheatre.com

 

Group Reservations: Discounts for Groups of 20 or More: Call (914) 592-2225.

 

Luxury Boxes: Call (914) 592-8730. For private parties of 6 to 22. Enjoy dining and

theatre in an elegant private box. Additional features include an expanded dinner

menu, hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, private powder room, and Luxury Box reserved

parking.


Show Times:

Wednesday & Thursday & some Friday Matinees: Lunch: 11:30 am &

Show 1 pm.

Thursday, Friday, & Saturday Evenings: Dinner: 6:30 pm & Show: 8 pm.

Sunday Matinees: Lunch: 12 pm & Show: 1:30 pm

Sunday Evenings: Dinner: 5:30 pm & Show: 7 pm.

Ticket Prices: Dinner & Show range between $61.00 to $91.00 PLUS TAX depending on the performance chosen. Beverage Service & Gratuities are not included in the ticket price. Discounts are available for children, students, and senior citizens at selected performances. Also check the website for on-going Special Offers!

WBT Mainstage:
Mambo Italiano – August 8th – September 29th 2019
An American In Paris – October 3rd – November 24th 2019
It Happened One Christmas Eve – November 27th – December 23rd 2019
An American In Paris – December 27th 2019 – January 26th 2020

 

Bob Fitzsimmons Scholarship for Theatre

Posted on by Posted in Uncategorized .

Congratulations are in order :o)

We love a good story about hard working kids, earning their place in this world.

This year’s recipient, of the Bob Fitzsimmons Scholarship is Peter Astriab, a senior at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, NY.  It will be awarded to him on Stage at Westchester Broadway Theatre on Friday, August 16, 2019. 

Peter Astriab is from Yonkers, New York and attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains. He was a part of the National Honor Society and graduated with a special diploma recognizing him as a graduate of the Health Sciences Academy at Stepinac. Peter enjoys community service and always tries to lend a helping hand when he can. He is fluent in Polish and loves to travel to different countries to explore and embrace cultures around the world. Peter has been playing piano for 12 years, singing with choirs in places like St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and acting with the Stepinac Drama Club for four years, playing roles such as Peter in Peter and the Starcatcher, Race in Newsies, and most recently Mario in the National High School Premiere of A Bronx Tale for which he was nominated at the 2019 Metropolitan High School Theatre Awards. In a few weeks, he will be starting college at St. John’s University in Queens majoring in Biomedical Sciences, but he plans to keep acting and singing close to his heart and a part of his everyday life. He is excited to see what the future has in store for him as he takes this important step in his career. 

The Scholarship is given annually to a college-bound senior who has excelled in the theatre arts programs while attending Stepinac High School. The prestigious Arts Scholarship is named after Bob Fitzsimmons, a graduate of Stepinac High School, who died suddenly at the age of 37 in March of 1992. He was the Public Relations Director of the Westchester Broadway Theatre, as well as a gifted actor, producer, writer and a director of shows at WBT and at numerous theatres throughout the County.
The scholarship was established in his name by the owners of Westchester Broadway Theatre, Bill Stutler and Bob Funking, the entire employee staff of WBT, and the many friends and relatives of Bob Fitzsimmons.

Under the auspices of WBT, Allan Gruet, (former WBT Public Relations Director, who replaced Bobby Fitzsimmons) and George Puello spearheaded two fundraisers. The first & most successful fundraiser was held at WBT, the second was held at Stepinac High School.  Mr. Puello was responsible for directing & producing the entertainment portion of the events, while Mr. Gruet handled the ticketing for the fundraisers & the continuing administration of the self-sustaining scholarship. Over the years, along with the assistance of producer Bob Funking, Allan has continued to manage the scholarship, making it possible to present the award consistently each year. In recent years, Frank Portanova, Vice Principal of Stepinac High School, has been extremely helpful and cooperative, making some financial donations to the fund to help ensure the life of the scholarship. He also is responsible for selecting the student winner for this highly competitive award. Since its inception, $25,000.00 in scholarships have been awarded. Unfortunately, due to the current financial climate, the Scholarship is no longer self-sustaining and monies need to be raised to ensure the continuation of this award. The annual scholarship in Bob’s name is our collective way of keeping alive the memory of our dear friend, Bobby Fitzsimmons.

On a Roll with New City School of Music

Posted on by Posted in Classes, Reviews .

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post.  All opinions expressed are our own.

It’s no secret that kids who study music do better in school, there have been several articles written about it.  There are so many benefits to music education, too many to mention.  To us that stuff is all secondary.  Watching our son do something he loves, something he feels, and something that he is just growing at by leaps and bounds, that is the truest benefit there is.  Our son isn’t just playing a steady beat through a song anymore (which is REALLY hard as I found out at parent participation class last week), he is CREATING, switching tempos, and even working on some showmanship (slowly).

By: RNYDad

               (A)’s concerts are both incredibly exciting, and incredibly nerve-racking for me. I enjoy helping him prepare, and I enjoy seeing how much he loves to play. Unfortunately, the nervous father in me cannot help but well…be nervous. With the help of his fantastic teacher Andrew Klein, and the New City School of Music (A) is killing it on the drums.

For his June performance (A) brought a few ideas to Andrew, so that they could decide on a piece that both tests his skill while still connecting with Aidan. This time, (A) got to play a song by his favorite band Weezer. He chose “Beverly Hills”. It was the perfect choice for him, it pushed his ability and it made practicing fun.

The day of the performance Aidan was cool as can be. He walked up to the kit and played better than I could have hoped. He has an easy confidence about his playing (thanks to the numerous opportunities he has had to perform already). When he saw us filming the performance, he gave us a funny smile as if to say, “I’ve got this”. He even created his own drum fills for the outro. His musicianship is growing at a pace that I just didn’t think possible, especially not so young. I proudly sent the video out to my musician friends and they mostly responded by questioning both his age (he can’t be 8, right?) and if I lock him in his room hours a day with his drum kit.

I strongly attribute his success to The New City School of Music, and his teacher Andrew Klein. I remember taking music lessons as a kid and thinking my teacher was just out to torture me. (A) is always excited to go to his lessons. He sees Andrew as his friend, and mentor, his guide through the world of drums and percussion.  It’s exactly what I always hoped to see in a student/teacher relationship.

Check out the video…. Andrew is on the stairs behind him (you might have been able to figure that out by his ear to ear smile).

Click for video below:

https://youtu.be/xcWwkgpzOzo 

On our YouTube Channel are (A)’s previous performances as well so you can see how much he has improved in these two years <3

It’s Back To School Music Lesson time!  Register NOW for music lessons at the New City School of Music, voted “Best Music Lessons” 3 Years In a Row in Family Magazine!

Lessons are offered on piano, guitar, singing, drums, violin, saxophone, flute, clarinet and ukulele for children AND Adults!

Register by this coming Saturday, August 24th and mention RocklandNYMom and get your $55 registration fee for FREE!

Call NOW at 845-709-8383
Text: 845-499-2137

Or stop by for a tour 7 days a week at 14 North Main Street, New City, NY 10956.

MAKE SOME MUSIC this school year!

The Highlight of my Musical Career- RNYD

Posted on by Posted in Classes, Reviews .

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post, all opinions expressed are my own.

RNYD wrote this one for you all.  Thought you might like to hear from him.  It’s worth noting before you read, that RNYD has music credits on actual albums.  Additionally, he and I were in an actual band together when we were first married (no offense taken to his “Highlight” comment, I get it).  We knew we wanted our kids to be into music, and maybe even play an instrument.  We weren’t quite prepared for this. 

               Every musician dreams of jamming with their children when they grow up. Playing music for a musician goes beyond reading notes on a page and counting 4 beats to a measure. You connect with the people in your band. You support each other, you must listen and react to them. If all goes well, you create some great music. This past December, I had the pleasure of being my 8-year-old son (A)’s bass player and it was the absolute highlight of my musical career.

(A)’s and his teacher Andrew stopped me at the end of his lesson one Monday and said, “would you be willing to play with Aidan at his recital in December”? “Are you guys kidding, of course I will”! We were playing Aidan’s favorite Ramones song. I could see Aidan was excited, and he knew I was excited. It was pretty cool. That night after dinner, I wrote out a chart so that the next evening I was ready to go. We spent hours and hours rehearsing, listening to the song, and talking about the arrangement. Some of it was tough, but 98% of it was a blast. (A) got to see how I ready myself for a performance. I’d play for hours on my own. I was terrified of making a mistake. I’m ok if a mistake makes me look bad, but if I made a mistake this time…I’d make him look bad.

The day of the performance came, and I was more nervous than he was. I never thought I’d be nervous about playing a Ramones song…unless of course I was playing with the actual Ramones. I played the song at least 25 times that morning. (A) was surprisingly calm. As we were walking up to the front to perform, I was the most nervous I had ever been to play music in my entire life (I’ve been playing in front of people since I was 8…in 1984). I sat down, plugged my bass and gave (A) a sly smile. He counted us in and we nailed it. If I closed my eyes, I never would have known that my band mate, my son, was 8. When we finished (A) looked over and smiled at me. After we spoke to the 12 family members who came for the performance, he thanked me for playing with him. I thanked him for the opportunity and told him one day he’d understand how special that was for me. How many Dad’s can say they got to play a Ramones song with their kid?

I can’t thank Andrew Klein and The New City Music School enough. They have taken a kid with a passion for music and turned him into a musician. Now (A) and I get to not only listen to music together, but we get to jam together as well.

He’s playing a Weezer song this weekend without me, but we are already talking about what we are going to do for the December recital. Keep your eye out for that review…it’s going to be awesome!

As a special for our readers, if you register by Saturday June 30th and mention Rockland NY Mom, we’ll waive the $55 registration fee!

New City School of Music | Music Lessons, Music Teacher, Piano, Guitar, Drums, Voice, Violin, Saxophone | New City, NY