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"Be the change you want to see in the world. " - Gandhi
10.26.07
Check out our FAQ page for commonly asked questions.
10.17.07
The Port Washington High School invited me to conduct a college mock interview session with some of the junior students as part of a new program they have started. What a great idea to give the students practice at interviewing. The students I interviewed really impressed me with their preparation and overall awareness of current world issues as well. I think we're in good hands with the next generation. Afterwards, I felt as I had learned just as much as the students. What a great experience.
09.02.07
To celebrate our 3rd year in Port Washington, we have updated our facility. As you walk in you will immediately notice the new covers on the chairs and sofa. Behind closed doors are new chairs for the iBand/B'Ginnings kids as well as two new teaching studios which will be dubbed, "McCartney" in honor of Sir Paul and Gadd for studio drummer, Steve Gadd. Our bathroom now has a big cabinet from Ikea (I rant about Ikea in the last paragraph) so there will never be a fear of running out of paper. We have also added very high quality microphones to our recording arsenal as well.
Thank you, Port Washington, for your wonderful support of iSchool.
On to Ikea...Yi, Rebecca and myself picked up some items from the blue and yellow store in Long Island the other day. Ikea items which are not self-serve must be paid for at the register and then picked up at "furniture pickup" where the slow (dare I say lazy?) staff retrieves these items. We waited for over 2 hours after we paid to receive our items! The store closed 1.5 hours BEFORE we left! I was told that it is common to wait at least 1 hour and 2 hour waits are not at all uncommon. As we were heading out the door at 11:30pm they actually wished us a good evening. It was almost morning!
Like most large corporations (Apple, Verizon, ConEd, etc,), Ikea's customer service is even worse than the worst out there. Congratulations to Ikea for setting a new low standard. Bravo!!!
08.29.07
As previously mentioned, our recording system (Digidesign ProTools, 003 controller and MacBook) has been working flawlessly. Until today when Apple told me our MacBook needs a new logic board! Thankfully, none of our sessions were lost. Apple customer service was very good, however, and I'm glad we purchased the extended warranty that picks up after Apple's standard 3 month warranty expires.
I am so disappointed with our Apple MacBook that I feel the need to verbalize this. Perhaps the daily crashes and advertised features not working properly (or at all) are related to the faulty logic board but I have an identical MacBook for personal use and it has the same issues plus additional ones. It even crashes while playing checkers and now can not recognize/open Excel or PDF files!
For comparison, I also own an IBM ThinkPad T42 for home/business use and, unlike Apple, it came with a standard 3 year warranty and 24/7 customer service and tech support. Wow! Apple's support ends at 6pm Pacific time and standard warranty is a laughable 3 months. You're on your own with Apple if you have a problem/question after they close. My ThinkPad has performed flawlessly during my 3 years of ownership and I'm sure a handful of Macs have had similar track records.
When I actually need to get work done I pull out my ThinkPad because it's a workhorse...just like my Nikon F3HP camera. Both are built for the long haul and just work. These are reliable machines made for professionals that place function before form. However, the Nikon F3HP (designed by Italian designer, Giugiaro!) goes one step further as it is beautifully designed in both form and function. My MacBook is, at best, a toy. And, once my personal MacBook comes back from its warranty service it will be for sale.
-Ken
08.24.07
Ken just engineered the first demo recording for a guitar and drum duo at iSchool. Our ProTools recording software along with all the great recording gear we've been breaking in all summer long performed flawlessly. Check back soon for a song or two online on this page.
06.28.07
NEW FOR SUMMER '07: iSchool now has the ability to record our bands and soloists to make professional quality CDs! Students enrolled for 6-9 weeks during the summer semester receive a complimentary taste of what's to come.
COMING FALL '07: iBand Studio and Virtual iBand - each will integrate recording music into our curriculum in order to create a full-length iSchool CD to share with family and friends!
05.02.07
Here's an article about a place called the Rosslyn Chapel that holds a musical mystery in its architecture and design. I found it interesting and thought you might also.
http://www.tjmitchell.com/stuart/rosslyn.html
Watch the video at the bottom of their website. The video explains the mystery much better than the text.
12.19.06
Don't forget to check the calender for our holiday schedule, January recital and concert at Landmark!
12.01.06
Congratulations to the iBands and vocalists who performed at the Chinese American Parents' Association 20th Anniversary banquet in Flushing, Queens. The students were treated to Chinese food that Yi had to order because the menu was only in Chinese! Our young musicians performed along with traditional Chinese drummers, ballet dancers and a performer who played the "Titanic" theme song on a musical saw...Wow!
10.04.06
Each iBand now has their own secure web page with audio, video and printable music files. In addition to putting the songs online, there are also audio files for each student's individual part to reference when practicing. Portions of the rehearsal are videotaped and posted every week as well. We never sit idle for too long at iSchool! www.ischoolmusicart.com/iband.html
09.26.06
Glen Head and Roslyn residents look for our ads in the October 4th edition of "North Shore Today." iSchool has extended the 10% discount through October 14th.
09.13.06
If you are in Port Washington, Manhasset or Glen Head, please check out our ad on the inside front cover of "North Shore Today" in the September 20th edition. Our 10% discount goes through September 30th.
09.05.06
The semester is off to a rockin' good start as we have an incredible diversity of bands and ensembles! Our faculty bios are now easy to print from the new PDF files on the faculty page.
08.30.06
Ask and you shall receive! Class times and schedules are listed under each individual music/art class listing. Don't forget, if you don't see a time that fits your schedule, we can usually anchor a class around your availability. We have a reputation of being flexible ... and friendly :)
08.27.06
Just added an article on in-home music lessons vs facility. It is based upon facts and personal experience. iSchool Article: In-home vs facility
08.26.06
Updated the Music page for easier navigation and added the "Keyboard Cafe" class. Please drop me an e-mail for suggestions if you have trouble finding any information. I'm also working on an article featuring the pros and cons of in-home lessons vs facility. Will be completed this week.
08.21.06
Yi talks about iSchool with the Duo Wei Newspaper. Click here to read.
08.20.06
The voice faculty is now updated as well as adding our new jazz piano instructor, Gordon Webster! Also, after receiving the North Shore Today ad book this past week, I am reminded that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery!
08.18.06
Our website now has color! Greg Giordano's bio has been added (click here) and also notice the relevant quotations to the pages! Small but notable, our waiting area now has a clock...ahhh, the little things in life.
08.08.06
NYC field trip! Yi, myself and camp counselor Rebecca led our summer camp kids to an outdoor concert in Madison Square Park, saw John Lennon's 72nd street home as well as Strawberry Fields, had lunch in Central Park and ended the day with a terrific tour of Lincoln Center! Look for photos very soon!
08.03.06
And our website goes through even more significant changes to help ease the navigation of the site. My brother Greg just got his site up and the simplicity of gregtannermedia.com inspired me to re-work our site.
07.29.06
As you can see, our website is going through some changes! We appreciate your patience as we improve upon our previous website. Check back soon to visit our updated faculty page where you can read our instructor bios and see some faces!
-Ken
iSchool of Music & Art
Port Washington: 14 Vanderventer Ave., 11050 (516) 883-5000
Syosset: 14 Cold Spring Road, 11791 (516) 802-5885
Email: info@ischoolmusicart.com
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