Music for Young Children newsletter
by Susan Stein

The annual Newsletter with news from the Music for Young Children and family of Gunars and Frances Balodis was sent to me and I'm happy to share it with my readers.

As you might already know, it was Frances's brainchild in the early 1980's to establish a course of music for young children and to prepare and compose the curriculum and the material for it.

The programme started in Cookstown, Frances's hometown. Since then, MYC has grown into a world wide programme, with Frances and Gunar still expending and adding to the books and compositions.

A new Sunbeam I curriculum was launched with a book for 5-6 year old children. In January 2005, a recording for a CD was made with Lydia Brown, vocalist and Steve Embersen of the CAF Band as sound engineer. The book was launched at the the MYC International Conference, held at PEI in July.

Frances had a composition accepted for inclusion in "Northern Lights". Repertoire book published for Canadian National Conservatory of Music by Mayfair Montgomery. She was also invited to be the national composition adjudicator for the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Association and had an article published in their national journal.

The annual "Remember when" party was held by the Balodis family on July 15th at the Lake House at Three Mile Lake. It will be held July 14, 2007 and they hope all can come again.

Daughter Olivia and her husband David are working at MYC with plans developing for the succession of the company, joining the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise. Olivia is teaching private piano and David is learning to play the piano.

Mark and Sylvie got married in the Rockcliffe Gazebo on Oct. 14. It was a lovely intimate and happy gathering. They have word that their posting, upon Mark's completion of Aviation Mechanics Course at Borden, will be to Shearwater, NS.

Gunars continues to have busy times with business management and planning at MYC. He and David took an accounting course from Algonquin College this past year.