B.Mus. (U Lethbridge)
B.Ed. (U Calgary)
M.A. (York U)
Jennifer Wakefield has been a vocal coach and music teacher for over fifteen years. A native of Alberta, Jennifer completed a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of Lethbridge in 1995 and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary in 2003.
During the final term of her B. Ed. Degree, Jennifer relocated to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for five and a half years, where she held classroom music teaching positions from K-12, conducted an adult community choir, private vocal lessons and participated actively in the local Tanzanian music scene as a soloist. Jennifer’s hands-on exposure to traditional Tanzanian music led her to pursue an MA in Ethnomusicology at York University which she completed in June 2012.
Her recent projects include a vocalist for a Fujiwara piece in the Danceworks 40th Anniversary event, backup vocals for singer-songwriter Melanie Peterson, singer in “Have you seen my sister?” a vocal installation featured at Toronto Nuit Blanche 2017, soprano in “The Christmas Story” pageant a cappella quartet, and arranger/ vocalist and flautist in a Sprig of Rosemary, a Celtic music duo.
Get to know Jennifer…beyond the BIO!
Hobbies: cycling, hiking, choir
Musical influences: Beethoven, Loreena McKennitt, Blackmore’s Night, Karine Polwart
Favourite food: chocolate, cheese
Least favourite food: not enough chocolate, mushrooms
Favourite music: folk rock
Favourite song: Too many to narrow it down! / Both Sides Now (1969) – Joni Mitchell
Favourite movie: Life is Beautiful
Favouirite movie music: Star Wars / Dirty Dancing
Favourite musical theatre/opera: La Boheme – Puccini, Rent
Best quote from your teacher: “Ya gotta love it!”, “Success is 10% talent and 90% hard work.”
Favourite quote: “Life is short, eat dessert first.”, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”
Favourite book: The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
Best thing about teaching at ABC: Meeting great students and making great music!
Latest Homework from Jennifer
Is Jennifer Your Teacher?
Sign up now to get your weekly assignments delivered, and never lose your homework sheet again!
May 31 to June 7
Hi all,
This will be the last homework post from me as I will be moving on to a new job as of June 13, 2022. Your new teacher will be sending the posts going forward. It has been a joy and a privilege to teach such wonderful students! I wish you all the best in your future and never stop playing music!
Tuesday students:
Gerardo
Recommended minutes to practice: 30 min per day
What to practice: C major and A minor scales and triads
Spanish Caballero with metronome, Great Clock- dynamics and improv
Isabella
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: O canada, let’s go fly a kite
How to practice it most effectively: Listen to recordings of those pieces, how do the singers perform it differently
Christian
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 per day
What to practice: warm-up exercise, chants of monks (review), Planetarium (p26), Minuet (p27)
Linda
Recommended minutes to practice: 30 minutes per day
What to practice: Technique: all level 1 scales and triads, B flat major scale, d and g minor
Review any previous songs learned, Fur elise, Amazing Grace, Allegro in Bflat major
Wed students:
Vlada
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 per day
What to practice: warm-up, sing through previous repertoire: Scarborough, Castle, Ancient Dreams
Choose a new song
Caedan
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: pg. 49 Russian folk song- with dynamics, p 52 and start 53
Remind him that playing music is more than about playing the correct notes- make music, feel emotion
Oliver
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 per day
What to practice: Adventure warm-up in c and g pg 63
Grumpy old troll- pg 39
Miikwan
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 per day
What to practice: pg. 18, Ode to joy with left hand chords
Homework May 18-24
Hi all,
Here are some notes for this week. I hope you thoroughly enjoy your long weekend!
Wednesday students:
Vlada
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: warm-up you tube, keep space on your vowels, Ancient dreams
How to practice it most effectively: write words that help you sing it with the emotion you think fits
Caedan
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Pg. 47 petit minuet, previous songs for fun
How to practice it most effectively: play with feeling, notice all the things you can do already on the piano!
Oliver
Recommended minutes to practice: 20 min per day
What to practice: Lightly row, Forest song- pg. 36 to start, think about dynamics, mood
Naiara
Recommended minutes to practice: 20 min per day
What to practice: Can’t stop- start with pre-chorus chords, Impossible- get lyrics
Homework May 12-18
Hi all,
Hope you are enjoying the sunshine! Remember: practice makes progress. See you homework below.
Tuesday students:
Gerardo:
Recommended minutes to practice: 30 min per day
What to practice: C major scale, triads, use metronome
Spanish Caballero- start the end, keep the drama
Maria:
Recommended minutes to practice: 20 min per day
What to practice: Scales: D major, B minor, triads
Anyone- chords- start with chorus
Boss Baby- chords- look for chords close by in position
Fur elise
Christian
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Roman trumpets- pg 22, Do a deer, use all your fingers
Isabella:
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 per day
What to practice: Let’s go fly a kite, sol fege video on you tube
Linda:
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 min per day
What to practice: Hanon #6, e minor scales- HT
Sightreading
Red Satin Jazz
Wed. Students:
Vlada
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Warm-up video, Ancient dreams
listen closely to the melody, how she uses her voice to express the lyrics, try with karaoke track
Caedan:
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 min per day
What to practice: Review note names on the staff often, review pg. 46, start pg. 47
Naiara:
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 per day
What to practice: Can’t stop this feeling chords- review the positions, use you tube to help you.
Homework May 5-10
Hello all,
Keep up the good work! Here is your homework for the upcoming week.
Tuesday students:
Gerardo
Recommended minutes to practice: 30 min per day
What to practice: C major scale, A minor natural, C major triads broken, argeggios pg. 10-11
Spanish Caballero
How to practice it most effectively: Start at the end and work your way back to the beginning, check your tempo with a metronome
Maria
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 per day
What to practice: Anyone and Boss Baby- chords, Scales- E flat major and C minor- harm and mel.
How to practice it most effectively: work out the chords that are closest to each other, 1st and second position
Christian
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Roman trumpets, reading seconds
How to practice it most effectively: Check hand position, fingers curved, wrist flat
How parents can support practice: Watch for proper hand shape
Isabella
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Warm-up sol fege, let’s go fly a kite
How to practice it most effectively: Sing with a full voice, well supported by breath
How parents can support practice: Prepare track and listen for full sound
Linda:
Recommended minutes to practice: 30 min per day
What to practice: Good work on Etude, Start Red Satin Jazz, cranky cat as technique, Hanon #6, Scales: E minor harm and melodic with metronome
Wed students:
Vlada:
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: warm-up you tube, Ancient dreams
How to practice it most effectively: read through all lyrics so you understand them, google the singers meaning of the song
How parents can support practice: prep you tube song track and warmups
Caedan
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Let’s play ball- check notes, say notes out loud, continue to pg. 47., review Ode to Joy
How to practice it most effectively: Caedan wants to finish a song and move on, but its better to slow down a bit and really get comfortable learning to read the staff
Oliver
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 per day
What to practice: Ode to joy with chords (print out), Lightly row, start Forest song- pg 36
https://www.music-for-music-teachers.com/ode-to-joy.html
How to practice it most effectively: Look for patterns in the music, repeated notes to help you read
Naiara
Recommended minutes to practice: 20 min per day
What to practice: Can’t stop this feeling- chords, All through the night- finish
How to practice it most effectively: Try the chords without the song, then try it with the song on you tube
Miikwan
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Pg 16-17 book, Ode to joy with chords, Fur elise with letter names
How to practice it most effectively: Slow down a bit and really get comfortable learning to read the staff
Homework for April 28-May 3
Hi all,
Wow! It’s almost May! That means that there are two months before summer starts! Yay! What can we learn in the next two months? What can we learn in the next week? If you believe in yourself, anything is possible! Keep doing your best! Please see your homework below.
Tuesday students:
Gerardo:
Recommended minutes to practice: 30 min per day
What to practice: C major and E minor scales, argeggio pg 10 all keys
Triads- C major- 2 octaves, HS
You played Gumdrops confidently!
Work on Spanish Caballero –
How to practice it most effectively: Practice the arpeggios first on pg 10, then isolate the more difficult bars and practice those, then try all
Maria:
Recommended minutes to practice: 30 min per day
What to practice: Scales with metronome: Fur elise, Anyone
How to practice it most effectively: Fur elise- write in the note names if necessary, Anyone: explore playing the chords closest to each other, play HS
Isabella
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Part of your world, Let’s go fly a kite
How to practice it most effectively: Use recording, try talking it through before singing
How parents can support practice: work together in parts
Christian
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Try playing row, row, row your boat by ear, Pg. 21 book
How to practice it most effectively: Keep your fingers round, wrists flat
How parents can support practice: watch posture and hand shape, set a regular time
Linda Recommended minutes to practice:
What to practice: G scale, E minor, triads, sightreading
Cranky Cat, start a new Etude next week
How to practice it most effectively: Practice a small section at a time, visualize fingerings
Wed students:
Vlada
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 per day
What to practice: warmups- you tube, start lightly and smaller range and expand higher and lower
Ancient dreams- goal to become independent of the singer- sing it with karaoke version
How to practice it most effectively: one section at a time
Caedan
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Review intervals- thirds, fifths, print out c scale
Book- pg 45 review, start pg. 46, Row row row your boat by ear
https://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_printit_free_printable_sheet_music/c-major-piano.php
How to practice it most effectively: Encourage emotion in the playing, dynamics, review note names as he plays
Oliver
Recommended minutes to practice: 20 min per day
What to practice: warmups- c scale and intervals, print ode to joy with chords
Book: Lightly row- good start, keep working on it to become more comfortable, start Forest drums
https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/freesheetmusic/ode-to-joy-piano-fancy-lh.pdf
Naiara
Recommended minutes to practice: 30 min per day
What to practice: warmups- c scale
Songs: All through the night- 3rd line, print chords to Can’t stop this feeling
Miikwan:
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: using all your fingers, warmup- print Peanut butter etude pg 5 below
Fur elise, Ode to joy- print
https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/freesheetmusic/ode-to-joy-piano-fancy-lh.pdf
https://www.true-piano-lessons.com/support-files/psfbeginnerlevel1.pdf
Homework April 21-26
Hi all,
You are making good progress. Keep it up!
Please see your name and specific homework below.
Tuesday students:
Gerardo:
Recommended minutes to practice: 30 min
What to practice: C major scale and A minor harmonic scale, arpeggio c major
Pieces: Gumdrops, Spanish Cabellero
How to practice it most effectively: Work the parts that are new, hands separately slowly, think about making music not playing notes
Maria:
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 min
What to practice: B flat major scale, D minor- harm/ melodic, with metronome (quarter =80), triads (quarter= 69 broken, quarter= 120 solid)
Funny puppy- esp bars 11-14
How to practice it most effectively: Check posture and hand/ wrist position
How parents can support practice: listen for even scales, encourage working on hard sections not playing through only
Isabella: Do, re, mi- good work!
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Do warmups that increase your range and where you can sing and listen for vowels
How to practice it most effectively: Sing it with the emotion behind the words, be an actor
How parents can support practice: create a regular schedule and place for practice
Christian
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: P. 17- melody on c and g, pg. 18, Do re mi
How to practice it most effectively: Check your hand position (puck in your hand to keep it round), arms in l shape
How parents can support practice: Watch for hand position and posture
Vlada: Good work on Castle on a cloud
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: RCM level 1 technique, Ancient dreams
How to practice it most effectively: Practice hard sections, write down the exact times from you tube.
Alex:
Recommended minutes to practice: 20 min per day
What to practice: Warmup, Fingers crossed
How to practice it most effectively: Make it your own performance, bring your feelings to the words and vocal tone
Caedan:
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: pg 46 frogs
How to practice it most effectively: review staff notation and treble clef/ bass clef poems for notes
How parents can support practice: help review staff notation and treble clef/ bass clef poems for notes, reinforce notes on staff and on piano
Oliver:
Recommended minutes to practice: 15 min per day
What to practice: Recital piece- This is not jingle, Lightly row- start left hand
How to practice it most effectively: review staff notation and treble clef/ bass clef poems for notes, always be musical
Naiara:
Recommended minutes to practice: 30 min per day
What to practice: Faded- chords and simply
How to practice it most effectively: continue from where you have learned, keep reviewing staff notation and treble clef/ bass clef poems for notes
Miikwan:
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 min per day
What to practice: pg. 14-15 book, Fur elise- write in note letters
How to practice it most effectively: keep working on staff notation and treble clef/ bass clef, balance reading with ear training
Preferred Books for Jennifer’s Students
Click to buy them here, and they’ll come right to your house! What could be easier?
Belting - A
Written for ages 5 and 6, My First Piano Adventure captures the child’s playful spirit. Fun-filled songs, rhythm games and technique activities develop beginning keyboard skills.
26 Italian Songs and Arias
This authoritative edition of the world’s most loved songs and arias draws on original manuscripts, historical first editions, and recent research by prominent musicologists to meet a high standard of accuracy and authenticity. Includes fascinating background information about the arias and their composers, as well as a singable rhymed translation, a readable prose translation, and a literal translation of every single word. This title is available in SmartMusic.
Folk Songs for Solo Singers
Selected for contests and adjudications around the country, this incredible volume includes 11 favorite folk songs expertly crafted for solo voice and piano. Arranged by Alfred Music’s finest writers, such as Philip Kern, Jay Althouse, Don Besig, Ruth Elaine Schram, and Carl Strommen.
Easy Songs for the Beginning Soprano
This series was designed to supplement traditional vocal instruction and works perfectly as preparatory literature for The First Book of Solos and The First Book of Solos Part II . Each piece is in English and has a limited vocal range as well as a piano accompaniment that is playable by a student pianist. The pieces include art songs, folksongs, humorous songs, and suitable vintage popular songs and are all appropriate for contest solos. The audio tracks include professionally-recorded accompaniments.
