​Happy New Year, kind krafters! 2018 was a great year for me and I’m having fun reflecting on my adventures, achievements, and challenges. I rang in the first few days of 2018 in Cape Breton with my amazing friend and her family, I then traveled back to visit family in England in family and met my newest baby cousin, my class and I raised money through music for a great cause, I competed in the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers’ Association competition and placed first in my class, I traveled to Newfoundland for the first time for my third year in the National Youth Choir of Canada where I added more friends to my ever-growing choral family, toured Ontario for the second time with Xara Choral Theatre, and then completed my first semester of third year! I definitely experienced some challenges last year, but I think that 2018 was a very important year of growth for me. I have learnt a lot about time management and organization, how to conquer insecurities, and what I need to maintain a healthy and balanced life. 

In 2019, I plan to continue to grow as a person, an environmentalist and activist, musician, and friend. Some of my general goals are:

• Do some type of outdoor activity everyday
• Drink more water
• Meditate for at least twenty minutes daily
• Put money into my savings account every week
• Read more often (outside of textbook readings)
• Learn how to knit
• Have less screen time
• Journal and/or scrapbook throughout the year
• Completely give up single use plastics
• Do more yoga

​I also want to continue to work hard in my courses and have a successful recital this coming semester. I hope that I can have new solo experiences in the summer and have lessons with instructors for possible graduate programs. I plan on performing in a few recitals outside of school and am excited to plan my own concert and learn about that aspect of my music making too.
 
All in all, I want to take control of 2019 instead of letting the year fly by. I want to make every moment count and every action that I make be purposeful. I want to listen to my body and know when to push harder or to allow myself rest. I want to continue to put others before me but know when it’s okay to put myself and my own needs first. I want to explore our beautiful planet while I am still able to, and I need to do everything I can to help preserve the earth and treat it with the respect it deserves. I want to continue to love my friends and family and help them whenever they need it and support them in all of their triumphs. 

I am so excited for what 2019 holds and I hope that you are as well! I wish you a year full of adventure, fun, and love. All the best, kind krafters!
 
Rhi xoxo

​During exam season it’s pretty easy to feel claustrophobic in a one-road town. I love Wolfville and the valley, but sometimes I can go a little bit stir-crazy if I don’t have a quick trip elsewhere every once in a while. Right now, it’s exam season at Acadia and so the majority of students are crammed in the library or other study spaces. I like to take myself to a coffee shop and switch up my surroundings instead of sitting in a cubicle on the 4th floor of the lib. As well as constantly changing my study area, I like to allow myself breaks every day to do something fun. Here are some of my favourite things to do during an intense study period:

Most of all, allow yourself to take long and well-deserved breaks during exams. Sitting at a desk all day with a mountain of books in front of you won’t help in the long run! Get up and walk around regularly, have scheduled snack breaks, and times to chat with your friends!


Good luck on any exams or end of year projects, kind krafters!!
Lots of love,
Rhi xoxo

Happy Holiday season everyone! I am counting down the days until my final exam and work commitments before I can head home and take time to love and be with my family for a couple of weeks! Gift giving is definitely one of my favourite things to do, and so I thought this blog could be about eco-friendly ways to do so. No matter what you celebrate this season, there are ways to do so while treating our environment in the best way possible. Here are some things to think about while you take in the holiday:
 
CHOOSING A GOOD GIFT

• TONE IT DOWN – How many people do you really need to buy for? If you have a large group of friends, why not try a group gift exchange instead of buying for every single person? If you need to buy for your parents, why not buy them a joint gift instead of separate gifts for each of them?
• BUY LOCAL – Your local farmers markets or independent shops deserve your love at this time of the year!! Think of friends and family members who would love a gift basket full of locally made preserves, jewellery, baked goods, mittens, etc. You could buy for your aunts, uncles, and cousins all in one go with a nice basket to suit the whole gang! You can also support local businesses by giving gift cards to your friend’s favourite café, or restaurants!
• GET BETTER QUALITY GIFTS – Instead of buying an inexpensive item, maybe choose to buy something a little costlier that you know will last longer. This way, you know that the person you’re buying for won’t have to rebuy the gift in a little while too! Buying more sustainable gifts helps everyone in the long run!
• KNOW WHAT THEY WANT – It’s never rude to ask what someone wants for a gift! This way, you won’t be buying them something they don’t need or care for and you know your gift will be used and loved. The best gift I ever gave someone was to my LOVELY friend Kristian as a thank you for being the best tour manager ever. I knew how much she loved tea and how many teacups and pots she had, and I also knew how crafty the lady is, so I bought her a DIY tea cosy! It was from a super cute store in Newfoundland and was made completely from sustainable materials 

• BUY ECO-FRIENDLY GIFTS – The most obvious way to remain green over the holidays, is to buy eco-friendly gifts. For example, my phone case recently broke so I am asking for a new one from the Tare Shop (https://thetareshop.com/product/pela-phone-case/) which is made from plant-based materials! The Tare Shop is a great place to buy your holiday items and remain environmentally conscious!
• DON’T BUY NEW – If you are able to, try and buy the same item either second-hand, vintage, handmade, or homemade! Another fave gift I gave was to my sister last year. She is a big book lover and I found some well-loved poetry books at The Odd Book in Wolfville. What made these books even better than if they were new, was that you could see small scribbles and newspaper clippings that previous owners had left in them. In one of them, there was a dried maple leaf which I think is so cool! It makes you wonder why they left it there, on that particular page and if it had any meaning behind it or if it was just a natural bookmark? Wicked!

A great gift I got from my sister was a notebook she gave me before I left for university. Inside she had written tips and tricks for university life and being away from home for the first time. This is a perfect example of an awesome homemade gift that meant way more to me than a flashy expensive gift!

​Some other things to think about:
 
In the same Stanford University study, they found that in the US alone, waste production increased by 25% between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Just because it’s a season of giving we can’t forget about the planet and how all of our actions have an impact. If you get invited to a holiday party this year, bring your own mugs and plates so that the host doesn’t have to buy single-use plastics to feed everyone. If you go to an outdoor ceremony where they might have refreshments, bring your own reusable mug (you might even get more hot chocolate or apple cider that way!). Only cook as much food for what you need and if you have leftovers, do something with them! Vegetable and meat scraps can turn into a yummy broth or soup, sandwiches for the next few days, and so much more! Don’t just throw them out!
 
Be conscious this holiday season and enjoy the festivities all around!!
Lots of love, kind krafters!
 
xoxo Rhi

Hello kind krafters!! I hope that you’re all doing well and are preparing to brave/enjoy the winter months. Similar to my last blog, I will be sharing a self-reflection with you this week and I hope that some of it might resonate with you!
 
Recently, I have found myself doing a lot of learning about myself as a person. I have been struggling with old ways of digesting information and have been working out a new set of tools to aid my learning process. It’s been a lot of fun but extremely frustrating at the same time because I have had to take a large step back because of the amount of time it took me to absorb the information. Because of this sudden change in my learning, I have been struggling with a lot of self-doubt. I doubt myself in many ways and that is constantly something I deal with, but I am really trying to rework that personality trait.
 
Luckily, I have MANY supportive friends, family, teachers, and mentors that are always willing to give advice and help me to work on my confidence. A friend of mine showed me a quote from Weston Sprott that explains the difference between confidence vs. ego. In the quote he states that ego is “an inflated sense of self-importance or superiority” and that confidence is actually “full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing”. This really struck me as I often find myself beating any confidence out of myself because I don’t want to be labeled as cocky. I think that the line between ego and confidence is very blurred in my head and so it is definitely something for me to work on. I’m not sure why I associate confidence as a negative feeling for myself and not for other people. When I see other people with confidence I feel nothing but pride, but for me, I often feel the exact opposite.
 
Yesterday, someone with a bit more life experience than myself told me a quote from the book Tales from Barra: Told By the Coddie. In the introduction, he tells a story of when he finally realized that he could sell fish just as well as anyone else despite their differences. I don’t sell fish but obviously this lesson can be applied to any scenario. It is going to take a while to realize that I can do things just as well as anyone else and have that belief in myself but I know that I am now on the right track.
 
One of my resolutions for this year was to become more at peace with myself and learn to accept that I (and everything that I do) is a work in progress. In my musical and everyday worlds, I am an extreme perfectionist and I am constantly adjusting my expectations. As someone else mentioned to me the other day, when we start off learning an instrument we are never upset that we aren’t able to play a full piece after one hour of working with the instrument. Once we get to a certain level, we don’t allow ourselves to have these realistic readjustments and understand that we can always be improving and that we can’t always be perfect. I find this really hard to swallow sometimes and I think a large part of that is because in music there is little room for error as a performer. We can’t rewrite a test or hand in a better paper next time because a lot of what we are judged on is a five minute performance where if we make a wrong move we could ruin our chances for a high grade, a paying role, or a reputation in front of many people that we respect.
 
Rewriting this for myself will take a while and will definitely be full of ups and downs but I am so along for the ride and feel refreshed with this new mindset. Thank you for reading my thoughts kind krafters and maybe some of you might be able to take away a little part of what I have written about!
 
Lots of love,
Rhian
 
 

Hey kind krafters! School has been oh so busy and midterms and papers and concert season are in full swing. Keeping yourself calm and organized during these times can feel impossible but here are some tips I hope you find helpful through these stressful weeks!
 
1. Start to prepare in advance - Even if it feels like you have so much time for some of these things but starting your preparation early will make the world of a difference. You are only as stressed as you are unprepared.

2. Do not be afraid to ask for help - Asking your professors, classmates,     parents or anyone in your life for a shoulder to lean on or even some extra help can be super beneficial to relax some stress you have. Everyone wants you to succeed, don't be afraid to ask for help! 

3. Go to class!!!! - I know, this sounds like the obvious BUT going to class and staying engaged will really help you understand the material and hopefully drop some hints for your upcoming midterm. The more familiar you are, the less stressed you will feel

4. Stay organized - Keeping notes, workspaces and your scheduling organized will help keep your mind clear and be able to accomplish much more 

5. Rest! - Getting much needed rest is so important during this busy time! A rested mind is a better mind. Get some sleep!! 

6. Take breaks - allow yourself short study breaks to relax, refresh, and regroup.  It may be hard to convince yourself you deserve it, but the break will be worth it.  

7. Eat Healthy - it’s important to make sure you’re eating healthy and on a schedule.  Doing so will provide you with energy and brainpower! (study snacks are a exception, of course) 

8. Study Efficiently - It can be hard to REALLY focus. Getting a quiet room where you won't be distracted and using beneficial study habits that work for you are the best ways to ensure you aren't wasting time. 

9. Practice Positive Thinking - “I am doing my best”, “This is going to be okay” “I am prepared” “I got this”. Thinking like this can really change your mood, energy and outcome of your midterms, be your own biggest fan! You got this!

10. Treat yourself! - Take a break, hang out with friends, watch netflix …… you deserve it. :) 
 
Thanks kind krafters, hope you are all having a busy and great study season :)
 
Amy Cameron.

Hey kind krafters!

On October 13th I flew to Ontario with Xara Choral Theatre to tour the show Fatty Legs. I have mentioned the show in a previous blogpost and will talk about the tour in greater detail at a later date but if you want to do individual research please look at this link http://www.xara.ca/fatty-legs-ed-guide.  I have only been away for less than a week but I am already learning so much about the show, our history in Canada, and myself as a musician, ally, friend, and member of society. This group is full of badass people with so much knowledge, respect, and resilience and after listening to them over the last few days, I have been able to do some major reflecting.
 
The Importance of Asking Questions

• During all of my schooling, I’ve been afraid to ask questions. I’m sure that there are a number of contributing factors for why I didn’t want to ask questions, but I think there were a main two reasons:
  1. I didn’t want to ask something that could be considered as “dumb” or “stupid”
  2. I didn’t want my classmates to know that I didn’t understand something

I still am aware that I don’t always ask for help when I know I need it because I feel ashamed of myself for not already knowing the answer, and worry that I might be shamed by others for asking. What I have realized from being with this group of people, is that really I am only doing a disservice to myself by not asking. Many educators encourage questions because what better way to learn? By not asking the questions or seeking help and guidance when you need it, you are stunting your own growth.
 
The Importance of Dialogue

• This group is amazing at having a dialogue and being honest with each other. I admire how eloquent everyone is (even when they think they’re not) and their unique ideas and perspectives that they add to discussions. I have learnt that I usually listen during discussions and feel unsure of what to add because I don’t want my comments to not meet the expectation. From these conversations being so safe, I have realized that to be a part of the discussion, I can choose to contribute or not. It’s up to me to hold the space in the circle, or take up space that is offered to me. I’ve also learnt that you can take up too much space, and that within a dialogue, you still need to be aware of yourself and do self-reflection. I also have admitted that sometimes I feel the pressure to talk when the offer is presented, and from that I need to know that it’s okay to not have something to say.

 
The Importance of Self Reflection

• I always think that I take time to do self-reflection, but I don’t actually think that I do it deeply enough. Every day I give myself some time to think about what has happened and how some of it has made me feel, but I definitely don’t ask myself enough questions and dig deeper into the “what next” part. On this tour I am constantly thinking “what next?” and about how I continue to learn and work towards my goals. I have also been questioned on what certain things mean to me within the show, such as “what does this move mean to you?” and “why are you singing this line while this particular piece of the narration is happening?”. I have been able to do a deep dive in many aspects of this show and can’t wait to apply this thinking and preparation to my own music making.

I know that this has not been my typical blogpost this week so thank you for reading!

Lots of love,
Rhi xoxo

​Hi kind krafters! As we are heading toward our long Canadian Thanksgiving weekend to celebrate the harvest season and any other blessings that we have received this year, I hope you are all looking forward to a relaxing weekend. I am currently sitting in one of Acadia’s most beautiful buildings, listening to Dan Forrest’s “Requiem for the Living”, and enjoying overlooking a fountain in our university gardens. I can’t help but realize how lucky I am in my life to have all the opportunities and experience available to me. I think it would be very fitting to list a very small amount of things and people that I am thankful for in this week’s blog. 

Family – I am constantly overwhelmed by my family and our constant support for each other. We are always messaging back and forth in our groupchat, driving to see each other, or calling to see how our days are going. Whenever I need help or a positive chat to brighten my day, I know I can call home and feel better right away. 

Friends – I have always been surrounded by a large group of people that I can easily call friends and am so lucky to have had that ability. However, since going to university I have made a solid group of friends that I can always rely on and trust. While being at Acadia, I have been able to find people that I really connect with and have similar views as me. I am able to talk to my friends about anything and everything, and have in-depth conversations about subjects that mean a lot to us. I love my pals so much and I’m very thankful for them!

University/Acadia – Like most students I often doubt myself, which can often get turned into me doubting my institution. When I start to have these ideas creep into my head, it doesn’t take long for them to get kicked back out again. At Acadia (especially the School of Music) the profs really care about your success and are always offering any and all help to make sure that you are doing the best possible. Being at a smaller university allows me to have more one on one time with my amazingly talented teachers and fellow students and I am constantly shaping who I am as a person and a musician 

Market - Every Saturday, I get to submerge myself in the loving community that is Wolfville. I love working and volunteering at the market, and getting to know more people from my small university town. I have now got a group of locals that expect me to remember their orders, and vendors that chat with me as we unload at 7am. I love the facilitators and how conscious they are with making people feel welcome no matter how long their stay in the town. I am so so so lucky to be able to get fresh produce that’s locally grown and at affordable prices for a student like myself. Going to the market every Saturday is definitely my favourite part of the week. 

Canada – Having moved to Canada ten years ago, I have now spent half of my life in England and the other half here. I love Canada more and more everyday, especially living somewhere as beautiful as the valley. I have got to explore eight provinces since moving here, but I have to say that Nova Scotia is definitely the prettiest. No matter where you are in the province you’re never more than 67km from the coast! I love the ocean and the gorgeous fall colours that are covering the province.  

Thanks for reading my blog this week everyone! I hope that you have a lovely weekend reflecting and relaxing!
 
Lots of love, Rhi xoxo

Hello kind krafters! I hope everything is great with everyone. Today I want to talk to you about a program here at Acadia that I volunteer with every Saturday for the last two years, that program is S.M.I.L.E!
        
“The Acadia S.M.I.L.E. (Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience) Program is an innovative, academic-based, yet volunteer-driven program that provides persons with varying disabilities a unique physical activity experience in order to improve their total development as individuals.”

At S.M.I.L.E every week students volunteer and get matched with a buddy who could have a variety of disabilities and get to work on cognitive, motor and social skills. S.M.I.L.E has so many days offered for volunteering as they run Tuesday and Thursday morning as well as Friday night and Saturday morning. Having this one on one volunteer experience at S.M.I.L.E is the highlight of my week.
 
A typical day at S.M.I.L.E starts off by our buddies arriving at the athletic complex and we continue on by working on individual skills based on the participant including activities in the gym including trampolines, building blocks, matt activities and swings. Participants also love the music therapy room, walks around the track, skating and we finish off our days by heading to the pool for more activities.

An individual education plan is developed for each of our buddies that includes: “water orientation; physical fitness activities to improve strength, endurance and flexibility; and perceptual motor programs to enhance development of body awareness, spatial awareness, temporal awareness and sport skills”. All of this is done in such a safe fun way and it is most definitely Acadia Universities biggest volunteering experience and it is such an awesome program that I am proud to be apart of.
 
Having the opportunity to volunteer every week and be able to expand my leadership skills, teaching skills and having an opportunity to make someone feel special for a few hours on Saturday is sincerely the best feeling. I have learned so much from these participants and they help discover things in myself that I never knew existed. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to volunteer with S.M.I.L.E.

Working with children with disabilities is most definitely a passion of mine and I am so excited to continue with S.M.I.L.E and see where these volunteer experiences take me! All of the S.M.I.L.E participants are truly the best.
 
All photos are from the Acadia S.M.I.L.E website which you should all check out!
 
Talk soon kind krafters!
​Amy

​Hey kind krafters!
 
It has been over a month since I made my pledge through Parley to give up plastic bags for 30 days. There were a few times where I forgot to bring my bags, but then I either bought enough to hold without a bag, or I just bought a new reusable one to add to my collection! I honestly found it super easy to do, and I know that by refusing plastic bags in front of my friends, I have been able to make an influence on how they shop now too! I was never pushy or told anyone to use reusable bags, but by just sharing this action with them, I have heard that several friends are now also refusing to use plastic and will bring their own bags to the store. I have also found through this last month that reusable bags hold SO MUCH MORE than your regular plastic bag!!! AND they don’t rip like plastic bags do! So many bonuses to shopping sustainably. 

​Because the last month went so incredibly easily, I am now going to try to eliminate another plastic item from my life. I have been doing pretty well so far with this, but I want to take it to the next step. I have been taking mason jars and other reusable containers to the grocery stores and using them to stock up on pasta, rice, oats, and nuts. But I recently found out that if you ask the store clerks to put other items in your reusable containers instead of the plastic containers that they provide, they will do it! I feel awkward asking to do this but ya gotta be the change to see the change! 

​Now on to some exciting news!! On September 8th the Ocean Cleanup was launched and set off to clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The founder and creator of the Ocean Cleanup is Boyan Slat, a 24 year old college dropout from the Netherlands. There are over 70 members of staff that come from many occupational backgrounds like engineers, researchers, scientists, and computational modelers who all work together to get of the plastic pollution in our oceans. Over 5 years of researching, engineering, and testing, they have raised over thirty-million dollars to build the machine that will hopefully save our oceans. Despite not having much press time about this incredibly important experiment taking place right now, he was recognized by the United Nations and was awarded a top environment award for his invention. 

​I am not going to try and explain how this cleanup works when there is a perfectly clear video to show you ten times better than I ever could. Basically, there are 3 main factors to the cleanup:

1. To create a coastline where there isn’t one with the machine
2. To take advantage of the natural ocean forces to help the machine function
3. To concentrate the plastic and then take it out of the water to sort it and reuse it

Here is the video that fully explains the procedure –

The Ocean Cleanup has also taken preventative measure to ensure the safety of sea life, the machine during any storms, and to make sure that other vessels know where they are at all times so that they are not disturbed during their work. There has been both negative and positive feedback for Boyan Slat’s ideas, but many are hopeful that it will work! To find out more information about his invention and the cleanup, visit this website - https://www.theoceancleanup.com.
 
 
Best wishes kind krafters!! I hope your eco-journeys are going well!!
 
Lots of love,
Rhi xoxo