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Personal Philosophy

I was born into a Conservative Jewish family, went to Hebrew School, had a Bar Mitzvah, and attended Saturday Synagogue Services on a regular basis. However, while I readily accepted many of the cultural values of being a Jew: the… Read more

Social Activism

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Yiddish Wisdom, Source Unknown

While I am not conventionally religious, I am very much the product of a religious Jewish upbringing, and it is material such as the following that shaped my life perspective. Many of the items below are well known and not…

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Talent in the Family

A question occasionally arises about talent in my family. Am I the only one with artistic talent or are there others? Not surprisingly there are many others.

I have no information that precedes my grandparents' generation but my maternal grandfather,… Read more
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Frank Levin: A Heritage Harmonies Memoire

I began playing for Heritage Harmonies about 20 years ago in response to a newspaper ad for a pianist for a seniors singing group at Barclay Manor. When I began, there were only about a half dozen members, the meetings…
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Dear Abby

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How Can You Tell if Abstract Art is Skillfully Made?

Try and make something like it and see how close you come. It may be more difficult than you think to produce. Still some abstract artists get by not on their talent but by their ability to write something seemingly…

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Sight-Reading Intervals

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How the Arts Have Sustained Me During the Pandemic 

During the first couple of weeks of being confined to my apartment, I was at loose ends, trying to get adjusted to the loss of my exercise classes, piano playing commitments, concerts, lunches and activities with friends. By week three…

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Scribblings in a Spare Moment... 

This article from The Ottawa Citizen in June of 1972, features two of my Haiku that won in a local poetry contest. Frank.

 

 

 

Dear Abby

This article featuring a New Year's poem I found among the papers of a deceased co-writer was published in Dear Abby's New Year's column for the year 2000. I have since noted that it has now also been uploaded onto…

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Robert Ward ( Bob ) Margeson June 28th 1944 – December 16th 2016 A Memoire by Frank Levin

I met Bob in our first year at Fisher Park High School. We shared the same home room along with Andrew Carson, Brian Joynt and others who would become friends and acquaintences for life. 

Even then, with his tall, lanky…

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Beautiful Vancouver, Historical Note

Beautiful Vancouver, Historical Note 

Beautiful Vancouver was self-published by the composer, George Brownson in 1952. Nothing seems to have become of the song, and no information is available about the composer or what became of him. 

I found a copy…

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Practicing Hints

There are prodigies who can sit down at the piano and learn effortlessly, but most students must practice diligently to play well. Often students frustrate themselves by trying to do too much at once. Attempting to handle notes, fingering, timing…

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