A search for life's meaning, through God, Family, and Music

Beauty of the Cross - Jonny Diaz - Lyrics

2011-04-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

Ensemble Arts Academy Las Vegas Music Lessons

2011-03-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

Ensemble Arts Academy Las Vegas Music Lessons

What did you think of the Super Bowl Halftime show?

2011-02-08T06:46:00.001-08:00

Loved the costumes, didn't care for the sound mixing!

Ask me anything

CLOD BERDERS, WANT SUM DUNKIN DONUT-DONUTS?

2010-12-10T23:10:00.001-08:00

yes!

Ask me anything

so liek wut r doing

2010-12-05T19:36:00.001-08:00

Yes I Sure do

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-12-05T09:59:00.001-08:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/musicborders
Have you heard about the Open House at Ensemble Arts Academy on Dec 12, 3pm. Prizes.

can you attend our open house? http://tinyurl.com/EAAOpenHouse

2010-12-04T07:41:00.001-08:00

can you attend our open house?http://tinyurl.com/EAAOpenHouse

Answer here

can you attend our open house? http://tinyurl.com/EAAOpenHouse

2010-12-04T01:54:00.001-08:00

can you attend our open house?http://tinyurl.com/EAAOpenHouse

Answer here

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

2010-12-02T22:43:00.000-08:00

What was the worst movie you've ever seen?

2010-12-01T00:04:00.001-08:00

thank goodness i don't remember!

Ask me anything

What did you eat for breakfast today?

2010-12-01T00:03:00.005-08:00

a donut, what a sad breakfast!

Ask me anything

Who's the most talented person you know?

2010-12-01T00:03:00.003-08:00

Steve Martin

Ask me anything

Would you rather date a lot of different people, or be in a committed relationship?

2010-12-01T00:03:00.001-08:00

Be in a committed relationship, when the time is right

Ask me anything

If you could go on vacation for the next month with an unlimited budget, where would you go?

2010-12-01T00:02:00.005-08:00

All over Europe

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-12-01T00:02:00.003-08:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/musicborders

If you could master one skill what would it be?

2010-12-01T00:02:00.001-08:00

Being the worlds greatest hornist

Ask me anything

If you could be invited to one person's birthday party, whose would it be?

2010-12-01T00:01:00.001-08:00

Steve Martin

Ask me anything

What was the best concert you went to?

2010-11-30T23:58:00.003-08:00

Spiro Gyra

Ask me anything

Do you play a musical instrument or sing? If you don't would you like to learn?

2010-11-30T23:58:00.001-08:00

Do you play a musical instrument or sing? If you don't would you like to learn?

Answer here

What's your favorite sport?

2010-11-30T23:51:00.001-08:00

Hiking

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-11-30T23:50:00.001-08:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/musicborders

Last Chance to Enroll in Camp Rocks! Summer Day-Camp

2010-06-19T00:51:00.000-07:00

"Everyone will want to experience CAMP ROCKS! This 2-week day-camp will give your child an opportunity to shine and have a fulfilling summer. If your child has nothing to do, this is where they will explore and do what they could not even imagine they had the capability of doing. I encourage you to take the time to look... at a camp that is affordable and worthwhile. The students learn music techniques and how to use their creativity".

~ Charmaine, Grandmother of a student at Ensemble Art Academy & Camp Rocks!

Hurry and Enroll before it's too late! Only a FEW spots left for June 21-July
2, 2010. Ages 6-18 Everyone's a Star!

Refer a friend and get a discount
on tuition!

www.EnsembleArtsAcademy.com
702.388.0014

Jail and Bail March of Dimes

2010-05-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

I'm going to jail and I need your help please. I'm in need of $1-$1000+ bail. Anything will help! My son Joshua was born at 28 1/2 weeks and was about as big as my hand. He is now a happy and healthy 10 year old violinist, with the unfortunate lose of one eye due to retinopathy of prematurity. The March of Dimes arrest...ed me last week and charged me with fighting premature birth. I am guilty as charged. Please visit, share, and donate if you can on my site!

http://jailandbail.marchofdimes.com/musicborders

Claude Borders

My Grandmother is my inspiration

2010-04-27T23:34:00.000-07:00

My Grandmother, Catherine Campbell, just passed away a few months ago at the beautiful age of 104. She was a wonderful and devout Christian. She did so many things in her life that have impacted me and shaped my character. I would like to share several if I may.

She read through the Bible nearly every year for most of her adult life. She lead the missionary meetings at her small Nazarene church where she was a member for almost her whole life. She couldn't read music but she figured out a way to play the piano for the services when my Grandpa preached at the homeless missions in Bloomington Illinois. She helped me complete my Bachelor's of Music Education degree at IWU and generally get through my college years by occasionally doing my laundry, inviting me to meals and church. She lived most of her adult life in a single wide mobile home without complaint, making it a cosy, welcoming home. When my grandpa died in 1980, she invited my to live in one of the rooms in her home. She crocheted wedding handkerchiefs for all the ladies in the family until she had cataracts and arthritis too bad, and then she switched to knitting hand towels for all the families. She hosted the Campbell family reunion every year having married into the Campbell family. When she was near the end of her life, while my mom was visiting her in the nursing home, she said she wanted to go home. We were not positive, but we think she meant she wanted to go home to heaven. She lost her husband in 1980 and her youngest son, my uncle, around Christmas.

She is my inspiration for so many things in my life. The characteristics I've learned from her are to be a servant leader and to be tenacious.

I feel that as a business owner I am a servant to my staff in many ways. I'm learning how this works all the time. My tenacity led to winning a nationwide audition for the Disneyland Band after one audition where I did not win but was an alternate, and winning the audition into the USAF Band at the cut-off age of 35, and making it through basic training at that age!

2010-04-06T10:24:00.001-07:00

I'm the owner of Ensemble Arts Academy in Las Vegas. Since June 1, 2009 we have, through the faith and hard work of my instructors and dedicated receptionist, Andrea, grown from 5 to 10 teachers and from 17 to 50 students. Thank God for faithful staff, for the belief that we can succeed, and for the prayers of the faithful that buoy up our efforts. I am struggling with juggling the following:

tax time
running my academy
two classes toward my MBA online at GCU, at the Ken Blanchard College of Business
raising two wonderful kids
supporting my wife as she completes an online Education Media Design & Technology Master of Science at Full Sail University

Any encouragement would be greatly appreciated!

A funny thing happened on the way to the Disneyland Band

2010-01-09T23:01:00.000-08:00

During my junior year at Illinois Wesleyan University, I was selected in a national audition as one of 2 hornists in the All-American College Marching Show Band at Disneyland. Art Bartner, the director (& director of the Trojan Marching Band at USC), was a great influence on me. That summer Disney paid all expenses and brought many of the top pros to perform with our band.

My claim to fame there was that on the last day of our 2 week orientation and rehearsals, after having memorized all the music and dance/marching steps, Art asked for volunteers to demonstrate the "Saint Louis Blues" routine. He was not happy with the band messing up the steps, and I was dumb enough to volunteer along with a tuba and alto sax player. After 12 forward steps I did an about-face and the tuba player didn't. To this day I don't know if he or I was correct. We slammed into each other with such force that I passed out. When I came to, all 20 band members hovered over me with their hands over their mouths and gasps of sympathy. I felt where my front left tooth should have been and it was cracked in half. I was rushed to a dentist who was fantastic. I got my first of 4 temporary caps on the tooth and went back to the band hall. The bell of my horn was crinkled and the mouthpiece was stuck tight! I had a very fat, sore lip and a bruised ego. I was not going to let this chance of a lifetime pass me by. So when our band was slated to debut the next day at the employee baseball game, I insisted on playing my horn. I played on the very corner of my lips for the first week and gradually moved the horn to the center again. The temporary caps were very painful, but I'm thankful for the great dentist that took care of me.

Fifteen years later, Art Bartner came to Las Vegas, where I'd moved to teach, and guest conducted the Henderson Philharmonic, the community orchestra that I was playing in. He didn't know I was there and I couldn't wait to surprise him. He started telling the story of a horn player who lost his tooth and had the tenacity to keep playing. It was then that I stood up and said, Art, you're telling my story. That was one of the highlights of my life.

I wonder to this day if someone set that all up as a surprise for both of us or if it was serendipity.

Years later I had a school principal tell me that my strongest attribute was my tenacity. I like that.

A search for life's meaning, through God, Family, and Music: Why is music study important

2009-12-18T00:09:00.000-08:00

A search for life's meaning, through God, Family, and Music: Why is music study important

As Christmas Approaches

2009-12-18T00:05:00.000-08:00

I am trying to get in the Christmas Spirit. I'm unfortunately worried about several things instead. I'm worried about our country, our world, the economy, my business, my family.

I don't know where to begin.

Stuggling with Business

2009-12-16T00:14:00.000-08:00

I am a child of God. I am a husband and a dad. I am a music teacher. I am a former professional horn player. I am the owner of a music lesson academy in sunny Las Vegas, NV.

About Las Vegas: I like it here. I like having a view of the strip and knowing that I live in a 24 hour city, and I can go have a cheap steak any time of day or night...that's comfort. But I also fear raising my two kids, ages 11 and 9, here. I don't like the public schools and we can't afford a private school.

My studio is an infant as I just it started in June. Then the worst economic time of my life began. I am debating closing the business for now. I will still teach.

I have spent too much money so far to make this business work. But, I love the idea of owning a business. I love when things go well, but I'm miserable when they don't.

This blog will be about my journey to be a better husband and dad, re-find myself, my passion to start and run a successful business, my love for my family, my love for music, my commitment to become financially secure, and my quest for the meaning of life.

I hope to reconnect with lots of old friends and find lots of new friends along the way. I love networking, so I may meet many of you someday.

Thanks for being here and starting my journey with me.

Why is music study important

2007-06-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a long time music educator and performer and I am interested in your thoughts about why music study is important. Please post your thoughts and experiences...