Aaron Chatha

Multimedia Journalist

Get ready for a night of music, mingling and fun as local pianist Rachel Neil will be hosting a schubertiade in Strathmore, which will be quite the unique experience.

Taking place on September 1, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at 127 Aspen Circle, a schubertiade involves live music and a come as you please atmosphere.

"In the romantic era of music history, so, about the 1800s, there was a music composer named Franz Schubert," Neil explained.

"He came up with Schubertiade, where he would get together at his house with friend, family and people who play music and it would be an evening of music and snacking on food. I wanted to go further and make it a fund raiser as well."

Neil will be accepting donations at the door for the food bank.

"One fund raiser that has helped me before was the food back, which I used many years ago. Now I want to give back."

As of now, Neil will be playing piano for the duration of the night.

Neil has been teaching piano for 12 years and has spent the last six years in Strathmore. She began learning how to read music when she was seven and music runs in her blood, as her grandmother was a concert pianist.

"One time my grandfather was sitting at the kitchen table," Neil said. "I started playing the piano, and he started crying. I asked what's wrong, he said, you're grandmother used to play the exact same tune."

She hopes this event will help her become more recognized as a piano teacher in the community.

She doesn't have any students who are prepared to participate in the schubertiade yet, but invites local musicians who would like to take part to contact her.

Although Neil learned about the schubertiade by studying music history, she wants to revive to concept as a modern affair.

Rather than playing all classical music, she will be playing contemporary songs by artists like Shania Twain, Elton John and The

Beatles.

She invites anyone and everyone interested to attend the event, whenever they have time to drop by. She hopes to make it an annual thing, every September 1.

"You get to meet musicians from the area, listen to entertaining music and mingle with locals."

For more information, call Rachel Neil at (403) 901-7556.