Frances Balodis

Frances Mae Balodis MEd., ARCT, LCCN(H), LCNCM(H), RMT, MYCC is founder (in 1980) of Music for Young Children® and cofounder of CLU™. As a Registered Music Teacher, Frances received the Hugheen Ferguson Distinguished Teacher award in Regina SK in July 2011. She was nominated (in 2011) and was a finalist for the Louis Applebaum Composer Award. A certified Neurolinguistic Programmer (NLP) and an Accredited DISC Training provider, as well as teacher with over 60 years experience, Frances is a speaker and a workshop clinician, adjudicator and examiner. She delights in helping people of all ages and places understand their learning styles.

Frances is the Chairperson for the annual MYC Composition Festival, now 34 years old in 2021.

Frances has adjudicated at many Festivals. In addition, in 2016 she was the adjudicator for the Mary Gardiner Junior and Senior candidates for Performance Excellence across Canada for ACNMP Contemporary Showcase. Frances enjoys being a piano teacher (she teaches Seniors too!) and Conservatory Canada examiner.

She lives in Ullswater, Muskoka, ON with her husband, Gunars. She shares the organist position at St. Thomas Anglican church, Ullswater, ON. Frances played handbells for five years.

Frances makes and sells birch bark cards for her business Creative Muskoka Cards.

Frances is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers CAPS. Frances directed the men’s choir at Cookstown United Church 1982-1984. She is the director (since 2015) of The Muskoka Men of Song, a 35 voice male choir centered in Bracebridge, ON.

Frances was a speaker at Global Piano Teachers' Summit and many other conferences.

Frances is a contributing author in the Power of Why Series.