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Ari Posner has found success as a composer after growing up in a musical family
By ORI BELMONT Born in Winnipeg in 1970, Ari Posner was exposed to music and performing at an early age.
The son of Gerry and Sherna Posner, Ari learned that playing a musical instrument – or singing can bring so much joy to people (something with which his father was well acquainted after having performed in so many comedic musical performances at the Shaarey Zedek over the years), while his mother was an accomplished pianist.
With musical performances and talent shows a staple of the Posner household, it was only natural that music would play a major role in Ari’s life, as well as for his younger siblings, Rami and Amira.
Along with the melodious tunes of his father’s singing echoing through the home, his mother and grandmother offered great piano accompaniment. And so it was, that at the age of six, Ari was introduced to the piano. He became immediately captivated by the tones, rich harmonies and melodies that the instrument offered. His parents were thrilled that he was drawn to the musical arts, requiring little if any encouragement or motivation to practice. From the first time that he “tickled the ivories,” he was self-motivated to always learn and improve.
From that point in Ari’s life to the present day, one of the primary reasons that Ari continues to produce original and well received musical pieces is because of the sheer joy and nachas that it brings to his parents, he says.
In high school Ari was a member of various rock and roll bands, participating in many concerts – something that motivated him to want to aspire to a career in music, he explains.
Ari attended the University of Manitoba in the late 1980s. He continued his performing career by playing with the Chai Folk Ensemble before moving to Toronto to continue his studies at York University. It was at that time that Ari made the decision to pursue a Fine Arts degree while majoring in music. Half of the curriculum involved studies in General Arts, while the other half focused on music.
At York, Ari also acquired additional skills, including musical composition. He says that throughout his time at university he was excited to go to classes and be surrounded by like-minded people.
Upon graduating, Ari made the decision to stay in Toronto. He explains that he had been presented with several opportunities that he believed would continue to allow him to chart his path towards realizing his dreams.
For the following six years, Ari played piano in a wedding band, as well as providing musical accompaniment for ballet and modern dance classes.
It was also at that time, when he was in his early twenties, that Ari met Stacey Hersh, a Toronto composer. With Stacey’s guidance and support, Ari was able to learn first-hand how the music industry worked. It was also at that time in Ari’s life that he connected with Amin Bhatia, a TV and film music composer. Amin took Ari under his wing, offering useful guidance and support. Over the years he became a dependable mentor for Ari.
Amin strongly believed in Ari’s abilities as a musician and composer – and he had a proposition that would ultimately prove pivotal for Ari’s career arc. Amin required assistance with various composing jobs for television. Specifically, Ari was tasked with writing and arranging music for a children’s series called “Nelvana.” That would be the first of many opportunities for Amin and Ari to work together. Subsequently it led to their involvement in another successful TV series, “Flashpoint,” which ran for five seasons on CBS and CTV. That was followed by work on a series called “X Company,” and more recently, “Anne with an E,” which was on Netflix.
As time progressed, Ari’s abilities began to draw the attention of other prominent individuals in the entertainment industry. In 2001, Ari had a lucky break when he met Rick Shurman, CEO and founding partner of Pirate Radio and Television, which is a prominent name in the advertising industry. Rick took a keen interest in Ari’s composing abilities and eventually offered him a job as an in-house composer at Pirate.
“To me it was like a composing boot camp,” Ari says. “I was writing music every day, in all different styles, with fast deadlines always looming.” To this day Ari still maintains a very close relationship with the staff at Pirate, and continues to make advertising a regular part of his work every year. (Fans of the very popular radio show, “Under the Influence,” with Terry O’Reilly, will be familiar with hearing Ari’s name mentioned as co-composer of that show’s very recognizable theme music after every episode.)
Recently, with Covid-19 restrictions slowly easing, Ari and Amin have collaborated once again, this time on an award-winning animated series which aired on PBS, called “Let’s Go Luna.” In addition, the duo worked together on “Rosie’s Rules,” which will soon be broadcast on PBS. The plot involves a child who lives in southern Texas, whose father is Mexican and whose mother is American. As a result, the series features a good deal of Mexican culture, something that has proven to be an interesting challenge for Posner in terms of his incorporating that culture into the music he composes.
In addition, Ari was involved in a series called “Detention Adventure,” where Ari and Amin joined forces with singer-songwriter Sarah Slean. The series ran on CBC and was well received. It garnered the CSA award in 2021 for “best original score in a dramatic series.”
Often, Ari will encounter individuals who approach him to ask for advice. His words of wisdom?
“Be flexible in your thinking in order to navigate the issues you may have surrounding your work, family and life in general.”
Ari is married to Tamar Kagan, and they have three children: Zachary, Jesse and Leila. Ari says that they are also disciplined in their approach to learning and ambitious to do well in whichever paths they eventually decide to pursue.
Ori Belmont is a freelance writer based in Toronto, Canada
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Volatility, Hit Frequency, and RTP: Why the Number Casinos Advertise Is the Least Useful One
The return to player percentage looks clean as a casino data point. It gives players a neat number, usually around 94% to 97% for many online slots, and that number feels easy to compare. A 96.5% game appears better than a 95.2% game. The problem starts when players treat RTP as a forecast for their next 50 spins or one evening.
You may find the RTP listed on slot pages on a leading online casino in Ontario, but the number only tells part of the story. Two games can share the same RTP and create different sessions: one may return small wins often, while the other may drain a balance before one bonus round changes everything.
The RTP Trap
Return to player (RTP) measures the theoretical share of total wagers a game returns across a very large number of rounds. In plain terms, a 96% RTP slot returns about $96 for every $100 wagered in the long run. That does not mean one player who deposits $100 should expect $96 back.
The trap sits in the word “theoretical.” RTP comes from the game’s math model. It works across huge samples, not personal sessions. A player can finish far above that percentage, far below it, or with nothing left after a short run of poor results.
Is it useless then? No, RTP can still help. It gives a baseline cost of play. Lower-RTP games cost more on average than higher-RTP games. Still, once a game passes a reasonable threshold, the next question matters more: how does it distribute that return?
Hit Frequency: The Number That Shapes Session Feel
Hit frequency tells you how often a game produces a winning outcome. This often misleads players because any win can count. A spin that returns $0.10 on a $1 bet may still count as a hit, even though the player lost $0.90 in real terms.
A game can feel active because symbols connect often, sounds play, and the screen keeps celebrating small returns. The balance may still fall. In many modern slots, “win” does not always mean profit on the spin.
Hit frequency answers one practical question: how much silence can you tolerate? Some players dislike long dry spells. Others accept quieter sessions because they chase bonus rounds or larger payouts.
The educational site Get Gambling Facts gives a useful distinction: RTP concerns the percentage of money returned over time, while hit frequency concerns how often a machine stops on a winning combination.
Volatility: The Risk Label Players Need More Often
Volatility, also called variance, describes how unevenly a game pays. Low-volatility games tend to return smaller amounts more often. High-volatility games hold more value in rare events: bonus rounds, premium symbols, multipliers, or jackpots.
Here is where RTP becomes less useful on its own:
- A 96% low-volatility slot may give modest returns and longer play from the same balance.
- A 96% high-volatility slot may burn through funds quickly unless the player hits a strong feature.
- A progressive jackpot game may look exciting, but it often places more value on rare top prizes.
The same RTP can hide very different risk profiles. Players who ignore volatility often blame the casino or the game when the session follows its math design.
Why the Same RTP Can Feel So Different
Picture two slots with 96% RTP. Slot A pays small wins on many spins, has a modest top prize, and rarely creates dramatic balance swings. Slot B pays less often but offers a large max win and volatile bonus rounds. The advertised return matches, but the experience does not.
Slot A may suit a player who wants a slower bankroll drop and more regular feedback. Slot B suits someone who accepts sharper losses in exchange for a shot at a heavier payout.
A Better Way to Read a Slot Page
Most slot pages give players more clues than they notice. The trick is to read the details together rather than chase the highest percentage.
Start with RTP. If two games look similar, the higher number has better long-term value. Then check volatility. If the game uses terms such as high, very high, or extreme variance, lower your bet size or expect shorter sessions. Next, look at the paytable. A huge max win usually means the game saves a lot of its value for rare outcomes.
A sensible pre-play check looks like this:
- RTP: What is the average long-term return?
- Volatility: How rough can the session become?
- Hit frequency: How often will the game show any wins?
- Paytable: Where does most value sit?
To Conclude
Casinos advertise RTP because it looks objective, tidy, and easy to rank. Players should read it, but they should not give it more authority than it deserves. For long sessions, volatility may matter more than a small RTP difference. For comfort, hit frequency may explain the feel better than the payback rate.
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The Popularity of Simpler Slot Games in 2026: Review From Casino Online CrazyTower Experts
Online casinos now fill their libraries with numerous video slots that have dozens of functions, long bonus rounds, complex mechanics, and so on. Interestingly, despite this huge range of modern options, many Canadian visitors at sites like Casino Online CrazyTower here https://crazytower.com/ca/ no longer want complicated gameplay that requires constant attention and long explanations.
Simpler slots now attract a wider audience because they save time and create faster sessions. So, let’s figure out why this change happened and reasons for the popularity of simpler machines.
Why Many Players Are Returning to Basic Gameplay
Modern websites like Casino Online CrazyTower pushed complex video slots for years, but many people now prefer classic formats again. Simple gameplay has fewer interruptions and is simpler in terms of budgeting, which is important when you gamble for fun.
These are a few potential reasons explain why simpler slots became popular again in 2026:
- Faster rounds. Symbols appear quickly, and rounds continue without long animations or extended bonus sequences.
- Easier controls. Most classic slots have simple menus and familiar layouts that don’t confuse new visitors.
- Smaller feature lists. Simple slots usually have standard wilds, scatters, and multipliers instead of dozens of random mechanics.
- Better session flow. People spend more time on gameplay instead of reading explanations about symbols and special functions.
- Lower visual pressure. Simpler slots use calmer designs and shorter effects that don’t overload attention.
Classic gameplay also suits mobile devices better because shorter rounds work well on smaller screens. Plus, many visitors now prefer games that start instantly and explain their mechanics within seconds.
Features That Make Simpler Slots Appealing
Simple machines at Casino Online CrazyTower and similar websites continue to attract attention because they have a high gameplay speed. Many classic titles also replicate older casino machines that people already know from physical casinos.
However, these aren’t the only factors that attract gamblers. So, check out this list:
- Short bonus rounds. Free spins and multipliers finish quickly instead of interrupting gameplay for several minutes.
- Common and standard paylines. Traditional layouts help people understand payouts without long explanations.
- Faster loading times. Simpler graphics reduce waiting time on phones, tablets, and older computers.
- Stable gameplay pace. Long cutscenes and constant pop-up notifications don’t interrupt the session.
- Traditional themes. Fruit symbols, bars, sevens, and classic casino designs still attract large audiences.
- Smaller menus. Important information appears immediately without complicated tabs or hidden sections.
Modern video slots often contain too many mechanics in a single game. Developers now combine expanding reels, random modifiers, mission systems, tournaments, and multiple bonus levels in one title. Many visitors lose interest because gameplay turns repetitive and overloaded with constant interruptions.
Compare this to a session when you get results immediately and aren’t interrupted. These still have free spins and even mini risk games, but not as loaded as innovative titles.
Conclusion
Simple slots usually create better replay value because people understand the mechanics immediately. Common and standard gameplay doesn’t cause frustration and allows faster decisions during casino sessions.
Many classic slots also function better during short breaks because rounds finish quickly without long bonus interruptions. That’s why simpler slots became popular again at many casinos, including Casino Online CrazyTower and such.
