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Volume 11 Issue 10 - July 2006

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invite music listeners

invite music listeners to perform this sculpture when strolling or riding along the Ward's Island boardwalk. These works will run all sununer and will be augmented starting July 23 with Sunday afternoon soundwalks on Toronto Island that feature visits to more installations by Reena Katz, Lori Beckstead, and Andra McCartney. Sound Travels will occur August 11-13 and feature my new spatialization system that was premiered at soundaXis (with further refinements). Other highlights include Guerilla Sound Events led by composer-inresidence Peter Hatch and featuring four emerging artists; a light sculpture with flute and cello performance by Bernhard Gal; and a host of internationally celebrated electroacoustic works by Denis Smalley, John Young, Francisco Lopez, Carey Dodge, Toronto's own Sarah Peebles, as well as a world premiere of my own work - Let Me Out. In the midst of all of this, I will be releasing all of my traffic angst as a non-driver suburbanite with my new sound installation "Playing on the 401 " at the Modern Fuel Gallery in Kingston (July 19 - August 26). When the Sound Travels performances wind down, my family will be heading out to Cold Lake, Alberta for a summer vacation." Even though the concert season has come to an end, this does not mean that new music cannot be found throughout the summer. Beyond Copeland's Sign Waves installations and Sound Travels series, there is plenty of new music at the Toronto Music Garden, and at many summer festivals throughout Ontario. Stratford Summer Music delivers works by R. Murray Schafer, Michael Matthews and Peter Berring as performed by the Rocca String Quartet and the Vancouver Chamber Choir. And in our nation's capital, the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival has new music scattered throughout its intense fifteen-day schedule, but gives it special attention in the Music of Our Time series. For more details, be sure to refer to the Green Pages in last month's issue. So, go out and get revived by the passion of new music. Feel rejuvenated by encountering some thing new. (Jason van Eyk can be reached at 416-961-6601 x. 207 or jvaneyk@musiccentre.ca.) 24 Back to Ad Index What a season it's been for new music in Toronto! The success of the imaginative and far-reachingsoundaXis festival in early June topped off a busy year for the new music community. But it was only the icing on the cake. There were two other highlights for me this season. This year's New Wave Festival by Esprit Orchestra, once again bridged the gap between the concert hall and the street, and between established and emergent composers and musicians. The world premieres of concerti by my friends and colleagues Scott Good and Erik Ross made this particularly special for me. Elliott Carter's visit to Toronto, made possible by New Music Concerts. At the age of 97, Mr. Carter is as full of vitality, spark, and a genuine delight in living as a man in his twenties, and this came through in both his music and his speaking, as well as his very busy torontohearandnow roundup schedule - Boston to Chicago to Toronto in one week! The concert and interview both were thoroughly inspiring. Bringing major comby Keith Denning posers to Toronto is something that New Music Concerts excels at, of course, and I am curious as to who they will be bringing to town in coming years. Upcoming Of course, there were other significant events in the city: Arraymusic's Young Composers Workshop once again fostered the talents of up-and-coming creators of music in this city, and doubtless I am forgetting many other major efforts from Coalition members. Add to this the many 'regular' concerts put on by all of the other new music groups and ensembles in this city, and you would have been very busy indeed, just in order to sample what was offered up in 2005-06. And while summertime is the time when we typically relax and recharge, there are a few new music events this summer that you should mark on your calendar, just to keep your mind sparked: On July 15th at 8:00 at the Rivoli, Toronto Experimental Artists present a concert featuring soloists Peter Lewton, Daisy DeBolt and David Pavia. On July 25th and August 15th, at 7:30 each evening, Nathan Phillips Square will be taken over by the Toronto Gala Monster Concert, with twenty pianists playing ten pianos. Works include many crowdpleasers, including works by Bizet, Mozart and Rossini , but the highlight is the premiere of a new work by composer Erika Yost. This is a free event. On August 24th, go to the Harbourfront Music Garden at 7:00 to catch the incredible clarinetist Lori Freedman performing works by Toronto composers Allison Cameron, Chris Paul Harman, and Martin Arnold. And then finally, at the very end of August, you can get out of town! August 31 to September 6, R. Murray Schafer's Palace of the Cinnabar Phoenix is being re-staged in the Haliburton Forest, which to me is about as Canadian as new music setting can get. Then, refreshed and relaxed, you can start filling up your calendars for the 2006-07 season! Enjoy, and have a great summer. News from the Toronto Musicians' Association Congratulations to -~ . David Gallo picked up TMA member Greg __\: the prize for best scenic Morrison, who wrote , :;;~;; 1, design, while Gregg the music for "The °' = {' Barnes got one for costume design. And Beth Drowsy Chaperone", ~l i\i" winner of five prestig- ,,~,,vi~1 Leave! won the best featured actress award for ious Tony Awards this • ~~~ ~,;•\ month. He shares the J.'·' ~- ~~·-·:._. , ___ .--~~-"·,1 _ her role in the production. The play is both a accolades with Lisa •' ~ ba£fl~~~~ Lambert, Bob Martin Lisa Lambert & biting satire and celebration of 1920s musicals and Don McKellar. To- Greg Morrison ronto theatre-goers will remember - A pampered Broadway starlet The Drowsy Chaperone as the sleep- chooses marriage over show busier hit of the Toronto Fringe Theatre ness. Her producer, desperate to save Festival. It started life as a series of his career and re-pay gangster insmall sketches, first performed at a vestors, sets out to sabotage the nup­ Toronto bar in 1998 and quickly tials. The first line is: "I hate theaevol ved into a more substantial tre." show, gaining widespread attention Chaperone was already a favourat the Fringe Festival. ite among critics before the Tony "This show expresses the voice Awards, winning both the New of a group of writers and perform- York Drama Critics' Award and a ers in Toronto, and we want to share Drama Desk Award for outstanding this award with them - not literal- musical. The Tony Awards were ly, but figuratively," joked Chaper- held at the Radio City Music Hall in one writer and actor Bob Martin as New York. he accepted the Tony. McKellar A Champion for Canadian Musithanked the American musical com- cians: Included in last week's comedy, for "giving people like Bob and prehensive immigration reform legme lots of material to make fun of." islation passed in the Senate was an They won for Best Book-Musi- amendment offered by Senator John cal and Best Original Score. Chap- Kerry (D-MA) regarding visa reerone also won two design awards: form. The amendment reforms the WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM P-2 visa process allowing Canadian members to come into the United States to work much quicker than before. It compels Citizenship and Immigration Services to process all O and P visas within thirty days. If they are not processed in that time, they are put into the Premium Processing Service, which has a fifteen day maximum for visa processing. The amendment also waives the ,000 fee for the Premium Processing Services (Yes, that's what many Canadian musicians had to pay when they did not give sufficient notice) The maximum time for an O or P visa to be processed would be forty-five days. The Senate version of the bill still has to go into conference with representatives from the House who have a completely different version of the immigration bill that does not feature this amendment. As the two sides go into conference to work out a final agreement on immigration legislation before it is signed by the President, here's hoping that the O and P visa reform is included in the final version of the bill. News from the TMA is compiled and edited by Brian Blain )ULY 1 - SEPTEM BER 7 2006

Jazz Notes by Jim Galloway Summertime, and the rhythm is easy As I write this we are just heading into the TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival. When you read this, the sounds of the Festival will still echo round Nathan Phillips Square and the festival will have joined the previous 19 events to become another little piece of Toronto jazz history. The festival puts a focus on jazz in the city and it's a process that takes place across the country.We are into the height of Summer and the height of festival season. In Toronto and neighbouring communities alone there are five of them. Adi Braun at the The Brott Music Festival in Hamilton on July 14 The Beaches International Dave Young and Tommy Ambro­ Jazz Festival will storm those se on the 7th and Gene DiNovi beaches from July 21 to 30, with and friends on the 13th. the first 3 days at the Distillery And we' re not finished yet. District. There is the Prince Edward Coun- Downtown Oakville Jazz Fes- ty Jazz Festival from August 17th tival transforms that mild-mannered to 20th with Jane Bunnett and the community from August 9th. to Spirits of Havana, Guido Basso 13th. while on the other side of with Sophie Milman, Heather Bamthe Canadian Big Apple, Markham brick and Melissa Stylianou, Kol­ Jazz Festival takes place from Au- !age with Jackie Richardson, Jeff gust 18th. to 20th. Healey's Jazz Wizards and Don A little farther east the Oshawa Thompson. Jazz and Blues Festival will !iv- I know I have overlooked some, en up that town from August 7th but the above would seem to sugto the 13th. gest that there is quite a healthy But maybe you spend summer Summer scene out there and I can weekends at the cottage. Well that remember a time when the Sumdoesn't necessarily mean that you mer months were sort of a "down" have to be starved of jazz, because period and a gig at the CNE was some of the out-of-town summer one of the few August pickings. events do feature jazz. Now, of course there is almost For example The Brott Music nothing at the Exhibition. But Festival will present Adi Braun on here's the caveat; the festival cir­ July 14 in Hamilton. At the cuitmakesworkforachosenfew Collingwood Music Festival I'll be and the reality of the business is guesting with the Paul Pacanowski that there are far more players out Octet on July 20 while a little far- there than there is work. It is still ther afield in Charlevoix, Quebec, desperately difficult to make a de­ Oliver Jones will be appearing at cent living out of jazz. Just ask the Domaine Forget International any one of your favourite players Festival, on the same date. That and they will tell you that it is an particular event continues into Au- uphill battle, even for those who gust when their jazz component will have spent years honing their skills. feature Sophie Milman and her The old joke has more truth in it Quintet on the 3rd and John Piz- than ever - "Want to make a milzarelli on the 10th. lion dollars in jazz? Start with The Festival Of The Sound at two! " Parry Sound will have the Dave Part of the problem is that al­ Young Trio on August 1st, Gui- though jazz festivals are without do Basso on the 5th, The Bob any doubt enjoying a level ofpop­ DeAngelis Sextet on the 6th, a ularity, too many of the people who cruise on the Island Queen with attend these events disappear into J ULY 1 - S EPTEMBE R 7 2006 Back to Ad Index the woodwork, never to be seen again until the next year's festival offerings. Jazz fans can be fickle. Too many who profess to love the music don't get out to clubs during the rest of the year; too many prefer to sit at home listening to recorded music and can't be bothered to get out and hear it live. So I'll say it again, as I have on so many occasions - get out there, even once a month, and support live music. '------- I'm going to end on a Heather Bambrick appears at the Prince lighter note, with apologies Edward County Jav. Festival, August 19 to the serious-minded among you. I can't claim authorship of Interviewer: Are there any great this next snippet. It's been doing Jav. players alive today ? the rounds on the internet. Here is "Yogi Berra's" take on jazz lifted Yogi: No. All the great jazz playfrom www.AllAboutJazz.com. ers alive today are dead. Except for the ones that are still alive. But Interviewer: Can you explainjav.? so many of them are dead, that the ones that are still alive are dying to be like the ones that are dead. Some would kill for it. Yogi: I can't, but I will. 90% of all jazz is half improvisation. The other half is the part people play while others are playing something they never played with anyone who played that part. So if you play the wrong part, it's right. If you play the right part, it might be right if you play it wrong enough. But if you play it too right, it's wrong. Interviewer: I don't understand. Yogi: Anyone who understands jazz knows that you can't understand it. It's too complicated. That's what's so simple about it. Interviewer: l-Vhat is syncopation? Yogi: That's when the note that you should hear now happens either before or after you hear it. In jazz, you don't hear notes when they happen because that would be some other type of music. Other types of music can be jazz, but only if they're the same as something different from those other kinds. Interviewer: Now 1 really don't understand. Interviewer: Do you understand Yogi: I haven't taught you enough it? for you to not understand jazz that well. Yogi: No. That's why I can explain it. If I understood it, I Happy listening. wouldn' t know anything about it. Featuring some of Toronto's best jazz musicians with a brief reflection by Jazz Vespers Clergy Sunday, July 9th · 4:30 pm BIG BAND JAZZ with the BRIAN BARLOW ORCHESTRA A Yonge Street Festival event!

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