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Volume 20 Issue 1 - September 2014

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  • September
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Dis-Concerting continued

Dis-Concerting continued from page 60movement – so much so that as an audienceit’s impossible not to want to applaud.“So in fact,” Oundjian said to the houseguests, “if you feel like applauding atthat point go right ahead, because that iswhat Tchaikovsky’s own audience wouldhave done.”This rule, he explained, of not applaudinguntil the piece is over, didn’t really takehold until a decade after Tchaikovsky wrotethis absolutely wonderful work. “In fact,”Oundjian said, “applaud whenever you feellike it – we won’t mind.”What followed was completely memorable.There was a sprinkling of quiet applauseafter the first movement (and no one glared atanyone else). It was quiet-ish after the second.But after the third movement, even concertgoerswho would normally have sat on theirhands joined the general clapping. Somehowit was as if we all knew that as much asanything we were rooting for a composertrying with every fibre of his being to give usa happy ending that was never in the cards.And after the terrible, wonderful finalmovement ... there was silence. A preciousfive to eight seconds of pure silence witha conductor literally and metaphoricallyholding the silence up there for us all to seeand feel, in the palm of his upturned hand.No one bellowed bravo; not one personleapt to their feet.Until, precious silent seconds later,Oundjian lowered his hand and let themoment go. The audience rose to our feet toaccord a special performance the concertedresponse it warranted for the universal feelingsit had evoked.So, Maestro, a belated BRAVO, for seizingthat particular moment on that particularday, in that particular way.So, what can be taken (usefully) away fromthis? Well, three things, I think.First, presenters have an opportunity inwelcoming new audiences, to decide anewfor themselves what the do’s and don’ts oftheir particular house should be.Second, these house rules should be cheerfullyand confidently expressed at the outsetof each and every event. (It is not enough toput asterisks in programs to indicate wheresilence is demanded.)Third, conductors and performers have thepower themselves to command the durationof the silences around and within the worksthey are performing, as actively as theycommand the notes of music between thosesilences.So, what do you think? I would love to hearwhat you all, performers and presenters andaudience members alike are doing, or want tosay, about all this.David Perlman can be reached atpublisher@thewholenote.com.SEEING ORANGESharing the MusicPAUL ENNISShare the Music is the name of an arts and education outreach program presented by theCorporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall. With a mission statement aimed atsharing music with young people of all backgrounds from ages 8 to 18, the program’sgoal is to enhance and broaden musical horizons by exposing students to world-classperformers.Share the Music’s 16th season includes nine wide-ranging concerts from October to May,any of which could proudly serve as a definition for “world-class.” To experience any of theartists in this varied lineup will be a musical life-enhancing opportunity never to be forgotten.Pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet joinsconductor Vadimir Jurowski and the LondonPhilharmonic in the lead-off concert of worksby two 20th-century icons, Shostakovich andProkofiev. Divine Brown, Diana Braithwaite,Andria Simone and Shakura S’Aida headlinethe Toronto Blues Society’s 28th AnnualToronto Women’s Blues Revue November 22,while the incomparable Itzhak Perlmanwill work his fiddle magic on the audienceDecember 1.A concert by the iconic Blind Boys ofAlabama December 8 is followed by a ClassicAlbums Live presentation of “The Beatles:Let It Be” January 20. Next up will be the Jazzat Lincoln Center Orchestra with WyntonMarsalis February 11.The Canadian poet and spoken word artistShane Koyczan became an overnight sensationat the Opening Ceremonies of theVancouver 2010 Olympics. His anti-bullyingvideo To This Day has had more than 13million views on YouTube and led to anappearance at the 2013 TED Conference. Hewill appear at Harbourfront Centre April 7.Evgeny Kissin’s remarkable pianism will beon display in his May 1 recital which includesBeethoven’s “Waldstein” sonata, nocturnesand mazurkas by Chopin and Liszt’sHungarian Rhapsody No.15. The no-lessremarkableBobby McFerrin will showcase hisprodigious vocal gifts May 30.Each event is preceded by a talk or workshop,some of which are of particular interest.Tafelmusik violinist Patricia Ahern willdiscuss repertoire in advance of the Perlmanrecital; Toronto Mass Choir director KarenBurke leads a gospel-style workshop the nightthe Blind Boys of Alabama perform; and theHeavyweights Brass Band takes part in aworkshop before the Jazz at Lincoln CenterOrchestra with Wynton Marsalis concert.Artists’ Health AllianceSARA CONSTANTAsk any group of musicians what something like “music education” comprises and you’dcertainly receive a vast array of responses about everything from études to instrumentmaintenance. However, an entire area of a performer’s “musical life” – and one that isreceiving growing attention in both private studio and public settings – involves looking afterthat one instrument that cannot be replaced or upgraded – the artist’s physical self.The Artists’ Health Alliance (formerly theArtists’ Health Centre Foundation) is one suchorganization in the business of educatingartists, including performing musicians,about the maintenance of physical and mentalwellness throughout an artistic career. A notfor-profitcharitable group working in partnershipwith the Al & Malka Green Artists’Health Centre at Toronto Western Hospital,the AHA hosts workshops addressing issuesfrom injury prevention to stress managementto nutrition. Likening their work to thetype of specialized treatment that professionalathletes require, the AHA serves as a helpfulresource for performers seeking healtheducation (or treatment) that takes intoaccount their unique career-based needs.Considering the specialized nature of thisoften-costly type of treatment, the organizationis also dedicated to providing artistsaccess to financial resources, including detailsabout available subsidies and cost-effectivehealthcare coverage. The AHA also advocatesa school outreach program, through whichthey have run workshops at schools such asOCADU, the Randolph Academy, U of T andYork University.Navigating the question of how to livehealthy is a lifelong process, and not oneunique to arts workers. However, the enormousset of physical and mental challengesthat performing musicians can faceis something that does deserve ample attention.Though health education opportunitiesfor professional musicians often seemto fly under the radar, a service that allowsperformers to continue doing what they lovefor as long as possible is certainly not one tobe under-valued.The next event on the Artist HealthAlliance’s calendar is a series of workshopson mindfulness-based cognitive therapy,running most Tuesdays from September 23to November 25. For those interested, moreinformation about this series and on the AHAis available at artistshealth.com.Send all story ideas and suggestions relating to this section ofThe WholeNote to education@thewholenote.com.62 | September 1, 2014 – October 7, 2014 thewholenote.com

SEEING ORANGEHow I Met My Teacher:A RetrospectiveCOMPILED BY SIMONE DESILETSLooking back through 20 years of WholeNote archives I was struckby some of the lovely relationships reflected in the series called How IMet My Teacher (2004-2007) and the many anecdotes about studentteacherrelationships which found their way into other features andcolumns over the years. This treasury of priceless memories illuminatessome important fundamentals – a sampling of these follows.The WholeNote invites students and teachers to share more of thiswealth with fellow WholeNote readers.Please send your comments or story ideas toeducation@thewholenote.com.Felix Deak on Mary StarrI remember her as a towering old woman with white hair and ahuge gentle smile. She always wore long flowing skirts or dresses and Iwanted her to be my grandmother. And through being her student, forten years, from the age of two and a half, she did feel like family. Shewas soft-spoken and kind and patient and she made lessons really fun.Tim Alberts on teaching high school musicNo matter how much you really love music, you have to make surethat you really like kids. There are lots of great musicians who shouldNOT be teachers. Kindness has to be a big part of teaching. As importantly,be involved in collaborative music outside of the classroom. Asa teacher you’re modelling it. If you’re not having fun your studentswon’t either. One student who went into architecture came back andsaid that what he learned about the connectedness of things in musichad given him a head start. Music reflects things going on in society.The principles of classicism and romanticism in music apply equallyto architecture …Nadina Mackie Jackson on Christopher MillardChristopher is the person I think of when anyone asks about myfirst teacher. If he had time after our lessons at the University he’dMUSIC EDUCATION – ALL THE TIME – FOR EVERYONE!MUSIC TEACHERS AND STUDIOSPART-TIME & FULL-TIME SCHOOLSShare what you have to offer!Make yourself part of The WholeNote’ssearchable online music educationdirectory.It’s easy to register, year-round anytime,and a basic listing is FREE.LOOKING FOR A MUSIC TEACHEROR MUSIC CLASSES?Find the right teacher or programmefor yourself or a favourite younger person,and make more music, more often!The WholeNote’s music education isonline year-round and easily searchable.TheWholeNote.com/orangethewholenote.com September 1, 2014 – October 7, 2014 | 63

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