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8 years ago

Volume 3 Issue 6 - March 1998

  • Text
  • Toronto
  • Theatre
  • Arts
  • Classical
  • Symphony
  • Recital
  • Choir
  • Orchestra
  • Yonge
  • Performing

John McGuigan is

John McGuigan is currently the administrative sec;retary of the Canadian Band Association (Ontario Chapter). His main function is the editihg of the quarterly magazine "Fanfare" and to maintain records and offices for the association. He also owns and operates "COMPRINT" a publishing house for new Canadipn music. Currently this catalogue contains 28 Band publications and 24 Choral publications. 1 1111i:l:1a1•1111:1111 111111111111111 I After many years of missing much of the atmosphere of "The Kiwanis Festival" I had the good luck to return to its magic as a member of the audience and also as a host for two days of the jazz part of the festival. It was great to see the shining and enthusiastic faces of young people exactly as I remembered them. · As a young student at Riverdale Collegiate I was initiated into this wonderful world of competition. It gave me many memories of excitement, camaraderie, and musical insight. It was my first audition of musical groups outside of my own experience, and I remember being mesmerized by the phenomenal achievemen.ts of other schools and not insignificantly, those things, that my own school had achieved. I was finally aware of the place that our stupendous efforts to do our best had positioned us. In most cases we were rewarded with prizes that matched our efforts, that is, unless some one else had made greater efforts than we had. It was a fine addition to my education to gain the realization that music provided great rewards to diligent and focused rehearsal. Music was a very special and rewarding pursuit. It was not just the certificates of 1st, 2nd and 3rd that gave us this reward. Music itself seemed to satisfy a craving in my soul that needed an outlet. As a student of music I was granted great knowledge thrbugh our participation, and that knowledge has remained a part of my being ever since. Later when I became a music teacher on my own I remembered those experiences and determin~d to give my students some of the advantages that I had gained through the Kiwanis. With careful preparation, my students were able to realistically gauge their own progress in the musical ' world in which they lived. We did not often come first in these musical jousts but we always came away with more insight into the music we were trying to play. An intense discussion always followed these engagements and we always managed to find reasons for our placement. These discussions then were put to good use in our following I . rehearsals. Musieal values were always uppermost m my rni~d and hopefully in the minds of my students. I remember most the choral SATB class that my grade 9 band entered and nearly won against a traditional chorally superior high school. These young banders were thrilled to have had a choral experience equal to their instrumental work. They were happy to have come a worthy second to such a fine choral competitor. But most of all they learned much. Not least among their achievements for the day was · being able to take a day away from school with the friends they enjoyed being with, and socializing around_ the meaningful experience that music is. It was High School Band Classes, and young Jazz classes that I observed this week. The Jazz classd did not exist when I participated as a student. It is good to see the Festival is changing to meet the needs of the times. The band classes I observed were a reincarnation of the experiences I recalled above. Let us hope that regardless of the class, the important ingredient of the Festival is musicality. That, we must never lose sight of as it is the real reason we have bands and festivals at all. Such is the fine tradition of'the Kiwanis Music Festival and they are to be commended for bringing such a competition to our children. To look at those familiar faces again was a treat which I shall enjoy for a long time. To see the great progress being made by struggling young people, makes me for one proud to be a part of the tradition which is banding and helps me to see the reason why so many people keep playing i~ this busy world. The best place to experience the best of the Kiwanis is the "Showcase of Stars" taking place on March 2nd at 7:00 · pm at the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts in North York. Here you will hear the top bands of the festival and the top choirs and soloists in all categories. ***** Don't forget the "Wind Spectacular" on March 6th at the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts. ***** If you have information or news about bands that you think would be important for this column to use, please send us an email at comprint@sympatico.ca or fax or nhrmP ne !lt Oil'--~?~-'-'-"-? TORONTO'S ONLY COMPREHENSIVE MONTHLY CLASSICAL & CONTEMPORARY CONCERT LISTING SOURCE

ROBERT HANSON'S 8UDIO fiLE LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION PART3 If a single note is played on a piano not only do its strings Opening Day Recordings project at St. Timothy's - R. Murray Schafer - PATRIA - The Schafer Ensemble featuring Judy Loman. 1996 vibrate, but the note's energy causes the piano's other strings and sound board to vibrate as well. These sympathetic vibrations continually evolve in complex interactions creating the acoustic piano's full-bodied sound. Without them, the piano would sound dull and lifeless. Sympathetic vibrations also occur between instruments and other objects. Sing directly into a piano, and you will hear the strings and sound board reacting to your voice. This also happens in an orchestra; sympathetic vibrations move between the bodies of all the string instruments as well as other instruments in the orchestra, leading to a much desired rich timbral quality which adds texture, spatial placement and nuance. · (Sympathetic vibrations may cause problems, however, as when a snare drum, window or other object starts vibrating, creating unwanted noise. In such cases, elbow grease, tape and ingenuity may be required to find the offending rattle and stop it.) The room itself has a dramatic effect on sympathetic vibrations. A Glenn Gould Studio, George Weston Recital Hall or Humbercrest Church allow sound to reverberate off surfaces, causing repeated interaction with the instruments, and a rich timbral quality. Poor acoustical spaces such as recording studio "dead r~ms", stop a major portion of sympathetic yibrations, creating hfeless sound. In any room some pitches or frequencies reverberate louder than others. This may terid to make some instruments sound fuller or weaker in a particular room. St. Timothy's Anglican Church, on Ridley Blvd, has a very balanced acoustic. From classical guitar to piano and french horn to harp, St. Timothy's acoustics complement the instrument's natural sound, creating a full rich texture. Ridley Blvd. is a relatively quiet residential street near Yonge and Lawrence. The four-way stop at the corner can lead to occasional rush-hour braking or accelerating in quieter passages, though! So the best times for recording quiet piec~s are 7pm on. St. Timothy's is well suited to soloists and small ensembles, with a large top landing at the front altar, perfect for choirs and vocal groups. Their 7' Steinway sits on the floor in front of the altar steps, making for a nice blend of piano and voice. Recording ensembles plus piano poses some difficulty, though. With only one location for the piano -- between the steps and the pews, there is little room for musicians in front of the piano. But what beautiful reverb! incredibly smooth and balanced, disappearing gradually to a slight whisper, adding a fine breath to accents and endings. And the church is also excellent for concerts, offering a good sound from most locations. St. Timothy's can be seen mentioned on many liner notes. The church treats renting out their space for recordings in a professional manner and at competitive rates. Robert Hanson, the oWner and operator of The Audio Group, specialises in classical I acoustic location recording and digital editing services. Please send comments or questions by email to audiogrp@interlog.com, or by fax to (905) 420-8421. I ~~~ 7¥ ?tt«& ~ I ~mr August 19-23· no~t ~f t~~ ~ara~~ a~ a mt~,t~~ w~~C~ 11 All stvles or ROCK n' ROLl Music Taught bv t~e best in The Busmessl Bring vour own band or come on vour own! Recording, Performance, Song Wriling, The"Bitandmore .• Peter Desotto, Musical Director Big Ban~;eJ AZZ CombosCAMP Jazz vocal Ensembles NiUhtlv Concerts faculty ollop Jau leachers Phil Nimmons, Music Direc!or ~ August 23-28 ImC INTERPROVINCIAL MUSIC CAMP August 29-September 6 Classical Music Orchestras, Bands Chamber Music Master Classes by Distinguished Faculty & Artist Teachers Nightly Faculty Concerts David Heatherington, Music Director Imagine the thrill of permorming "A Chorus Line" after only 9 days of rehearsal! This summer at Interprovincial Music Camp, you can actually become a part of this exciting mega musical theatre performance! Students learn by doing as they are directed and coached by the pros in acting signing, movement and some basic dance. The major portion of this time will be devoted to practical work, rehersal and preparation for a condensed version of "A Chorus Line" for public performance on September 6, 1998. Only students who are dedicated and prepared are encouraged to enrol in this satisfying and challenging 9 day program. All camps are resident camps held at the famous Manitou-wabing Sports & Arts Centre, Parry Sound, Ontario and are divisions of Inter-Provincial Music Camp, a non-profit charitable Foundation. Apply Now! To enrol or for more information contact: Inter-Provincial Music Camp 77 lngram Drive, Suite 200 Toronto, ON M6M 2L7 Call: 416-488-3316 Fax: 416-245-6844 Email mom@imconline.org Web Site: www imconline.org TORONTO'S ONLY COMPREHENSIVE MONTHLY CLA~~IV\L 6< \..UNitMt'UI

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