Whole Note THE TORONTO CONCERT-GOERS GUIDE CONTENTS VOLUME 6 #3 •:• NOVEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 7 2000 Toronto's ,only comprehensive monthly classical and contemporary concert listing source Volume 6 #3 Nov 1 to Dec 7, 2000 Copyright (c) 2000 PerPul Proze, 60 Bellevue Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2N4 Publisher: Allan Pulker Editor: David Perlman , Listings: Simone Desilets, Karen Ages, Elizabeth Lutz Layout: David Perlman, Michael Busija Cover by Rocket Design Photography: Den Ciul Advertising: Allan Pulker, Karen Ages Distribution Manager: George Grosman, 780-9120 Subscriptions: Faiza Ansari 469-2117 Contributing Writers: Choral: Larry Beckwith; Bandstand: Merlin Williams; Jazz: Jim Galloway; Music Theatre: Sarah B. Hood; Features: Allan Pulker, Dawn Lyons; Rachelle . Younglai, David Perlman How TO REACH Us Advertising and Memberships Allan Pulker ph 416-323-2232, fax 416-926-7539 Listings, Unclassified Ads Simone Desilets ph -416-323-2232, · fax 416-926-7539 Editorial David Perlman ph 416-603-3786 fax 416-603-3787 Email: info@thewholenote.com DEADLINES: Next issue is Volume 6 #4, December 2000 (covering events Dec 1, 2000 to February 07 2001) . P.ublication: Wednesday Nov 29 Free listings: 6pm Wednesday Nov 15 Advertising reservations: Colour: 6pm Friday November 17 B/W: 6pm Monday November 20 Subscriptions: /year + GST Phone 416-323-2232 Printing by New Concept Circulation: 28,500 The WholeNote is a km DRUM Publication. ' CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL PROD UCT SALES AGREEMENT 1263846 ISSN 1488-8777WHOLENOTE (PRINT) ISSN 14888-8785 WHOLENOTE www.thewholenote.com Departments ·Photographs evoke memory and music in Robert W Stevenson's Nostalgia. See Music Theatre, page 28 Concert Notes 10-20 Overview 1 O; 12 Choral Scene Larry Beckwith 12 Choral· Quick Picks 14 · Hear and Now 14, 16 Jazz Notes Jim Calloway18 Band Stand Merlin Wiiliams 20 Our Members Write 27 Music Theatre: Remembrance of Things Past by Sarah Hood 28, 29 Comprehensive Concert Listings 30-45 Further Afield 44 Honourable Mention 45 Too Late to Li st 45 Index of Presenters and Venues 45 EtCetera File 46-47 · Features . \ Cover Story: Alex Pauk, by David Perlman 48-50 Members' Profiles Part 3 22-27 Music in the Schools by Rachelle Younglai 7,8 B·ehind the Scenes: Allison Cameron by Dawn Lyons 51, 1 Uncl.assified Advertising 47 6 Wholenote NOVEMBER 1, 2000 - DECEMBER 7, 2000
Music in the schools: today's praxis; tomorrow's problem Commentary by Rachelle Younglai The times-are-a-changing at Toronto's board of education. The music department is getting a face-lift - but the face that is emerging is not ~ pretty one, the tucks are too tight and the skin is overstretched. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is the largest· board in Canada. It is made up of 27, ooo staff, of which 17,000. are teachers. In December 1997, 22 elected ' officials representing their respective municipalities met for the first time to begin the task of amalgamating seven different school boards with seven different philosophies . into one. It is not surprising that TDSB's music department has seven ways of delivering/ teaching a music progra~. And although each program is unique and rich ~ith its own traditions, the program that'is delivered to students across the board needs to be the same. Seven different boards mean that there are discrepancies in music delivery. For example the former Toronto board teaches music from kindergarten to grade eight. And in the former Etobicoke music education is introduced in grade 7 and 8. One board · places tremendous value on music education while the other does not. How do we bridge the gap? There are so many different challenges. So many variables that come into play. Not only does the music department face many approaches to teaching music, but it has to contend with budget cuts, less bodies for more schools, and less class time. Budget cuts. TDSB has to cut its budget down by 4 million in the next three years. What does this mean to the music department that historically has peen one of the most expensiv~ programs to run? Music most likely will be cut, or at least pa'red down. Funding is no longer centrally allocat.ed, this means that money for new instruments or repairs have to be taken directly out of the school budget. The school budget exists for all programs. Heads of departments concert of voices and instru (like music, sports, art, ) ments at Roy Thomson Hall appeal to their principal for . and music camps like 'Voices money. All things considered, at the Boyne 1 and 'Toronto repairing a computer will music camp.' On top of this probably take precedence Cohen is there to assist over repairing a cello. teachers· with professional Budget cuts also mean that development; from learning teachers cover more in a day. how to better assess a For example Lynn Janes a student to program delivery. vocal teacher at Earl Haig teaches 7- 8 classes, conducts This equation less for more the choir 5 times a week has also made its way into before school, has more hall , the school. For exllmple and cafeteria duty and finds Lawrence Park has three herself doing more adminis- teachers doing the job of trative work. four. Three teachers for approximately 330 st11:dents. Less bodies for more schools The teachers have to conduct The former. Toronto board more ensembles, teach more had six consultants in the classes, and often they find music department .. They themselves without a lunch acted as a resource and break because they are support for 150 schools. Now coaching rehearsals during TDSB has four consultants, this time. Band director, Ken (known.as instructional Hazlett says, "it's hard to leaders), for 600 hundred keep everything alive.'' schools. Shelagh Cohen, instructional leader for the There is a strong push in former Toronto board and · schools to be Internet fluent. the former East York board is Some schools will give up art the support for 170 schools. . and music programs in favor Before amalgamation and of the high tech industry. For downsizing she used to have example, TDSB outfitted the ability to provide one on schools with computers one support for teachers who andthe Internet but cut ~ll needed it. Now she feels the funding for piano accomlucky if she gets to meet all panists. the new teachers. Cohen Only one art credit, (music is · organizes a series of teachers' considered an art credit) is workshops, the festival Contin~ed on page 8 Aboriginal Music Days 5 Academy Concert Series 31 Acrobat Music 8 Aldeburgh Connection 34 All the Kings Voices 13 Amadeus Choir 49 Amici 38 ArrayMusic 2 Audio Group 15 Autumn Leaf 43 Bell' Arte Singers 36 . Beth Tzedec 48 Brott Music Festival 19 Calyx 42 Celebrity Symphony 39 Choral Store 53 Christ Church Deer Park 21 CJRTFM 18 Classical 96 4 Claviers Baroques 15 Caniidian Music Centre 3,55 Con:Takt 16 Concert Hall Music 11 Concerts at St George's 42 Consort Caritatis 30 ' INDEX OF ADVERTISERS: NOVEMBER 2000 Deep Down Productions 11 Deer Park Concerts 32 Deer Park United Church 49 Duo L'lntemporel 39 Esprit Orchestra 17 . Faculty of Music 5, 19,33,34,38 Festival Cinemas 9 Gary Armstrong Woodwinds 15 Geordie McDonald 21 George Heinl 53 Glendon College/LeVoix 33 HarmoNet 15 Herman Rombouts 47 High Park Choirs 37 · James Sugg 48 King Street Artist Management 32 Leaside Concert Ser.ies 32 Lena Auclair 49 Les Amis 36, 43 Linda Caplan-47 Linda Maguire 48 Long & McQuade 11 Marie Graff 49 Maureen Smith 1 i Metropolitan United Church 39 Mikrokosmos 27 Mississauga Guitar Society 25 Montgomery Sound 11 · Mooredale Concerts 34 Music Chamber 15 Music Toronto 34,35,40,44 Music Umbrella 38 Naxos 51 New Guitar 40 New Music Concerts 4 · New Opera & Concerts 29 North Toronto Institute of Music 11 ' OnStage at Glenn GotJld 33 OffCentre 39 ·Orpheus Choir 31 Pax Christi 1 3 · Peros Music 9 Psychospace Sound 15 RCM 20,47 Remenyi 2 Scarborough Philharmonic 37- Shar Music 53 Sinfonia Toronto 2 1 :37 Skye Consort 25 Sound Post 1 5 SoundStreams 53 St Clements 41 St George's Anglican c'hurch 41 · St James' Cathedral 30• Synaptic Gap 1 5 Tafelmusik 23 Toronto Children's Chorus 32 Toronto Choral Society 35 Toronto Sinfonietta 19,34 Toronto Symphony 56 . Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra 39 Trillium Brass 40 TrypTych 44 University Settlement House 42 Victoria Scholars 14 Vocal Art Forum 13 VocalPoint 31 Voice & piano 47 Voices 41 WavDesign 4 7 Women's Musical ('.lub 30,43 NOVEMBER 1, 2000 - DECEMBER 7, 2000 Wholenote 7
