Volume 9 Issue 10 - July/August 2004

Love To Sing? Breathe

Love To Sing? Breathe new life into your voice with a unique and sensible kinesthetic approach to vocal pedagogy. This is a method which focuses on influencing and improving the coordinative process of the vocal muscles. It brings them into equilibrium, thus eliminating muscular interference. Great for Everyone! •All styles •All Levels-•Beginners and Children welcome •Excellent for public speakers, actors, etc. Call Pattie Kelly for private lessons at 905-271-6896 MYOUR VOICE rganic and functional vocal training to gain access to your full range, resonance and vocal freedom. For singers, public speakers,' teachers, clergy, or if you just want to enjoy using your voice I sue Crowe Connolly Hamilton Studio 905-544-1302 Toronto Studio 416-523-115 **Cift: Certificate,~ ·.. -~!~~~··· ~~ · teaches all aspects of . w · bec:oming a m11sician... Pros and amateurs can both gain .from his coaching; performing, directing & composing eJcpe.riem;e ••• theatre," Classica/andfazz • 4;1.6~535~3993 SongBird Studios (416)766-7112 ~ ~ .\ compn~hensiw pingmm 34 ert('OUl11briug adulb and chiklr.w1 lo appn•ciab• their musical f,rilts. re11sona6(c rates.;.; co11se1·vat_ory Brar/cs . r&' b(yoy · musical th eatre auaition yreyaration 'NOTES ~:~M TMA by Brian Blain ·This issue marks the beginning of a new column in WholeNote submitted by the Toronto Musicians' Association. The TMA represents over 3000 professional musicians in the GT A many of whom appear in the pages of this magazine as they go about their professional lives. We thought that our readers might like to hear some of the inside information about their musical activities , and important milestones that might not otherwise come to the public 's attention. , TMA President Rosemary Galloway says, "Our Board is very pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to this informative magazine, which we know is read with great interest not only by audiences, but also by our members. This magazine is now the premier means of keeping the monthly musical calendar to hand for most df us, and is full of interesting and useful information." About the TMA For those of you who are unaware of what the TMA is about, a short . introduction: our local is part of a parent organization called the American Federation of Musicians of the U.S. and Canada, sometimes called the Musicians Union. Our head office is in New York, and we have an elected Vice President for Canada, Bob Herriot (trumpet, and a former president of the TMA) whose offices are located Confident Performance and Audition Coaching I Don't leave your best playing @ in the practice room! Learn proven techniques to help reduce performance anxiety. Perform with greater focus, confidence, musicality and ease in any situation. Convenient, private and friendly consultations for . vocalists and instrumentalists. ¥ @? MARK TETREAULT Phone 416-617-4926 or e-mail: ezauditions@aol.com in Don Mills. Our office is not far from his, at Don Mills and Eglinton. Local 149 (Toront6) is one of the largest locals in North America in terms of member numbers .. Musical activities rank us near the top also, particularly in the area of theatre. Toronto is a musical entertainment' destination for many Canadian and U.S. audiences. We have a Board of Directors com~ posed of working musicians, and an Executive and office staff-who look after our daily affairs. Our purpose is to support the professional musical activities of our members and we handle conc~ms ranging from small private events to Toronto Symphony Orchestra contracts. The local offers benefits to its members ranging from pension access to instrument insurance, legal advice, and much more. You can reach us at416-421-1020, or view our website at http:// www. torontomusicians. org Career Self Management . Resource Centre If you are a musician, professional or otherwise, you will want to look at our new Career Self Management Resource Centre at http:/ /www.torontomusicians.org. We wanted to create an online resource where musicians could find answers to questions about the music business. Whether it's where to find funding for your next project, or tips on how to get your CD into your local record shop, it's all here. Thousands of musicians have already accessed the extraordinary number of resources available at this site. To check it out go to the website and click on "Career Self­ Management Resource Centre". Last month we introduced this fantastic resource to hundreds more at the Toronto Musicians' Association's "Back to Basics Panel Discussion : A presentation of experiences, inside tips and survival tactics that'll help you protect your music career." Featuring, amongst others, copyright and entertainment lawyer Craig Parks, Dan Kershaw of SOCAN, Joe Wood of RDR Music Group (manufacturer, promo), and LA producer Joe Chiccarelli, this informative panel, presented .at the NXNE music festival, helped kick off our introduction to the resource centre, and we invite you to look at the information available to members and non members. Our thanks to Cultural Career Councils of Ontario and Human Resources Canada for their partnership in this project. ' TMA Instrument Bank As part of our ongoing outreach project to young musicians, the TMA has made contact with a sampling of music teachers working in the ,education system to gather ideas on what might be lacking in their situations, and to ask what could enhance their programs. The responses have been all over the spectrum dxcept for one consistent cry for instruments. There is a great shortage of all kinds ofinstruments and those in existence are in very poor repair. There apparently is no money for either purchases or repairs. ·For sure this is one small area where we might be able to help. There must be some instniments around gathering dust which the owners could donate or lend to some kid discovering music for the first time. We will accept almost anything that can be hit, bowed, or blown! Please contact: (member bassist) Corky Davis, at corkie.davis@sympatico.ca to donate, or if you would like to support this program in any other.way. •

Music EDUCATION Tools of the trade "The best teacher is a good instrument" · (attributed to Davitt Moroney, harpsichordist) T tJY Mils/I,\ Buu.1. he desire to make music seizes people of all ag.es and e>.perience. Finding 1he riglu teacher is one imporiallt first step, acq11iri11g the i11s1rument is a11other. This is equally true for musicians broade11i11g their skills, for beginning or returning adults, and for pare/Ifs with musical children. Ideally, !he child's OW/I desire launches !his quest. In compiling this arlicle, I talked to people who sell and rent instrumems, and it became clear that people ask them many of the same important queslions. The three most frequem: Should I rent or buy? How much is this going to cost? How long are we looking at? The best answer to these (and others) is often "It depends." Read on. A good dealer takes time to ask you questions - who the instrument is for and what their prior experience is, usually proceeding from there to helpfol questions about what you hoped to spend. fr they don't, go somewhere else. "There has to be a relationship of trust between the customer and the associate. You have to feel good about that person. " (Rosa Remenyi, Remenyi House of Music) How will' I choose a dealer? By how they relate to you. A good dealer is knowledgeable and interested in sharing what they know. Ask! They should be able to explain in plain English. "Service is important. Can you come back if you're not happy - if you don't like the sound? Can you come liack to trade up?" (Andrew Burton, The Sound Post) "Most of my referrals are by word of mouth. I've been doing this for 25 years .. " (Gary Armstrong, Gary Armstrong Woodwinds) Reputation matters. Ask other people who they deal with, why, and how long the shop has been around. A reputable shop will not give you bad advice or an unsuitable instrument because they want your business. Do they repair instruments, in a workshop on their premises? If not, your problems will not be their problems. "A reputable store carries only finest top quality instruments even at the student level, because if we rent them, we get them back. We saye by the fact thqt they 're good. " (Rex Harknett, Harknett Musical Services) JULY 1 - SE PT 7 2004 Good people in the business will ev&luate or repair an instrument which you have bought or are thinking · of buying elsewhere, if their workshop has the time. The old instrument from the attic or barn sale, l1)ay not be a rare jewel, but you never know. Be VERY cautious about buying anything sight unseen, particularly over the in- _, temet. Rent or buy? This decision is almost entirely economic. Rent money, qnce spent, is gone for good. But if renting is the only affordable option, it is infinitely better than going without music. Buying an instrument for someone who may have only a .passing interest might pro.ve to be more costly than renting until you are certain of the commitment. Young people sometimes progress very quickly; if you purchase an instrument which they soon outgrow will you be willing to replace it with a better one in a timely man.ner? Child string players generally learn on smaller instruments ( 14, 1 /2 and % sizes) and it's difficult to know how quickly they will outgrow one size and need anoth- ' er. An ongoing rental arrangement with a good dealer will accommodate this. Before you buy a small instrument, know your dealer's trade-up price policy. Resale With some exceptions, brass and wind instruments do not generally -appreciate in value. Woodwinds (other than plastic student models) deteriorate faster. The more CONTINUES ON PAGE 36 TorontO's Center for Clarinets and Oboes SALES * REPAIR * Violins, violas, cellos, and bows Complete line of strings and accessories Expert repairs and rehairs Canada's largest stock of string music Fast mail order service