Alex Pauk, artistic director of Esprit Orchestra, contacted me to invite our school music program to participate in a reach-out project to celebrate 150 years for Ontario, called: Ontario Resonates. Of course I accepted this offer after clearing approval with my school administration. We completed some telephone and email conversations and a face-to-face meeting in JuHe, downtown Toronto, a nice cafe. I was introduced to the Canadian composer: Chris Thornborrow, an associate of Alex, Amber Melhado, and Alex attended this meeting. We brainstormed some organzational ideas, but it's where I shared my vision of what I wanted to explore for my students, the theme idea I had already shared with Alex and Amber through emails and telephone conversations. It was a great meeting and the cappuccino was very nice too. I love traveling downtown, I truly miss it. I was able to attend this meeting during our examination break at school. I did not have duties that day. Chris and I also established his interest to visit our school later that same week. Chris did in fact visit and we toured the main spaces of the building, the theatre, the classrooms, hallways, etc.
Our school is not the only school to participate. During the above organizational activities, I arranged a date for our presentation in November. This was the important, critical part of the project - we needed to secure a date in our theatre for presentation. Once this was negotiated, the project moved forward and additional meetings took place.
Now, to research, which I have not really started as yet, but should. I'm looking forward to teaming with other teachers at school. Part of the vision for this presentation involves theatre, dance, possibly visual arts.
This is not the first time I have worked with Esprit. The other projects were very successful and I am thrilled and excited to participating again. It's great for professional development; it's great for the students, great for the program, great for the school-community. It's creative and challenging, interesting and opens our minds and skills to different ways of thinking. Wow!
