Chordial Notes - June 2016

June 2016 Notes

Kerilie McDowall NCM

SUMMER MUSIC BLISS!

May through August is one of the most perfect times to practice your favourite musical instrument. After a couple of well targeted warm-ups and stretches, this weather has your muscles at their best for a special practice session or summer performance.

Summer is also the perfect season to make time to earn a few dollars while busking at the waterfront in the sunshine. It is a tremendous amount of fun performing on outdoor stages as part of the many fun summer music festivals that happen all over BC. Classical musicians enjoy the break and holiday from the busy winter symphony season, while jazz musicians gear up for the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival and Victoria Jazz Festivals. To learn about the full list of festivals happening in our BC area visit the website http://www.bcmusicianmag.com/view-festivals/ and consider auditioning or submitting materials to perform at the many festivals and events occurring all over BC listed at BC Musician Magazine.

Get out the sandals, lemonade, picnic baskets and BBQ’s and get ready for a summer by the lake, hikes in the forest and pursuing your favourite hobbies and pursuits. Of course summer can never be summer without your favourite compositions and lots of fun music practice! All of us at NCM who play instruments or sing vocals know that nothing can compare to the joy of music! Pared up with summer, it’s the perfect time of year for working on new compositions with your NCM instructor!

CURRENT SUMMER AND AUTUMN MUSIC LESSONS REGISTRATION: Are you or your children or grandchildren planning to study music in the summer or fall? If so it is now time to register to pay for the music lessons that you would like to take during summer or fall. The deadline to pay to get the early bird discount is June 17^th, 2016. Be sure to sign up before the June 17^th deadline to receive your $20 early bird discount.  Registration will continue after June 18^th, but at the regular non-discounted price.  
 

JULY AND AUGUST 2016 SUMMER MUSIC CLASSES:  NCM is offering exciting FUN Ukulele lessons, World Music Guitar Lessons, Musical Theatre Workshops, Summer Jazz Intensive, Flute Workshops and Kindermusik for ages birth-5 years old in July and August this summer.  Don’t miss out! Contact the NCM office at 250-754-4611 to learn more and to register.

SUMMER JAZZ INTENSIVE: This summer we are gearing up for our Summer Jazz Intensive workshop for students aged 14-adult (all levels). Coming soon are concerts with multi-JUNO winners Christine Jensen, Ken Lister and Joel Miller and special guests TBA. Summer Jazz Intensive is held from July 19-22 this year. Registration is due by June 15^th to get the early bird discount of $400. On and after June 16^th, the regular price will return to $450. The Summer Jazz Intensive faculty Super Star concert performance will take place this year on July 21^st and the student performance concert on July 22, 2016 at SIMONHOLT restaurant at 6582 Applecross Rd, Nanaimo, BC. Tickets can be reserved and purchased at: 250-933-3338 and 250-754-4611 at NCM. Last year’s event was completely sold out and was a tremendous amount of fun. Reserve your tickets to get your table now for the amazing shows coming up at SIMONHOLT this summer, it’s going to be a blast!

            

Summer Jazz Intensive is offered under director Christine Jensen and the Nanaimo Conservatory’s multi JUNO winning bassist Ken Lister and various visiting star guests. Ken Lister has been a professional jazz bassist since 1983, earning rave reviews and prestigious multi-JUNO awards. He performs and teaches in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island and is the faculty bassist and jazz combo instructor at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music.

Multi JUNO winning Montreal-based saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen has been described as, “an original voice on the international jazz scene… [and] one of Canada’s most compelling composers,” - Mark Miller of the Globe and Mail.  Jensen’s past opus, Treelines - The Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra on Justin-Time Records, won her the 2011 Juno Award for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year, along with Quebec’s Opus Award for jazz recording of the year.  

 (Treelines…"a stunning orchestral debut… ****1/2 stars” -Downbeat.  “Jensen’s formidable orchestra is the glistening sunlight, the tranquility and force of the ocean, and the majestic trees that her music imagines.”-Jazz Times.  
                                                 
Jensen also won a JUNO award for her most recent release Habitat. Christine Jensen brings top jazz star friends along with her for Summer Jazz Intensive. Past guests have included globally acclaimed JUNO award winners Ingrid Jensen, Order of Canada recipient Phil Dwyer and Joel Miller as well as America's Jon Wikan. Inquire with the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music office at 250-754-4611 to learn more about Summer Jazz Intensive, and hope to see you at the upcoming special concerts at SIMONHOLT!

NEW- MUSIC THERAPY IS NOW BEING OFFERED AT THE NANAIMO CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC! New at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music is a professional partnership with the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s popular Music Therapy Program. Victoria music therapist (BMT, MTA candidate) Jacquie de Jong-Seinen now offers music therapy in Nanaimo at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music’s downtown location at 375 Selby St.

Music therapy breaks through the barriers that prevent individuals from achieving their full potential. We can help you, or the one that you love with the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s comprehensive therapeutic program. The following challenges may benefit from Music Therapy:

Mental Challenges                                                                             Physical Challenges

Autism Spectrum Disorders                                                             Sensory Impairments

Learning Difficulties                                                                           Brain Injuries

Conduct and/or behavioural disorders                                          Recovery of Mental Health from Troubling Life Events

Substance Use, and “Illness”                                                          Strokes/Alzheimer’s /Dementia/Palliative Care

Musical activities are carefully designed to meet individuals’ needs and achieve therapeutic outcome. Some methods include singing, playing instruments, rhythmic movements, dancing, improvising, composing and active listening based upon the individual’s abilities. We tailor what we do to meet your needs.

Sessions are offered in private or group settings depending on condition and the individual’s needs. Therapists are trained to use signing, picture exchange, and other communication models if requested. The music studio at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music is equipped with large and small percussion instruments (drums, wood blocks, chimes, hand-held bells, xylophone, cymbal, etc.) as well as equipment for physical musical activity (parachutes, ribbons, octaband). For more information on the new program being held in Nanaimo please call Dr. Johanne Brodeur at the Victoria Conservatory of Music for questions at 250-386-5311 ext. 1030. You may also inquire at the NCM office about registering at 250-754-4611.

FESTIVAL OF RECITALS -The 2016 Nanaimo Conservatory of Music Festival of Recitals & Awards Ceremony took place on Saturday May 28th, 2016 at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music at 375 Selby Street. It was a splendid and exciting FUN day of scholarship award presentations and was a wonderful gathering of our musical community. Nanaimo Conservatory of Music student and Suzuki Group performances and scholarship student performance presentations took place throughout the day. Over 300+ people were in attendance with both students and families. The performances included compositions by the master composers and well known selections from the classical traditional repertoire. Thanks for your support of our students and we hope you enjoyed the wonderful; happy music making!

NANAIMO YOUTH CHOIR NEWS -Nanaimo Youth Choir Director Marian Smith has announced that the choir’s

fundraising efforts have been a tremendous success!! The choir met their goal of $65,000.00 successfully thanks to

your support and the Nanaimo community’s amazing outpouring of donations. Much heartfelt congratulations to the 

Nanaimo Youth Choir for reaching their fundraising goal to reach New York City’s Carnegie Hall for their fabulous invite 

to perform in a children’s choral premier performance! Won’t it be great to see our Nanaimo Youth Choir take the 

Carnegie Hall stage? The Nanaimo Youth Choir is the only Western Canadian choir as one of two Canadian choirs out 

of seven North American choirs to be invited! We are so proud of their hard work in reaching their goal with the many Hot

Dog sales, Beer n’ Burger events, Bottle Drives, Grocery Store bagging and all of  their other concerts and spectacular 

amazing efforts! A huge congratulations to all the choir, the parents, the volunteers, our wonderful faculty and very 

generous community! Bravo and well done!

A BOUQUET OF ROSES AND A THANK YOU TO CHLOE HARDBATTLE! Chloë Hardbattle recently donated $100 to the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music’s bursary and scholarship fund to help other music students from her earnings from very hard work performing as a busker on her violin! Violinist and young 8 year old Nanaimo Conservatory of Music student Chloë has been donating now to the NCM for several years. The Nanaimo Conservatory of Music would like to thank Chloë for her dedication and generosity year after year helping other music students thrive. Bravo and thank you so much Chloë!

FACULTY AND STUDENT FEATURE SPOTLIGHTS: NCM FACULTY BASSIST KEN LISTER

Ken Lister has been a professional jazz bassist since 1983, winning accolades and Juno awards along the way. He currently performs and teaches in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island and has toured across Canada and internationally to Australia, the British Isles, Cuba and South America.

As a member of the Phil Dwyer Orchestra, Ken won a Juno Award for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year, 2012, and with the Hugh Fraser Quintet, the Juno Award for the Best Mainstream Jazz Album of 1997. As a freelance bassist, Ken enjoys opportunities to perform with many of his talented peers. He has performed with many great musicians including Larry Willis, Mike DiRubbo, Eric Alexander, Don Thompson, Linton Garner, Ross Taggart, Tommy Banks, Phil Dwyer, Ingrid Jensen, Kenny Wheeler, Joshua Redman, Herb Ellis, Charlie  Byrd, Rob McConnell, Ian McDougall, P.J. Perry, Guido Basso and many others.

NCM STUDENT-RILEY POYSTILA-BASS-Riley graduated from Wellington Secondary School in 2015 and received scholarships from the Nanaimo Jazz society and District 68 to attend Capilano University on the mainland in Vancouver.  Riley attended the Douglas College Summer Jazz Intensive in the summer of 2015 with a scholarship that was awarded by Musicfest Canada. At Douglas, Riley received recognition for outstanding playing and musicianship. In fall 2015 to spring 2016, Riley successfully attended a first year at Capilano University in Jazz Studies Program.                                                                               
COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS- BENOIT DELBECQ AND FRANCOIS HOULE/MATTIAS RISBERG DUO CONCERT JUNE 28, 2016: Acclaimed musicians Benoît Delbecq Solo Piano & François Houle (Clarinet) and Mattias Risberg Piano in a Duo Concert with improvised creative music and composition with the first International Improvised Music Summit in Nanaimo! Tuesday June 28, 2016 at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music 375 Selby Street 7:30 pm. The first set features top global multi-award winning prepared piano expert Benoît Delbecq solo, second set François Houle and Mattias Risberg Duo. (Concert tickets $25 for purchase at Fascinating Rhythm on 51 Commercial St. and by phone at 250-716-9997 and the NCM/door.                                                                                                                                                               

NANAIMO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA The Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra presents their spring concert, “Vive le Concerto”, featuring the winner of this year’s Concerto Competition for Young Musicians, violinist Joanna Lee, to play Mendelssohn’s Concerto in D Minor.  Also on the program are Elgar’s Serenade and Sowande’s African Suite.  Concerts are June 4th, 8:00 pm at Brechin United Church and June 5th, 2:30 pm at St. Edmund’s Anglican Church, Parksville. www.nanaimochamberorchestra.com

 

VIU THEATRE SEAT PURCHASES: A comprehensive fundraising campaign called Encore is currently underway to bring Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) aging Malaspina Theatre into the 21st century ― and it represents a unique opportunity for community organizations and individuals to have their names immortalized in the historic theatre. All donors will be listed on the donor wall in the lobby of the Malaspina Theatre and will be invited to the grand re-opening of the theatre. Donors will be provided with a tax receipt. View more information at: www.viu.ca/encore<http://www.viu.ca/encore or interested donors can speak with a real person at 250-740-6215.