I was just sitting down this afternoon to draw up my first lesson plans for teaching at the Regent Park School of Music. Today is my very first day there, teaching clarinet, sax, and flute. I’m also going to be starting a jazz ensemble with them in a few weeks.
So imagine my surprise when I turned on CBC1 and heard an interview with the super-human Richard Marsella, Director of RPSM. The RPSM choir is singing tonight at the ACC with Roger Waters, of Pink Floyd fame.
What fantastic news for my first day there. I’m thrilled that I get to be part of such a dynamic and vital school. I almost fell out of my chair when Richard asked me to start this jazz ensemble with a focus on repertoire by living Canadian jazz composers. We will of course start with the basics, and I’m so excited to share the jazz classics that I love with these kids. But I am also looking forward to creating a solid book of beginner jazz charts by Canadians composers.
Also, the choir administrator in me is totally jealous, and I’m wrangling to get High Park Choirs’ amazing artistic director Zimfira Poloz together in a room with Wayne Strongman, who conducts the RPSM choir.
