Free musical workshops are slated to take place this Sunday (July 10) and next (July 17) at Kingston Road United Church.
The creative music workshops are are open to all ages and will be presented by Toronto Symphony Orchestra bassist Timothy Dawson.
He will be bringing his shakers, drums, boom-whackers, triangles and tambourines to the church which is located at 975 Kingston Rd.
The workshops are for all ages (but are not a babysitting service so parents or guardians will be expected to stay and even join) and are free.
The workshops begin at 10:30 a.m. on both July 10 and July 17 and will last one hour.
Participants will explore the basic elements of music: high/low sounds, fast and slow, crescendo and diminuendo, starting and stopping together, improvisation, melody and accompaniment etc…
“Then, together with our young participants we’ll improvise and (hopefully!) create a little piece of music,” said Dawson in a note to Beach Metro Community News.
He said the July 17 workshop will considered a “dress rehearsal” and participants will endeavour to remember some of the things they did on July 10.
“Possibly with a different cast of characters and at the end of the hour, we’ll offer a five-minute presentation to end the church service,” said Dawson.
He stressed it is not a religious-themed workshop or performance. “It is just a fun, community music project for our local children. No musical experience is necessary.”
Dawson said the workshops are based on the premise that all humans are inherently musical. “We all know how to move, sing, clap and create. Our fun activities are designed to help children overcome any shyness and experience the joy of a group musical experience,” he said.
The workshops are taking place because Kingston Road United Church is already a musical hub in the East Toronto community, said Dawson.
“These two Sunday workshops are a way to reach out to the broader community. We want people to know that, even with the huge scaffolding covering the building, we are still alive and kicking,” he said.
The workshops will take place in the Vera Wasnidge Garden (on the east side of the church). In the event of rain they will take place downstairs in the church.
Along with Dawson, Violet Sadia and interested parents will also be at the workshops.
“The workshops are based on a Toronto Symphony program called Adopt a Player,” said Dawson. “For 20 years, TSO musicians would go into a class of Grade 4 or 5 and together, create a piece of music and then perform it at the end of a six-week period. The kids enjoyed the fact that they created the music (with our guidance) and most the ideas came from them. The concept also works on a much shorter timeline and I’m confident that we could make this work. As parents, you and any other adults would be welcome to join us. In fact, it would be most helpful.”
Participants are welcome to attend one or both of the workshops.
Please contact Dawson at timojo58@hotmail.com to say you and your kids are coming. Otherwise, just show up, he said.
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