Music Field Trip

One of the parents at St. Bernadette who has been very supportive of my efforts handed me a flyer from the Hamilton Spectator for the 2007 Brott Music Festival. If you haven't attended, visit www.brottmusic.com and go see something! We are very fortunate to have musicians of this calibre playing in our city.

On the back page of the flyer was an article entitled "An Education In Music". Here are some excerpts:

Brott Music thrills Burlington students

It was one of those make-or-break moments when all eyes in the room are on you. Dawn-Marie Filkin was up the challenge.
She was - with about one minute of training from one of the world's best - about to conduct a symphony orchestra.
For real. In front of her entire school.
The Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary Student had just begun violin lessons not too long ago and now found herself chosen at random by Maestro Boris Brott to take a try at waving the baton for the National Academy Orchestra.
"I was so happy to be picked to learn how to conduct," says Dawn-Marie. "It felt amazing."
Dawn-Marie conducted Fucik's Entrance of the Gladiators and received resounding cheers from her schoolmates. It was the crowning glory on a one-hour concert that enthralled the 450 students gathered in the school gym on June 7.
"Boris' and the National Academy's enthusiasm captivated us," says Holy Rosary principal Mary Tessari.
The concert was just in time to celebrate the inauguration of a new instrumental music program at Holy Rosary in Autumn 2007.
Since 1999, Holy Rosary students have been among the 150,000 schoolchildren who have attended Brott Music Education concerts every fall at Hamilton Place. Principal Tessari says those concerts are essential to any student's experience of music.
"Music encourages self-expression and self confidence in young children," she says. "Boris Brott and the National Academy Orchestra allow students to listen to the various sections of the orchestra. Our student [sic] are now very excited about choosing to play an instrument from trombone to drums, to flute and saxophone!"
Brott, who is also Principal Family & Education Conductor with the National Arts Centre in Ottawa is legendary for his one-hour introductions to the orchestra which mix music, art, visuals, film, and dance.
...
This fall, the Brott Music Festival presents Trick Or Treat to a Wicked Beat (Oct. 30) and The Inuit: Hear Our Story, Hear Our Song (Nov. 29). Tickets are only $5 per person. Teachers may book estimate class numbers any time over the summer.
For more information, call 905.525.SONG or email education@brottmusic.com

This would be a fantastic field trip: http://www.brottmusic.com/concert_education.asp. You may still be able to get individual tickets for your children. If you're a St. Bernadette parent interested in having your child attend, please leave a comment on this blog!