The whole point of having a blog is to share my thoughts and feelings and have people read them. So I’m not doing a good job of that if I pick topics to write about that people don’t want to think about. But for this post, I’ll do it anyway…the second wave of COVID-19. If […]
During the Pandemic, I am so grateful that I have been able to stay busy. Despite the shutdowns and isolation, I actually feel like it’s been even more busy than usual working on a number of great creative projects. Thanks to technology, I have also been able to continue to see most of my students […]
One of the parts of my music-making that I’m very passionate about is recording. I have been very fortunate in my music career to produce and release 11 albums of my compositions. Collaborating with talented and kind-hearted people is an important part of my life routine. 2020 was destined to be similar to all the […]
The last time I got a haircut: January 6, 2020. Usually I get a haircut every 3 months. It’s now been 6 months. I’m starting to get a bit shaggy. But I look good with my hair blowing in the wind 🙂 The last time I ate a meal in a restaurant: March 13, 2020, […]
In the past number of weeks, we have been bombarded with constant media messaging that tells us the way we can avoid contracting COVID-19 is by physical distancing from others, washing hands and wearing a mask. I don’t dispute that. But why do I never hear medical experts or the government encouraging us to get […]
I am an avid sports fan, specifically hockey, tennis, baseball and basketball. Due to the Pandemic, I have felt a void. I feel sort of wussy for admitting this considering so many people are going through WAY more important hardships right now. But sports has always been an important mental diversion in my busy life. […]
My wife and I have been watching Dear White People on Netflix (great show BTW!) One of the characters is a film student in a university. She’s working towards her big final project – producing a documentary. One problem…she has no idea what her documentary is about. But to stay productive, she wanders her campus […]
American philosopher, Cornel West, has said, “you can’t really move forward until you look back.” He’s right, especially in the context of discussing the systematic and oppressive racism faced by people of colour for centuries. The crimes of the past have led to the crimes of the present. As nice as it is to see […]
As the COVID Pandemic continues to ravage the Classical Music sector, I have been waiting this past many weeks of self-isolation for someone to announce the magic solution to all of our main challenges – when and how can live performances resume? And even when they do resume, how do we ensure that audiences will […]
“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.” ― Robert Fulghum “They say a person needs just three […]
Music Canada just commissioned Abacus Data to take a poll of Canadian music enthusiasts to see where they’re at with their consumption of music during this age of COVID. The results bring me feelings of both optimism and worry. Because of the lockdown, the public is consuming way more musical content online than they ever […]
I haven’t written a blog post in a little while…I’ve been busy. When self-isolation started at the end of March, I had this crazy idea…why not compose a short new piece for a different instrument or voice each day so my musical friends have something new to play while in Self-Isolation. On March 25, I […]
In my 45 years on this planet, I can’t think of anything that has impacted the entire world simultaneously like the COVID-19 Pandemic. As a student of history, I’m also having a hard time finding another comparable example. Not necessarily in the amount of victims…fortunately that is still a relatively low number. But just to […]
March 17, 2020: Change in plans again… Due to the State of Emergency over COVID-19 announced in the province of Ontario on March 17, this live-streamed concert has been postponed until further notice. Thank you for your interest. Wishing you the best of health! Dear Friends, It has been such a difficult week for so […]
My collaboration with InConcerto and MusicaOcupa is getting closer. Since I first revealed details about this wonderful project last November, I am so grateful to have secured individual donations and more grants to fund this commission…from the SOCAN Foundation and the Canada Council for the Arts. These grants along with support from the Toronto Arts […]
