We don’t have our own building or our own music room or our own instruments but we are being thankful for Nelson Mandela School’s generosity and we are making music! Jean Lumb students and staff are lovely- here’s to a great future together!

I just watched a video of our MPP, Bhutila, speaking in the Legislature about why some IRC students and parents fought my surplussed job and it broke my heart. I didn’t want to leave but I had to apply, and I got another great music job at TDSB’s new school, Jean Lumb. Pictures above are of my first K class at IRC (I’ll be back to see you graduate!!), dancing it out together in rm 210, and tearful hugs on the last day. Take care of your musical and creative hearts, my IRC students!!!

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My K students and I worked so hard to compose and record these Blues songs, I hope you love them as much as we do (the lyrics!!!).

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IRC grade 1-3s composed their own jazz heads and took turns soloing with our rhythm section.

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At our Spring Concert, IRC’s Grade 4-6 class and Guitar Club got to perform Jazz Standards with the Jazz FM91 Seminar Big Band!

Kids love composing using GarageBand-adults too. This year we studied Soundscapes and made audio recordings around IRC (the Boiler Room sounds were pretty cool) to then add into our creations.

Conducting these 115 wonderful grade 6-8 strings students at Roy Thomson Hall was an inspiring and uplifting experience …especially during these times of education/employment uncertainty. I brought 8 IRC students with me and they made me proud. Thank you TDSB music department!!!

Ask an IRC student about the Listening Games we play in music class. My colleague and friend, Doug Friesen, wrote a book of lesson ideas which open ears and minds. I didn’t believe some would work… but with these creative, open-minded kids, of course they did! Pictures above of students playing “Sound Sentences” and “Shoe Compositions.”

There’s so much exploring, growth, and learning that happens in room 210 – Please know you’re always welcome to visit and enjoy a class with us! Above is a pic of three grade 1/2s trying to decide if their improvisation should sound more like Charles Ives or Charlie Parker (!), the tech area as part of rotating centres, and a student bravely performing during “sharing music from home.”

There are thousands of them! Well, 115 to be exact. This year I am proud to be one of the All City Strings conductors for May 2nd’s 131st TDSB Spring Concert at Roy Thompson Hall. These strings kids are from all over the city and include eight IRC Grade 6s! The piece I’m conducting is “CN Tower” by Toronto’s Owen Pallett and he’s coming to the dress rehearsal. Amazing.

IRC junior students and the JazzFM Youth Big Band amazed our audience with swinging jazz standards and African-American singing games. Thank you to all students and parents for supporting music education!! En plus, we raised $300 for Sistema Toronto (google them)!

My grade 4-6s are swingin and groovin through their jazz tunes for our April 4th concert: Jazz Origins to Originals. The JazzFM Youth Big Band is going to come and be our backup players!! Above are the auditioned soloists for our Nina Simone finale. They’re a little excited…