Don’t Look Back In Anger - Oasis
This was the first song I learned on bass guitar last summer, and the first one I performed on stage with a student band at their commencement. I got to learn something new, collaborate with people outside of my department, (I had my colleague and friend play the tambourine), and write about the experiences for the Master’s program I was doing. It was my second most played song of 2024 because of all the times I listened to it to learn the bass line.
Valerie - Amy Winehouse
I owe it to my high school music teacher for showing me Amy Winehouse’s discography. Her music has carried me through the highs and lows of life, and I was inspired to arrange it for a small Jazz ensemble in B.Ed. Winehouse remains one of my favourite artists to this day.
The Parting Glass - boygenius, Ye Vagabonds
Queen’s University Choral director Darrell Christie is the reason I have learned all that I have about Vocal music and been exposed to so many emotionally, thought-provoking pieces such as “The Parting Glass”. I chose the boygenius arrangement as they are one of my top bands, and because they arranged it for the passing of Sinéad O’Connor. Unfortunately, my time at Queen’s was cut short during the COVID-19 pandemic and it took me a few years before I was able to listen to Choral music again. This past November, I taught this work to my Vocal music class and they performed it in front of their peers for our Remembrance Day assembly.
Samson et Dalila, Op. 47: Bacchanale - Camille Saint-Saëns
I remember being a high student in Concert band and getting to play this piece with our split grades 10/11/12 class. My teacher gracefully managed this awkward split and turns out there were benefits to it; the older grades could mentor the younger grades and we were able to learn more challenging repertoire. I try to recall these positive outcomes whenever I am experiencing difficulties with my own split classes.
Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock
The music program at my school had once been vibrant, lively, and exciting, but over the years, teachers retired, funding was cut, and a plethora of other problems became a reality. Since I arrived, now about three years ago, I have been trying to build the program back up. Every day proves to be a challenge. My dream would be to perform a Jazz standard like this one with my students, because music has always provided me an opportunity to be a part of a community. We are extremely limited in what we can do with the funding that we have. However, every semester when my students come out having made new friends and gained musical knowledge, I consider all that both a win, and a work in progress.
In C: Part 01 - Terry Riley
Out of all the atonal pieces of music I studied, this one sticks out in my mind. It is probably because the professor that introduced it to me, Dr. Stephanie Lind, had us bring our instruments into class and try playing it. I remember being placed on the piano to hammer out C notes all the way through the piece with my friend who was also a piano major. It was a fun, cacophony of noise.
Everything Waits for the Lilacs - John Burge
Originally composed by Dr. John Burge, a Music theory professor at Queen’s, this is a piano composition with a title inspired by the Margaret Avison poem, “Thaws.” Naturally, I felt drawn to a contemporary, borderline atonal piece for my instrument. It was a bonus that my name was in the title. I was fortunate enough to hear this performed live in Toronto last Winter, and see Dr. Burge for the first time since the pandemic.
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston
Whenever they play this track for the morning music before classes start, it is entertaining to see everyone break out into song and dance. It is one of the few pieces both staff and students seem to agree on! A prime example of how music brings people together.
I Am Cow - Arrogant Worms
The Arrogant Worms are a gem in Canadian music. I heard this song when I was in elementary school and we would sing it all the time in class. 13 years later, my music teacher will still message me when this song comes up because of how significant it was to us. When I shared this playlist with her, she was ecstatic to see that it made the cut. Last year when I was finishing my Master’s program, Trevor Strong, a member of the band, was one of my professor’s. With his guidance, I felt inspired to take on learning the bass guitar for the Oasis piece I spoke about earlier. Meeting him was one of the most full circle moments for me as an educator. He has no idea I have been a fan of the Worms for 13 years. I plan to email him this playlist later.
Hello, Goodbye - The Beatles
At the end of every graduation ceremony when I was in high school, the teachers would put together a goodbye video for the students. This was the soundtrack one year, and I remember thinking about how perfect of a send-off it was. It is an idea I would like to bring to my school someday, if we had the team to do it.
Toronto, June 2024
コメント