2012 Report to the Community National Jazz Summit kicks off in style First Artists-in-Residence create brand new work NMC develops crucial new partnerships Why volunteers love giving back Hi, my name is: 16 new staff in 2012 nmc.ca welcome From the President International Organ Festival, CKUA Radio Network, the Anne Murray Centre, the Banff Centre and others. • Engaging volunteers from Music heals. across Canada to sit on It helps us committees and the board. understand the • Inviting Canadian artists from world around across the musical spectrum us; it comforts to participate in residencies to and inspires to create new work. overcome life’s challenges. The • Networking regionally and National Music Inventing a new home for music nationally on education Centre promises in Canada is both invigorating initiatives/best practices. to be a safe and challenging every day. In my • Travelling collections and haven where travels all over Canada, I meet exhibitions to partner loca- we connect, with people – in both official lan- tions across Canada. grow, learn and guages – who are excited about find community NMC and the unique opportunity Our mission is to amplify the through music. it has created to make Canada love, sharing and understanding stronger through music. of music. We strive to serve and Roger C. Jackson, collaborate with thousands of OC, AOE. Chair, NMC At NMC, we are very conscious people every year, as we in turn Board of Directors of our intention to be a national amplify our own efforts and organization that serves all transform from a small Calgary- Canadians in a meaningful way, based arts organization, to a and so we are: national hub. Once constructed, • Building partnerships the new building will become, in across Canada with other time, an iconic image for both organizations interested in Alberta, and on the national stage the story of music in Canada, championing music in Canada including Library and Archives for generations to come. As we Canada, the Canada Science move closer to making this vision and Technology Museums a reality we invite you to get Corporation, the Canadian involved and play your part. Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Country Music Association, the Merritt Walk Andrew Mosker, of Stars Society, the Canadian President and CEO amplify 2012 01 amplify 2012 Photo: Don Kennedy g 14 Collections News Photo: Brian Mills Architecture Works Allied Image: g 07 Kyra Kelly talks g 20 Construction Highlights School! Cool! All That Jazz! Highlights from 2012 02 All about education at NMC 11 NMC launched the National Jazz 18 We moved offices, changed our Summit and the RBC Summit Jazz name, had some great events, and Music Gave to Me Series in 2012 welcomed 16 new staff! 07 Guitar Club student Kyra Kelly talks about what music means to her The Musical Brain Construction Highlights 13 How music affects development 20 An overview of progress on the Artist-in-Residence building project 08 A brand new program welcomes Collections and artists from across Canada to Exhibitions Visitor Experience create new work 22 How do exhibitions come to life? 14 All about NMC’s collecting Here’s what we’ve been doing activities and exhibitions 02 amplify 2012 amplify 2012 Editor Naomi Grattan Contributors Freida Butcher Gary Duke Photo: Camie Leard Camie Photo: Photo: Tyler Stewart Candace Elder g 18 Highlights 2012 g 28 Home for music Jan Faulkner Joe Geurts Tracy Halat Andrew Mosker Jesse Moffatt Jeni Piepgrass Tyler Stewart Kate Schutz David Walsh Images Photo: Camie Leard Camie Photo: Photo: Tyler Stewart Allied Works Architecture g 02 School’s in! g 11 Canada’s jazzin’ Barbara Bruederlin Canada Science and Technology Museum Candace Elder Regan Evans Rick Harper Don Kennedy Camie Leard Brian Mills Jesse Moffatt Elizabeth Reade Haley Sharpe Design Photo: Tyler Stewart Photo: Tyler Stewart Tyler Stewart g 20 Construction Highlights g 26 A great volunteer g 08 Artists in the house Graphic design Profile: Brian Mills inconcepts.ca 26 What hooks a great volunteer? cover Board of Directors Development Roger C. Jackson, Chair 28 We’re building a home for music Desirée Bombenon in Canada Freida Butcher Supporters 30 Thanks to all of you who played Cam Crawford your part for NMC in 2012 Charlie Fischer Financial Report Guitar Club student Ron Mannix 32 By the numbers for 2012 Kyra Kelly performs at Ross Reynolds Gig Night, June 2012. Photo: Brian Mills Richard Singleton 134 11 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0X5 (403) 543-5115 [email protected] An NMC Publication amplify 2012 03 education Engaged students and a wonderful day of learning No matter the program, these are two core goals for NMC’s education team. 2012 proved to be a very successful year as NMC’s educators worked hard to provide each student with a personal connection to music and an authentic experience with our collection and musicians. Kate Schutz, Education Manager 04 amplify 2012 education Students from Simon Fraser School were thrilled to have their photo taken with the famous guitar! Photo: Camie Leard In January, we hosted Jowi the Six String Nation guitar – Jowi Taylor Taylor and his Six String named Voyageur – was com- and the Nation guitar for a fascinating pleted. Pierre Trudeau’s canoe presentation weaving Canadian paddle makes up the tone bar, Six String history and musical culture for the sacred Golden Spruce of Nation Grade 5 students. Jowi Taylor Haida Gwaii is in the face, and is a Peabody Award-winning a piece of Maurice “Rocket” Guitar writer, radio host and producer Richard’s Stanley Cup ring with a passion for Canada. makes up the ninth fret. These are just some of the 64 pieces In 1995, as the Quebec that make up Voyageur. sovereignty referendum drew near, Jowi met with famed The National Music Centre is luthier George Rizsanyi and working closely with Jowi as he suggested they build a guitar travels across Canada, helping made of pieces of Canadian him amplify the stories and history. After a decade of history that make Canada, and traveling across Canada his guitar, so unique. collecting stories and artifacts, Student Annual school attendance program This is the total bookings number of This is the total students who number of school have attended all programs booked programs from each year, from 2005 to 2012. 2007 to 2012. amplify 2012 05 education Thanks to the generous support of Borger Group of Companies, NMC’s after school program Guitar Club had a banner year in 2012! We were able to purchase some much-needed gear and instruments to help support the g 02 nearly 400 youth we had drop-in throughout the year. Guitar Club Guitar Club has become so much more than wailing and picking, as our vol- and unteer musician mentors make First Annual deep and lasting connections Gig Night with our drop-in youth. g 01 g 03 g 04 01-04 Students perform at the first Guitar Club Gig Night, June 2012 Photos: Brian Mills pitch and volume and the various In Sound Sampling, students Choose ways instruments produce sound use iPods, purchased through a Your Own vibration through critical thinking generous Rozsa Foundation gift, and hands-on exploration of to explore the sounds of our elec- Adventure: our instruments. In 2012, 70% tronic music collection through Sound of teachers who booked Good NMC’s own Reel to Real app. Vibrations chose a full day From trombones to garden Sampling option over a half-day. There are hoses, and vocal chords to many reasons for this (primarily and megaphones, Air-Powered draws maximizing on expensive bus on the strengths of several of Air-Powered trips) but we believe the main our educators who play brass motivation is the appeal of our instruments. The gallery is a NMC’s most popular school awesome Choose Your Own noisy place on Air-Powered days program, Good Vibrations is Adventure option! This year our as students bring concepts of tailored to the Grade 3 hearing new education program leader, resonance, frequency, timbre, and sound science unit. Students Evan Rothery, developed two new and pitch to life through their discover the principles behind options for the full day program. own air power! 06 amplify 2012 education On June 8, 2012, NMC hosted a capacity crowd for the first annual Gig Night where kids played onstage backed up by volunteer bands. What greater evidence of the impact of this program, then a handmade thank you card – accompanied by two crumpled twenty dollar bills! – from one of our students, Nicole: Music Gave To Me: A way to express myself! Photo: Brian Mills My relationship with music is a torrid stresses. It’s the best outlet I have affair. Sometimes it’s great, other for expressing myself, and for that, I times it takes away from homework am grateful. Especially to my parents and chores. I have always been around who pushed me to keep on going and music, and growing up I was fed a the National Music Centre for giving steady diet of The Clash, Red Hot me a place to play and learn with Chili Peppers, Cheap Trick and Mötley instructors and other students. Crüe. My mom was less of a rocker, I was nervous at first when it came and played me classical CDs and Elvis. to Guitar Club, I couldn’t play that I would sing along to Disney movies or well and I thought everyone would musicals on TV – anything really. judge me. This was not even close to I was eight when I started playing piano, the case. I was nervous because I was and I was so driven to start, but once a beginner going with intermediate I did, I hated it.