News

For Kathryn Ladano becoming a Musician and Music teacher was never a question, she had started lessons at eleven and a natural affinity for the subject. Encouraged by her teachers, she knew this was the path of her destiny, and she began to plan how to get there. When it came time for Kathryn to start her post-secondary studies, she had originally looked at Wilfred Laurier but the school did not offer classes to students wanting to major in the Bass Clarinet, which is Kathryn’s main interest.

If you want to see a Grebel musical like no other, this is definitely your chance to do so. So many members of the community have come together to put together a show that will exceed what many would think possible during a pandemic.

Virtual ensembles give students a unique opportunity to closely examine their own performance through recordings, and to learn to work with others online.   Five available ensembles will emphasize collaboration, team-work, and instrumental and vocal technique.  Guest artists and speakers will give presentations, and there will be small group instruction as well. 

Music plays an important role in the Conrad Grebel University College community, allowing audiences and musicians to share and experience stories told through song and the hearts of passionate artists. After a successful Noon Hour Concert Series@Home in the fall, Grebel’s concerts will continue in the same format this winter 2021 term. Grebel is very thankful to Staebler Insurance for sponsoring this series.

Good mental health is achieved through many habits like a healthy diet, exercise, connecting with others, expressing emotions in constructive ways, and the list goes on. Many of these habits can involve creating or listening to music. Of the many benefits music has on mental health, the most noticeable is the release of stress and emotions. 

One of the core contributors to the Music program and its welcoming atmosphere over the past two decades has been Catherine Robertson. Catherine retired from her role as Piano Studio and Piano Literature instructor after her last lesson this summer. The warmth and humour she brings to her interactions with students and co-workers will be missed.

The Music Department at the University of Waterloo is using the Covid-19 situation as a unique opportunity to focus on the fundamentals through an online music performance experience that will use technology to bring students together.

As many do, Alicia Turman discovered that the program she was in was something she actually wasn’t interested in learning. She had been highly involved in music in high school, but once she came to university she focused on other subjects. “I spent the first semester in courses that weren’t really speaking to me and I thought to myself I have to take a music course next semester.” Once she had music back in her life, starting first with an interest in joining choirs, she felt complete again.

Music has been an important part of Stephanie Collings’ life for as long as she can remember. As a child, she was quite shy, and preferred activities where she was not a part of a group or team. Piano lessons were the perfect solution. They were a place where Stephanie could be herself and pour her thoughts and feelings into the music she played. “For me, music means connecting with myself on a deeper level,” Stephanie explained. 

The high value Laura Gray places on her students is obvious inside the classroom and out. Laura is associate professor of Music at Conrad Grebel University College and the University of Waterloo, serving as chair of the Music Department for nine of her 22 years at Grebel.