Music Monday on May 4, 2009

On Monday, May 4, 2009, if you go out into your front yard at the the designated hour for your time zone, you will hear something amazing!

The first Monday in May is "Music Monday" across Canada. First celebrated in 2005, this special day has been created to call attention to the importance of music in our lives and in our schools. At precisely the same time of the day, students and teachers take their music programs outside into the open air of their school grounds or into their communities, to perform a short concert.

There are outdoor concerts right across the country from the elementary level right through to secondary schools - some small celebrations, some large. Some will perform on their own; others will collaborate with local schools and organizations. Many community and professional organizations and ensembles are also involved, along with musicians and artists across the country. To see a list of events that have been planned for "Music Monday", click here.

The magic of the occasion is that at the same point during that day, that is, at 10;00 am Pacific time, 11:00 am Mountain time, 12:00 pm Central time, 1:00 pm Eastern time, 2:00 pm Atlantic time, and 2:30 in Newfoundland, schools right across the country are united by one piece of music.

The song selected for the 2009 "Music Monday" celebration is "Sing, Sing" by Serena Ryder. You can listen to it here. Or go the the "Music Monday" website http://www.musicmonday.ca/ and view a video of Serena Ryder singing "Sing, Sing" at the Mod Club in Toronto.

The wonderful animated TV ad for this special day is here.

So open the front door of your home and stand on the street on the first Monday in May and you will hear music and the skies will be filled with melody.

Kevin Breit - the doctor of dissonance

Dissonance: "a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion." That's where Kevin Breit starts and it just gets better and better as his songs unfold.

Last night at Hugh's Room in Toronto as the leader of Folkalarm , Breit was astounding, giving each of his numerous 6- and 8-stringed electric instruments the workout of their life. When he plays, I always have the same reaction: "What he's doing with his fingers is just freakin' impossible!"

Backed up by the considerable talents of drummer Jorn Juul Andersen and Russell Boswell on bass, Breit kept the audience mesmerized for over 90 minutes without a break. He is a highly intelligent musician who has mastered his craft like few others, and is an absolute joy to watch and listen to.

Breit writes the music and lyrics for the songs he performs with Folkalarm. His music is an intriguing blend of genres - rock, jazz, country, etc. - impossible to label but wonderful to experience. Unfortunately, the sound mix at Hugh's Room was such that I could not clearly hear most of the lyrics.

Among his many on-going projects, Kevin Breit has a regular gig with his Juno-award-winning 4-piece band The Sisters Euclid. You can catch Breit and the Sisters every Monday night at the The Orbit Room, 580 College Street in Toronto. Get out to see them. You won't be disappointed.

Kevin Breit is available for house concerts. Contact Jim Darley through Living-Room-Concerts.ca.