— Hi, Chloe! Welcome to the Festival of the Sound Team! Although you joined us as a team member less than 2 weeks ago, you had been with the Festival much longer. Tell us how it started!
— The Festival of the Sound has always been an exciting opportunity for me to experience incredible live classical music since I grew up in North Bay very close by – but my first experience at the Stockey Centre was seeing my undergraduate professor Dr. Leslie Kinton perform with his duo partner James Anagnoson. I’ll never forget seeing the beautiful view of the Bay – the water, the sunset! – and stepping into the hall at Stockey for the first time. I loved it immediately.
— And years later, you are joining the Festival of the Sound Team – how inspiring! Tell us about your current role. What is your area of responsibility? Do you have any ideas and plans you’d like to implement?
— My new role at the Festival is as Outreach & Education Coordinator – my focus is bringing world-class festival artists to local Parry Sound schools through our Music Scores Outreach program. I’m eager to get to know the musical community in Parry Sound, and collaborate with teachers and students. I am joining an incredible legacy that James Campbell and the Festival have created – this will be the 18th year of Music Scores! – and I can’t wait to contribute.
— We are sure that your impact will be very significant because great results start with great motivation!
We know that you are a professional pianist. How long have you been playing the piano? Why did you choose this particular instrument?
— The first memories I have of a piano are of my grandfather playing in his living room. I would stand beside him at the keyboard and watch his hands – I think I was around 6 or 7 years old. He would play popular tunes, opera arias, piano music – anything. I would sing along, play along, trying to copy him. I loved music, and I absolutely loved spending time with him. From the beginning, music has always been a way for me to connect with others and enjoy time together – and it all started with him.
— What a wonderful story, thank you so much for sharing!
You are also a professional piano teacher. What do you find the most interesting in teaching others?
— One of the most interesting and inspiring aspects of teaching for me is how each student has their own personality and interests – every student requires something different in order to connect with them and get them excited about music and learning – and that’s what is so cool about music – there is always something for everyone: a new perspective, new repertoire, new approaches. Sitting together at the piano and learning something new together, having fun and exploring, just enjoying each other’s company – it’s a pretty great job.
— Absolutely, treating each student as a unique individual is very important! It’s time for the last & vast question – what is music for you?
— Wow! This is such a huge question. For me, it’s an ongoing journey of discovery – the more I learn, the more I want to learn! Music is connected to everything in life – history, art, politics, love, and every emotion imaginable. I feel like there’s always something to learn and enjoy, and that’s what makes it exciting for me. But ultimately, it comes down to the fact that music has been a way for me to meet incredible people and to grow as a person. It is how I connect with others – either through casual conversations about music we love, or reading through duets together, or through performing on stage and sharing moments in time with audiences. I don’t know if there is anything else in the world that brings people together quite like music.
– Chloe, thank you inspirational thoughts! Welcome to the team!
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