Episode 02: How ‘situated’ is your ear?
How ‘situated’ is your ear? What notes are hiding between the keys on your piano? And most importantly, what does the music from Battlestar Galactica have in common with Balinese Gamelan? In this episode of On That Note, we try and answer these questions and much more. Join host Graham MacDonald as he sits down with […]
Composer and conductor Hussein Janmohamed on choral singing, identity, and fostering cultural understanding
By Aryn Strickland As a composer, conductor, and teacher, Hussein Janmohamed (BMus’96, MMus’98, MMus’14) has built a career using choral music to challenge cultural stereotypes and reframe the conversation about race in Canada. Growing up as an Ismaili Muslim in rural Alberta taught him that discrimination was an unfortunate fact of life, even in a […]
Episode 01: What is a ballad?
What is a ballad? You know one when you hear it, right? And yet ballads are weirdly difficult to pin down: Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” is a ballad, but so is Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home.” This slipperiness might go some way to explaining why they’ve maintained their hold on us for […]
Engineering’s loss is music’s gain
Kathleen Allan (BMus ‘11) talks about her love of singing, conducting, and writing music; the three-headed monster that is her career; and her return to the West Coast. By Emma Lancaster Math and science whiz Kathleen Allan was anticipating a career in engineering when she stumbled across the composition program at the UBC School of […]
Teaching at the heart of giving
Musicologist Elizabeth Lamberton (MA’78, PhD’88) fondly recalls her time at UBC. She credits her inspiring professors with helping her to discover her own lifelong passion: teaching. By Michelle Keong “I immediately felt that being in front of a class was where I was meant to be,” says Lamberton, who began her career as a sessional […]
A daughter’s privilege: advancing the arts, forestry and medical discoveries
For Dr. Irene Bettinger, the job of giving away money is a privilege, as she gets to choose projects of great consequence in keeping with her parents’ final wishes. Edwina and Paul Heller, a UBC pianist and BC lumber mill owner, were great supporters of music, education and Vancouver’s Jewish community. Having fled Europe shortly […]
Austrian-Canadian Joseph Kandler built musical ties between beloved countries
by Michelle Keong For aspiring classical musicians and performers, there is no better place to learn than in Austria, a country deeply rooted in the traditions of Western music. During her final year of studies at UBC, mezzo-soprano Evanna Chiew (BMus’13) travelled to the Mozarteum International Summer Academy in Salzburg to train with renowned teachers, […]
An enduring commitment to music education
Elva Fitzpatrick Walters (June 11, 1912 – December 3, 2005) was an inspiring and charismatic teacher with a passion for music. By the time she retired at 83, Elva had taught for 65 years, including 17 years at Prince of Wales Secondary School where she was known as “Mrs. Fitz.” Elva was committed to making […]
Sharing the joy of music
Since she was a child, music played a leading role in Eleanor Gray’s life. From her first music lesson at age six, to playing the piano with the University of Toronto glee club where she met her husband, to hosting music recitals in Victoria where she lived for more than 50 years, Eleanor shared her […]
Bridging learning and cultural exchange
Studying abroad can have immeasurable effects on students’ lives. Maurice (BA’54, LLB’55, LLD’02) and Tamako Copithorne understand firsthand the value of international learning experiences. As students from Canada and Japan, they met by participating in exchange programs. After graduation, Dr. Copithorne’s 30-year career in the Canadian Foreign Service took them to countries around the globe including […]