On the evening of April 28, a UBC student string quartet performed not in a recital hall, but in the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The event, titled “A Night of Music”, turned out to be more than just a performance.
The concert was a collaboration between the UBC School of Music—led by David Metzer, Professor of Musicology, and Ryan Davis, Assistant Professor of Viola—and the UBC Learning Exchange, led by Kathleen Leahy, Director, and Rachael Barton-Bridges, Community Animator.
The evening featured music by and a video about Ben Shirley, a Grammy-nominated composer who returned to art and music after experiencing homelessness and hardship. The successful joint initiative between the School of Music and the Learning Exchange connected aspiring professionals with a community often overlooked by the traditional world of classical music.
By the end of the evening, the small and intimate program seemed to become an eye-opening moment for both the student performers (Julian Lee De Vita cello, Amanda Chin violin, Maia Forsyth viola, and Yu-Jen Hsinas violin) as well as the audience.
Ryan Davis (3rd from left) with the UBC student string quartet (L-R): Julian Lee De Vita, Amanda Chin, Maia Forsyth, and Yu-Jen Hsin at the Learning Exchange
Breaking Down the Barriers
For Davis, who spent formative years in Los Angeles working with Street Symphony, the Learning Exchange concert felt like familiar ground.
“Sharing music at the Learning Exchange is a meaningful experience,” he said. “Students are often confined to classrooms, practice rooms, and occasional recital halls on the big day. Playing at the Learning Exchange connects them with communities outside their usual UBC surroundings and reminds them of their potential as musicians. While it offers an escape from the formalities and judgments of many classical music spheres, it requires a different kind of presence and honesty.”
“Students are often confined to classrooms, practice rooms, and occasional recital halls on the big day. Playing at the Learning Exchange connects them with communities outside their usual UBC surroundings and reminds them of their potential as musicians. While it offers an escape from the formalities and judgments of many classical music spheres, it requires a different kind of presence and honesty.”
Metzer saw the evening as proof of a broader principle he has long studied. “The formality and isolation that rule the recital hall vanished at the Learning Exchange concert,” he reflected.
“The student musicians found themselves in a community space, rather than a rarefied realm set apart for classical music. In that space, listeners asked them questions not only about the pieces but also about themselves. Such a dialogue is rarely heard in the recital hall, where a moat of respectful silence separates performers and the audience.”
The distance between performer and listener simply did not exist that night. As Davis put it: “Students are only a few feet away from the audience. There are no barriers of any kind in the room.”
“I felt the audience resonate with the music in a way that made me grateful to be able to share it. Connecting with this community helped me see the impact music can have on people’s lives, and it motivates me to continue to make music accessible for everyone.”
Music as a Universal Language
The evening featured the work of composer Ben Shirley, whose life story not only resonated deeply with the audience, it was central to the evening. Davis first met Shirley through Street Symphony in Los Angeles. After years of touring as a metal musician and a period of homelessness beginning in 2011, Shirley became Street Symphony’s first composer-in-residence. He is now based in Ohio and was open and generous about his music being shared at the event.
“I am so inspired by Ben’s resilience and kindness, and how he openly speaks about his darkest moments,” said Davis. “I’m not surprised that his compositions were a big hit.”
Metzer noted that the audience’s engagement with Shirley’s story added another layer to the listening experience: “The audience experienced something rare for both them and me: hearing a string quartet in an intimate space. The immediacy and passion of live music making became all the more so at the Learning Exchange. The audience also enjoyed getting to know the music and life story of Ben Shirley, who has confronted challenges faced by some of the Learning Exchange listeners and fellow residents of the neighbourhood.”
“Through Ben Shirley’s music, I felt a deep connection with the audience. It was a powerful reminder that we aren’t just playing notes; we are storytellers with the ability to touch people’s lives through our craft.”
For Leahy, the reactions in the room told their own story. “The music brought people together and they started sharing about themselves,” she said. “It may sound like a cliché, but music really is a universal language — we saw it that night.”
Leahy also observed something shift in the students themselves as the evening unfolded: “It seemed to me that the students became more comfortable and engaged as the evening continued. The more they engaged with the audience, the more the audience opened up, which brought the performers and the audience closer together.”
“To share the music we love to those who are curious about it, was so fulfilling. What was most touching for me was to discuss with them in real time how the music we played made them feel and what it reminded them of. It's not everyday you can talk with your audience so closely, especially individuals with many hardships in their life journeys.”
A Two-Way Exchange
The Learning Exchange, situated in the Downtown Eastside, exists precisely to bridge the distance between UBC and the surrounding community. Leahy sees evenings like this one as central to that mission.
“There’s a lot of distance between the university and the Downtown Eastside, both literally and figuratively,” she said. “But a lot of the challenges we face can only be solved if we span that distance and learn from each other. Fundamentally, people need trust to work together effectively.”
For students, that trust-building involves confronting assumptions. “I notice that students are often surprised by the people they meet, and it helps them examine and challenge any stereotypes they might hold about the Downtown Eastside,” Leahy observed. “They often find common ground in these connections.”
“Getting the opportunity to play, discuss and connect through music with our audience is what really made this event so special, and I'm so grateful to have had the chance to learn from, share, and create such collaborative art with the community at the Learning Exchange. I truly hope everyone enjoyed the event as much as we did, we were very excited to bring music to share - both planned and spontaneous!”
Metzer echoed this, pointing to UBC’s own geographic distance from the city it serves. “The students also got to escape the isolation of UBC, which from its beginnings has been set apart from Vancouver in its sylvan surroundings. Instead of having audiences travel to hear them at the University, they made the trip to perform in a vibrant part of Vancouver with its own rich cultural traditions and practices. As the quartet members discovered, the Downtown Eastside abounds with curious, passionate, and vivacious music lovers.”
“But a lot of the challenges we face can only be solved if we span that distance and learn from each other. Fundamentally, people need trust to work together effectively.”
Looking Forward: A Growing Partnership
Both the School of Music and the Learning Exchange are eager to deepen the partnership beyond one-off performances. Metzer envisions a residency model in which students work alongside Learning Exchange participants to create music together and not just perform. He is exploring opportunities for a student in the Choral Conducting gradate program to develop a vocal ensemble linked to the Learning Exchange’s existing Sing and Learn program, as well as a composer-in-residency for a student that would result in new works developed collaboratively with community members.
Leahy is similarly enthusiastic, and candid about what it takes to make it happen: “It takes time and coordination to produce events and pay the student musicians, plus finding appropriate space is not easy. If anyone out there is interested in supporting us to do this, please reach out.”
Davis, for his part, offers straightforward advice to students feeling pulled toward this kind of engagement where they get to bring music outside the concert hall: “I won’t pretend that I have anything figured out. I think the crucial first step is to acknowledge the dissatisfaction that you might be feeling by only sharing music in concert halls. Try to find people who share your interests and passions and see if you can somehow team up. Have confidence that your vision and love of sharing music with others will guide you.”
“It takes time and coordination to produce events and pay the student musicians, plus finding appropriate space is not easy. If anyone out there is interested in supporting us to do this, please reach out.”
The April 28 concert ended with a Schubert quartet movement that nobody had planned. By bringing the music of UBC to the heart of Vancouver, the program is proving that the most powerful performances often happen when the stage disappears entirely.
"A Night of Music" at the Learning Exchange
Prof. Ryan Davis and the UBC Student String Quartet. Photo by: UBC Learning Exchange.
"A Night of Music" at the Learning Exchange
Learning Exchange audience members enjoying the performance. Photo by: UBC Learning Exchange.
"A Night of Music" at the Learning Exchange
Ryan Davis interacting with the audience members. Photo by: UBC Learning Exchange.
"A Night of Music" at the Learning Exchange
Learning about Ben Shirley's life and works. Photo by: UBC Learning Exchange.
"A Night of Music" at the Learning Exchange
Prof. Ryan Davis and the UBC Student String Quartet. Photo by the UBC Student String Quartet.
"A Night of Music" at the Learning Exchange
(L-R): Yu-Jen Hsin, Amanda Chin, and Julian Lee De Vita. Photo by the UBC Student String Quartet.
"A Night of Music" at the Learning Exchange
UBC Student String Quartet playing at the Learning Exchange. Photo by: UBC Learning Exchange.
"A Night of Music" at the Learning Exchange
Post-performance conversations. Photo by: UBC Learning Exchange.
"A Night of Music" at the Learning Exchange
UBC Student String Quartet playing at the Learning Exchange performing at the Learning Exchange. Photo by the UBC Student String Quartet.
