Arts and Culture

Pedalling into video game future

Tuesday May 10, 2016

By Chris Moffatt Armes, Government Relations Analyst

Queen’s researchers explore process and benefits of modifying video games to include physical activity.

Nicholas Graham (Computing) and his team of researchers in the EQUIS Laboratory have developed a new way to get video game players moving - by turning pedal power from a stationary bike into in-game powerups for players.

“There are a lot of people who are intimidated by exercise, who don’t think they would enjoy exercise, who don’t know where to begin with exercise or have trouble fitting it into their day, but who are passionate about games,” says Dr. Graham. “Being able to take the enjoyment of games and map them over to include a physical activity component could be a gateway to doing exercise for many people.”

By pedalling on the exercise bike, users are able to gain in-game powerups. Dr. Nicholas Graham (Computing) and his team in the EQUIS Laboratory developed a means of modifying off-the-shelf video games to accept pedal input as a means of encouraging physical activity.

In their latest paper, titled Thighrim and Calf-Life: A Study of the Conversion of Off-the-Shelf Video Games into Exergames, Dr. Graham and students Mallory Ketcheson (MSc’16) and Luke Walker (Cmp’15) explore the process and benefits of converting mainstream commercial game titles into video games with an exercise component.

The team compared two approaches for converting off-the shelf games: black-box conversion (where pedalling on a stationary bike is mapped to movement of the player’s avatar in the game), and deeper integration of exercise into the game through modding (using a programming interface provided by the game manufacturer).

In each method, users controlled their game avatars using a standard game controller in addition to a stationary bicycle. In various tests, players either controlled their avatar’s movement by cycling, or were able to score power-ups – such as stronger weapons or faster healing – by cycling at a more rapid pace.

The paper also discusses how pacing of various games can affect their utility as exergames. Many popular titles consist of numerous stops-and-starts during play, which makes elevating and maintaining the player’s heart rate challenging. The researchers found greater success in using heart rate and pedalling input as the key to an in-game power-up, encouraging the player to keep active.

The results showed that the simple black-box conversions led to low levels of exercise, while the deeper conversions using mods and power-ups brought player heart rates close to recommended levels for moderately vigorous cardiovascular exercise. As a result, Dr. Graham and his colleagues determined the approach shows promise as an anti-sedentary activity. Of note, the researchers also found that games with less precise control requirements were better suited for conversion, as pedalling often made fine control more challenging.

Ms. Ketcheson will formally introduce their paper on exergame conversion at the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) Conference in San Jose, Calif. on May 10.

Tags: Arts and Culture|Research Prominence

Celebrating a historic decade of philanthropy

Friday May 6, 2016

By Advancement Communications

Funds donated during the Initiative Campaign have furthered the university’s top priorities in teaching, research and athletics and recreation.

Queen’s University is celebrating the success of the Initiative Campaign, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its 175-year history, which concluded on April 30, 2016. Thanks to the collective dedication and generosity of volunteers and donors, more than $640 million has been donated to Queen’s University during the 10-year Initiative Campaign, surpassing the $500 million goal set at the beginning of the campaign in 2006.

Queen's Bands enter during the Initiative Campaign launch event held inside Grant Hall in October 2012. Queen's is celebrating the successful conclusion of the Initiative Campaign, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the university's 175-year history. (University Communications)

“This is a proud moment in Queen’s history. The university is enormously grateful to all of our volunteers and donors who recognize the value of a Queen’s education, and have invested in making one of Canada’s top universities even better,” says Daniel Woolf, Queen’s Principal and Vice Chancellor.

More than 60,000 individual donors, including 35,000 alumni, contributed to the campaign since it was launched in 2006. Funds donated during the Initiative Campaign have furthered the university’s top priorities in teaching, research and athletics and recreation.

Over $85 million has been used to support student assistance programs, including the creation of 473 new student awards and 22 new chairs and professorships. Campuses and facilities at Queen’s have already improved greatly as a result of donations during the Initiative Campaign with further investments to be made in a number of priority areas.

“I would like to extend my most sincere gratitude to the volunteers, donors, alumni and supporters who have contributed to the Initiative Campaign over the past 10 years,” says Gord Nixon, Chair of the Initiative Campaign. “Their efforts have contributed greatly to the campaign, and the excitement and momentum that inspires others to make the same commitment to Queen’s.”

Campuses and facilities at Queen’s have improved greatly as a result of donations during the Initiative Campaign. These investments support the university’s programs and its people, including experiences beyond the classroom that enable the Queen’s community to make a significant impact on society as an informed citizenry, nationally and internationally.

In addition to the funds raised, support from the three levels of government provided an additional $94 million that was not included in the Initiative Campaign total. Queen’s partnered with the federal and provincial governments to build Queen’s School of Medicine, and received support from the federal, provincial and municipal governments to bring the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts to fruition. This support was essential in making these projects possible and the university is enormously grateful for these investments.

More than $115 million has been committed in future estate gifts against the university’s parallel goal of $100 million, which is counted outside of the Initiative Campaign total.

Hundreds flock to Agnes spring launch

Monday May 2, 2016

By Communications Staff

Agnes Director Jan Allen discusses Head of a Man in a Turban, one of three Rembrandt paintings in the art gallery's Bader Collection. (Photo by Garrett Elliott)
Queen's Principal Daniel Woolf chats with guests at the Agnes spring launch held on April 29. (Photo by Garrett Elliott)
Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson (middle) learns more about Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, the latest Rembrandt painting acquired by the Agnes. (Photo by Garrett Elliott)
Several hundred people gathered at the Agnes on April 29 for the first chance to see Rembrandt's Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo and view four new exhibitions currently on display at the art gallery. (Photo by Garrett Elliott)
Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo (middle) is presented alongside two smaller studies by Rembrandt. (Photo by Garrett Elliott)

More than 300 people packed the Agnes Etherington Art Centre on April 29 for the first chance to see Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo. During the season launch event, visitors also had the opportunity to view four new exhibitions that draw on Kingston artists and communities. The Agnes also announced a new policy of free admission to the gallery. More information about the current exhibitions is available online.

Tags: Arts and Culture

Rembrandt masterpiece goes live

Thursday April 28, 2016

By Mark Kerr, Senior Communications Officer

Since acquiring Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo late last year, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre could only share digital images of the Dutch masterpiece as staff prepared for the installation.

[Jan Allen and Jacquelyn Coutre introduce the new Rembrandt] — Jan Allen (left), Director, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, and Jacquelyn N. Coutré, Bader Curator and Researcher of European Art at the Agnes, introduce Rembrandt's *Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo* during a special media preview on April 28. (Photo by Bernard Clark)

Now the time has come to unveil the painting, and Jacquelyn N. Coutré, Bader Curator and Researcher of European Art at the Agnes, couldn’t be more excited.

“As reproductions don’t fully capture the richness of this portrait, it is exhilarating to finally share it with the public,” Dr. Coutré says. “The life-size format, authoritative pose and powerful gaze all contribute to the subject’s impressive presence, and the nuances of colour are splendid.”

Alfred and Isabel Bader gave Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo to the Agnes in November 2015. The late-career painting by Rembrandt, signed and dated 1658, will be presented alongside two smaller studies by the Dutch master that the Baders also previously donated to the art gallery. In addition to the Rembrandt paintings, The Bader Collection at the Agnes includes more than 200 works focused on Dutch and Flemish paintings of the Baroque period.

Dr. Coutré says a close inspection of the masterpiece reveals the artist’s signature ruwe, or rough, style that art historians identify as a trademark of Rembrandt’s brilliant late work.

“When you get up close to the painting in person, you can see that the brushstrokes have such materiality to them, and you can actually trace the movement of the artist's hand as he dragged the thick paint across the canvas with his brush,” she says. “In the humanity and the splendour of this painting, The Bader Collection truly reaches new heights.”

[Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo] — Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, 1658, oil on canvas, 107.4 x 87.0 cm, Gift of Alfred and Isabel Bader, 2015 (58-008) (Photo by Bernard Clark)

A mysterious masterpiece

While the subject of the painting is unknown, art historians have speculated he could be a sailor, military figure, merchant or artist.

The earliest documented owner of the painting, Daniel Daulby, was a renowned collector of Old Masters, and authored the first catalogue of Rembrandt etchings in English. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the painting was primarily held in private collections including those of George Huntington Hartford II, John Seward Johnson and Barbara Piasecka Johnson.

By giving the masterpiece to the art gallery at Queen’s, the Baders have ensured that scholars and the public will have access to the portrait for their research and enjoyment.

“This first presentation in Kingston of Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo — an artistic treasure long out of public view — marks a turning point for the gallery, and signals a wider burgeoning of the arts at Queen’s University,” says Jan Allen, Director, Agnes Etherington Art Centre.

This inspiring new installation at the Agnes is joined by four new exhibitions of works showcasing Kingston artists and drawing upon contributions by members of the African and diasporic communities at Queen’s as well as in Kingston and the surrounding region. The general public's first chance to see the painting will come at the season launch event on Friday, April 29 from 6:30-8 pm. The Agnes also recently announced a new policy of free admission to the gallery.

Visit the Agnes to learn more about its exhibitions, collections and programs.

“Our generous benefactors Alfred and Isabel Bader have shared their collection with us,” Ms. Allen says. “In turn, we want to ensure The Bader Collection and our entire holdings are accessible for all.”

Alfred Bader (Sc’45, Arts’46, MSc’47, LLD’86) and Isabel Bader (LLD’07) are among Queen’s most generous benefactors, supporting the university for seven decades. They have given back to Queen’s in countless ways: transforming the campus, enriching the student experience, supporting scholarship, and helping to enhance the university’s reputation as a top-tier educational institution.

Inspiring students through art

The Bader Collection at the Agnes is a resource for all Queen’s students and faculty members.

Tags: Arts and Culture

A healthy infusion of colour

Tuesday April 26, 2016

By Communications Staff

[H'art Centre Paintings] — Dr. Karen Schultz receives a collection of paintings created by H'art Centre artists, including Laura Q, left, and Paul S, right, at the offices of the Queen's Family Health Team (QFHT) in downtown Kingston. (University Communications)

A collection of paintings by students from H’art Centre is bringing some welcome colour and creativity to the offices of the Queen's Family Health Team (QFHT) in downtown Kingston.

QFHT commissioned the H’art Centre artists and the participants painted a variety of works using the theme “Healthy Living and Active Lifestyles.”

The artists studied basic concepts about how to maintain and improve physical and mental health for several months before putting brush to canvas. The colourful paintings, displayed in the QFHT’s six patient waiting areas, reflect topics including nutrition, exercise, staying in touch with friends, reading, trying new things, enjoying the outdoors and getting your flu shot.

Dr. Karen Schultz, who worked with H’art Centre Executive Director Katherine Porter in facilitating the initiative, said the partnership is “one of those lovely win-win situations."

“The artists from H’art have had the experience of creatively displaying their ideas about how to live a healthy life,” she says. “For us at Queen’s Family Medicine, this is another way to get this message to our patients, and the art itself is so bright and cheerful that it can’t help but bring a smile to your face. The paintings are a joy.”

H'art Centre is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to providing people with disabilities and those facing barriers with opportunities to study, enjoy and produce works in the arts. For more information, visit hartschool.ca.

Tags: Arts and Culture|Campus Community

Students on the move

Tuesday April 12, 2016

By Communications Staff

Tips for a successful end of term move-out.

With final exams underway, the next items on many student to-do lists will be cleaning, packing and preparing to move.

To make this often-stressful process easier, Queen’s University, the AMS and the city offer several moving-related resources. On April 30 and May 1, MacGillivray-Brown Hall will host the annual Drop & Shop event. Students will be able to bring their unwanted items to the event during these two days, and purchase any items they may need.

“The Drop & Shop program is a great way for students to drop off unneeded household items, saving the hassle of moving them, while allowing others to pick up necessities at low cost,” says Nirali Patel, Student Life Centre Managing Director, “all while benefiting local charities.”

Drop & Shop will run both days from 8 am-7 pm in MacGillivray-Brown Hall. Students can donate their gently-used clothing, linens, books, sports equipment and unopened food and personal hygiene products. Faculty, staff and community members are welcome to buy items. Proceeds from the sale will support local youth charities.

Students will also be able to get rid of unneeded items by taking part in the city’s Giveaway Day this coming Saturday, April 16. Label the items as “free” and place them by the curb. At the end of the day, remaining items can be donated to charity, as the city will not collect unclaimed items left at the curb.

If you need packing supplies, moving boxes and tape are available for sale at the Student Life Centre in the JDUC. Students will also be able to purchase city garbage tags ($2 each) from the JDUC, City Hall, the AMS office or the DrugSmart pharmacy in the Queen’s Centre.

The City of Kingston has also created a student resource page, providing information on waste disposal, Utilities Kingston accounts closure and property standards.

Tags: Arts and Culture

Queen’s takes centre stage

Thursday April 7, 2016

By Chris Moffatt Armes, Government Relations Analyst

Queen’s University announces naming of the Dan School of Drama and Music.

Aubrey Dan speaks after it was announced that he and his wife, Marla Dan, had donated $5 million to Queen's University. In honour of the donation, the university announced the naming of the Dan School of Drama and Music. (Photo by Bernard Clark)
Aubrey and Marla Dan stand in front of the donor wall at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts where it was announced that they had donated $5 million to Queen's University. (Photo by Bernard Clark)
Provost Alan Harrison announces the naming of the Dan School of Drama and Music in honour of Aubrey and Marla Dan and their donation of $5 million to the school. (Photo by Bernard Clark)
Queen's University announced the naming of the Dan School of Drama and Music, in honour of Aubrey and Marla Dan and their donation of $5 million to the school. From left: Ireneus Zuk, Interim Associate Director, Dan School of Drama and Music; Provost Alan Harrison; Marla and Aubrey Dan; and Craig Walker, Head of the Dan School of Drama and Music. (Photo by Bernard Clark)
Aubrey and Marla Dan joke around with Greg Wanless (Drama) and Tim Fort (Drama) following a special concert that featured a short performance involving Aubrey Dan along with a group of faculty, alumni and current students. (Photo by Bernard Clark)
To celebrate the naming of the Dan School of Drama and Music a special concert was held at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, followed by a reception in the lobby area that brought together members of the Queen's and Kingston communities. (Photo by Bernard Clark)
Aubrey Dan speaks with Craig Walker, Head of the Dan School of Drama and Music, during a special concert event that was held at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, marking the naming of the school. (Photo by Bernard Clark)

Queen’s University announced the naming of the Dan School of Drama and Music, in honour of Aubrey and Marla Dan and their donation of $5 million to the school Thursday.

“Queen’s is delighted to receive this remarkable gift from such a distinguished supporter of the performing arts in Canada,” says Daniel Woolf, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University. “On behalf of Queen’s, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to Aubrey and Marla Dan for their vision and generosity. This gift will help accelerate the momentum within the school and strengthen Queen’s position as a leading university for study in the performing arts.”

The donation will be endowed to allow investments in visiting professional instructors, scholarships and research. It also builds on the momentum within the Dan School of Drama and Music, following the opening of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts and the ongoing development of exciting new programs since the merger of the Department of Drama and School of Music last year.

The benefactors, Marla and Aubrey Dan, are Queen’s parents whose daughter is a graduate of the drama program. Mr. Dan is a highly-accomplished Canadian businessman and philanthropist, with a passion for the performing arts. He is also the founder of Dancap Productions Inc., a Tony Award-winning commercial theatre company with international and Broadway production and investment credits, including Jersey Boys, The Drowsy Chaperone, West Side Story and A Streetcar Named Desire.

“As the father of a Queen’s Drama graduate, I saw first-hand the value of the education my daughter received at Queen’s,” says Mr. Dan. “More importantly, I saw that there’s tremendous potential in the School of Drama and Music. It is my hope that this donation will allow the school to reach new levels and become the pre-eminent school for performance arts education in Canada.”

In celebration of the naming, a special concert was held at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Distinguished Queen’s Drama and Music alumni took the stage to perform works from South Pacific, Smash, and The Drowsy Chaperone.

“Our plan is to create the pre-eminent School of Drama and Music in Canada and one of the leading such schools in the world,” says Craig Walker, Head of the Dan School of Drama and Music. “Moreover, we hope to lay down new paths for scholarship in the field of music theatre. This generous donation by the Dan family will help enrich the learning and research environments for students in drama and music at Queen’s and help our students reach new heights.”

Tags: Arts and Culture|Arts and Science|Campus Community

Excitement builds for Rembrandt reveal

Tuesday April 5, 2016

By Mark Kerr, Senior Communications Officer

Alfred and Isabel Bader, two of the university’s most generous benefactors, donated Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo to Queen’s late last year.

Madeleine Leisk spent last summer helping develop a new exhibition at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre as an Undergraduate Student Summer Research Fellow, a program run by University Research Services.

She didn’t know at the time that the exhibition, Singular Figures: Portraits and Character Studies in Northern Baroque Painting, would eventually feature a Rembrandt masterpiece that has been unavailable to scholars for much of its existence.

Alfred and Isabel Bader, two of the university’s most generous benefactors, donated Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo to Queen’s late last year. The Agnes will unveil the painting to the general public at its season launch event on April 29. The painting will be installed alongside the Agnes’s two smaller studies by the Dutch master in Singular Figures, which is co-curated by Stephanie Dickey, Queen’s Professor and Bader Chair in Northern Baroque Art, and Jacquelyn N. Coutré, Bader Curator and Researcher of European Art at the Agnes, with contributions from Ms. Leisk.

“An image in a textbook cannot replace the impact of seeing a work of art in person,” says the fourth-year art history student. “Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo is a wonderful addition to the European collection at the Agnes and a great resource for European art history classes at Queen’s. The new Rembrandt will offer a unique learning opportunity for students from all faculties.”

Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, signed and dated 1658, features the artist’s signature ruwe, or rough, style, showcasing the artistic brilliance associated with Rembrandt’s late work. The painting joins two other Rembrandt paintings in the Agnes’s collection, Head of an Old Man in a Cap (c. 1630) and Head of a Man in a Turban (c. 1661). In addition to the three Rembrandts, Alfred and Isabel Bader have donated more than 200 paintings to the Agnes over the past 50 years.

“Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo is truly the pinnacle of the Bader Collection, which includes many distinguished Dutch and Flemish works from the Baroque period,” says Jan Allen, Director of the Agnes. “We are excited to welcome visitors and give them the opportunity to discover the ways in which this new acquisition illuminates and contextualizes the other portraits in the collection that were painted by artists in Rembrandt’s circle.”

Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo is a wonderful addition to the European collection at the Agnes and a great resource for European art history classes at Queen’s. The new Rembrandt will offer a unique learning opportunity for students from all faculties.
— Madeleine Leisk (Artsci'16)

History student Jack Pirie has a strong desire to see the painting after taking “The Portrait,” an art history class taught by Dr. Dickey during the winter term. He believes that students across all disciplines – not just history – should be excited about the unveiling of the painting.

“This painting gives Queen’s students yet another reason to be proud of their university,” he says. “Thanks to the generosity of Alfred and Isabel Bader, we can all say that we are part of a community that is home to one the best university collections of Northern European art in North America.”

Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo can be seen for the first time during the spring/summer launch event at the Agnes on April 29. The members’ preview will take place from 5-6:30 pm followed by the public reception from 6:30-8 pm.

Singular Figures: Portraits and Character Studies in Northern Baroque Painting will remain on display at the Agnes until December. Admission to the gallery is free for Queen’s staff, faculty and students. Admission to the Agnes will also be free for everyone as of April 29.

Tags: Arts and Culture|Campus Community

A season of excitement at the Isabel

Tuesday March 22, 2016

By Communications Staff

The 2016-17 season for the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts was announced Monday, including the Inaugural Bader and Overton International Violin Festival .
Director of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts Tricia Baldwin, right, and Kevin Tanner announce the 2016-17 season.
Queen’s Music’s Gisèle Dalbec Szczesniak (violin) and Michel Szczesniak (piano) offered a short performance at the season announcement.
The 2016-17 season for the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts was announced Monday, including the first Bader and Overton Canadian Violin Competition.

The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts announced a lineup for its 2016-17 season on Monday night that is clearly befitting Queen’s University’s 175^th anniversary.

The season's highlights include the new multi-genre Bader and Overton International Violin Festival, featuring internationally acclaimed violinists such as Ashley MacIsaac, James Ehnes, Viktoria Mullova and Pinchas Zukerman, a new Human Rights Arts Festival featuring Measha Brueggergosman and a collaboration with Toronto International Film Festival and Human Rights Watch, and world premieres by Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Alison Mackay, John Burge, Craig Walker, and Marjan Mozetich.

Also, the Piano, Ensemble, Jazz and Global Salon Series will present a diversity of outstanding artists.

New this year is the Isabel Overton Bader Canadian Violin Competition that will award violinists between 18 and 29 years old with the Marion Overton Dick Memorial Prize, worth $20,000, and the opportunity to perform with the Kingston Symphony and a recital on the Isabel stage.

“Queen’s University is celebrating its 175^th anniversary in 2016-17, and Canada its sesquicentennial. With this inspiration, we have created new festivals and a violin competition, attracted fantastic artists to the Isabel stage, and are supporting a number of Canadian world premieres,” says Tricia Baldwin, Director of the Isabel. “It has been thrilling to develop this season, and we’re excited to announce it to our audience and beyond.”

The season was announced with a short performance by Queen’s Music’s Gisèle Dalbec Szczesniak (violin) and Michel Szczesniak (piano), followed by a special screening of the feature film The Red Violin.

For complete details on the 2016‐17 season, visit theisabel.ca. Subscriptions for the 2016-17 season are now available. Call The Isabel’s box office at 613‐533‐2424 (Monday-Friday, 12:30‐4:30 pm).

Situated on the shores of Lake Ontario, the award‐winning Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts brings together exceptional arts spaces and programs with a captivating sense of place to create a dynamic venue for Queen’s students and the community. In addition to the Performance Hall, the other spaces in the 90,000 square foot venue include a studio theatre, a film screening room and a music rehearsal hall. Embracing the principles of interactivity and integration, the School of Drama and Music and the Department of Film and Media share teaching and performance spaces within the Isabel. The Isabel was designed by Oslo/New York-based firm Snøhetta and Ottawa’s N45, with acoustics and theatre design by ARUP and Theatre Projects Consultants. Anchored by a transformational gift to the Initiative Campaign from Drs. Alfred and Isabel Bader, the Isabel was inspired by the Bader’s love – of the arts, of Queen’s, and of each other – and is named in Isabel’s honour.

Tags: Arts and Culture|Campus Community

Choral work wins national award

Friday March 18, 2016

By Communications Staff

Benjamin Bolden, an associate professor in Queen’s University’s Faculty of Education, has won a national competition for choral music.

[Ben Bolden] — Ben Bolden of the Faculty of Education is the winner of the 2016 Competition for Choral Writing. (Supplied Photo)

Dr. Bolden’s composition Tread Softly, a setting of The Cloths of Heaven by poet W.B. Yeats, was recently selected by Choral Canada as the winner of 2016 Competition for Choral Writing.

As a result, the Tread Softly will be published by Cypress Choral Music, a co-sponsor of the competition, and be premiered by the 2016 National Youth Choir of Canada during Choral Canada’s Podium biennial choral conference and festival in Edmonton on Friday, May 20.

He also receives the $1,500 Dianne Loomer Award.

“Having the piece performed by the National Youth Choir is an immense privilege,” Dr. Bolden says. “To think that all these superb young musicians will be dedicating their energy, expertise, musicality and spirit to bring my music alive… it is such a gift that the music I imagine, and hope might work, and write down as black marks on a page, can actually see the light of day and become beautiful through their voices.”

Tread Softly is an a cappella choral work which Michael Zaugg, guest conductor for the 2016 National Youth Choir of Canada, says uses “a lush tonal language” to set the words by Yeats.

“The well-structured dynamic and melodic development brings the text to the forefront and engages the performer and listener alike,” Mr. Zaugg adds. “I look forward to presenting these soaring melodies and rich harmonies in concert with the National Youth Choir of Canada.”

Dr. Bolden says he was inspired to compose the piece by a TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally-recognized expert on education in the arts, where he spoke about the importance of educating children in a way that allows them to be who they need to be, and of honouring their dreams.

“He closed the talk by reading the poem ‘The Cloths of Heaven’ by William Butler Yeats,” he says. “He was using the poem to remind policy makers, educators, and parents that, every day and everywhere, children lay their dreams at our feet. We need to tread softly.”

Dr. Bolden’s research interests include the learning and teaching of composing, creativity, community music, arts-based research, Web 2.0 technologies in education, teacher knowledge, and teachers’ professional learning. He is an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre and his compositions have been performed by a variety of professional and amateur performing ensembles.

Founded in 1980, Choral Canada is the national voice of the Canadian choral community, representing and uniting a network of conductors, educators, composers, administrators, choral industry leaders, and more than 42,000 choral singers.

Tags: Arts and Culture|Campus Community|Education

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Arts and Culture

Pedalling into video game future

Celebrating a historic decade of philanthropy

Hundreds flock to Agnes spring launch

Rembrandt masterpiece goes live

A mysterious masterpiece

Inspiring students through art

A healthy infusion of colour

Students on the move

Queen’s takes centre stage

Excitement builds for Rembrandt reveal

A season of excitement at the Isabel

Choral work wins national award

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