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Our Story
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Our Story
The Leading Note Foundation was inspired by a phenomenal youth music program in Venezuela that has taken the world by storm, called El Sistema. This program has changed and saved the lives of countless children and is now recognized in the world as a prime model for music programs starting up in Los Angeles, New York City and Glasgow. The main premise is that, if you offer a child the instrument and the education to enrich their life spiritually, they will find the means to feed and clothe themselves - but, most importantly, they will become active contributors to society.
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The Leading Note Foundation, made up of professional and freelance musicians in the Ottawa area, felt inspired to bring music to all children in Ottawa, regardless of their socio/economic background, to make music together in a spirited and positive
environment.
January 2007 - Tina Fedeski and Margaret Munro Tobolowska decide to create a youth music program for Ottawa children. Tina travels to Venezuela in March 2007 and becomes involved with El Sistema. Spring 2007 sees the compiling of the business plan for the new OrKidstra Youth Music Program set to begin in the Fall 2007.
Summer 2007 - Our business plan is coming together and The Leading Note music store on Elgin Street is the hub for all the instruments that are being acquired, either by purchase or donation, for the young recipients that will start in October 2007.
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Margaret Munro Tobolowska, cellist with the
National Arts Centre Orchestra, teacher and
Vice-president of The Leading Note
Foundation - adjusting and setting up tiny
violins at The Leading Note music store.
Margaret (cellist) and Susan Rupp ( violinist)
set up 27 violins of all sizes and colours! This is the way a cellist tries out how they sound - by playing Bach Cello Suites!
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Karen Donnelly– principal trumpet of
the National Arts Centre Orchestra,
teacher and Music Consultant for
The Leading Note Foundation.
Karen unpacking new instruments
and trying out trumpets donated by
Mike’s Music.
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Tina Fedeski - teacher and President of The Leading Note Foundation, also owner of The Leading Note music store
along with Gary McMillen, our Chief Financial Officer.
Tina tries out flutes that have been donated (although she couldn't resist indulging in her budding violinist fantasies as well) . Some of the flutes were too old to make a sound, but a few were gems and were packed up to take to the Bronson Centre for our new students.
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Guy Harrison, our local luthier and string instrument expert, has offered his service to appraise all donated instruments for free, so that we can issue appropriate tax receipts for these donations.
September 2007 - The Foundation connects with the principals of schools in the inner-city Centretown area with presentations and forms for the parents of the interested children to fill out. We received 97 applications, with only 46 spaces available!
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Ottawa Citizen Article by Steven Mazey, October 13, 2007.
The Ottawa Citizen’s Steven Mazey joins us at Cambridge Elementary School where our first eager students get a chance to see and feel some of our instruments and pose for the camera!
To see the entire article, click here.
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October 2007 - we organized our first fundraising concert to raise awareness of our Foundation and to begin our fundraising initiatives.
The concert was given on October 22, 2007 at McCleod Stewarton United Church in Centretown. This concert involved 12 NACO musicians who donated their services, along with a talented group of young musicians from Ottawa, Trio Scherzando. The support of the com-munity and the turn out was overwhelming. |
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At this point, we had raised $10,000 in donations from private individuals and local Ottawa businesses who believe that music enhances and truly creates a more kind and tolerant community. We also received a number of instrument donations worth over $8000.
The Foundation finds its home among other non-profit organizations at the Bronson Centre in Centretown. The welcome is warm and the space and location is great as most of the students are within walking distance! The classes are to take place there on Monday evenings and we have an office located there, as well.
October 22, 2007 - After all of this preparation, we meet all the students at the Bronson Centre for their first class!
Jean Barsalou, our Suzuki specialist teacher, and our junior violin students.
Bunny holds abound, as the children get their first lesson from U of O Student Teacher, Paul Casey, on how to hold the bow.
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A good deal of time is spent sizing the students for their instruments (e.g. violins come in 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full size). The proper fit is a must for these budding new violinsts and they will require different sizes as they grow.
Susan Rupp, our senior violin
teacher, sizing our students.
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With 27 new violinists in the program, you can imagine the relief when all were outfitted and ready to play!. |
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Proper maintenance and care of the instruments is reinforced, as these are a part of our instrument loan program and will be used by many children well into the future. |
Many families were amazed and daunted by the value of the cellos that their children would take home. Even the smallest cellos range from $1200 to $2500. But, the young cellists could not be discouraged! We currently have seven young cellists in our program playing on six donated cellos! Thank you donors!
All this organization could not have been done without the help of Sheilah, our secretary and chief administrator! She tirelessly hands out music, music stands, folders, forms, and accounts for all the instruments and supplies that the children are borrowing. She does this with a calm smile as she turns mayhem into organization!
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The word is spreading throughout the musical community and the Foundation gains the support of many musicians in the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Currently we have four musicians from the NACO teaching, two Suzuki trained instructors, one teacher from the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy, as well as two University of Ottawa student teachers. We also have eight mentors from the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy who are committed to helping in their community by assisting our teachers and students.
One of our several student mentors
helps out with a bow hold.
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Our teachers are all highly motivated, and meeting after meeting, discuss how we should proceed and how many teachers we need to fulfill the needs of the different children we have. We are building a new curriculum that is representative of our distinctly multicultural Canadian back-ground. Our committed team of teachers believe in the creativity and potential of all children to grow and thrive in the presence of music. They not only have experience teaching and performing but, most importantly, the passion to make a difference in the lives of the children and youth that we teach.
December 2007 - After several successful classes with excellent attendance, the Foundation hosts its first (of many) Christmas parties. The students and their parents were serenaded with a brief concert put on by the teachers and the mentors. It was still a bit early for our students to perform - but, just wait until next year!
 
 
More information is coming - keep posted! |
