OUTSIDE IS HAVING A FUNDRAISER!!!

This is our first fundraiser and we're super excited. Well, that and a little nervous as to how everything will turn out! haha! Nonetheless, we hope that we can get the word out to the community and have another packed semester in May 2009.

So please help us the communicate that to TORONTO!!

DETAILS:

When: Sunday, April 26th, 2009
Where: Whippersnapper Gallery (587A College Street)
Time: Registration from 2-7pm, Showcase from 8:30pm -1am

BREAKDOWN:

Part 1: REGISTRATION FOR KIDS AND COMMUNITY FROM 2PM -7PM






Part 2: SHOWCASE AND FUNDRAISER FROM 8PM -1PM







Sway

Outside The Box Interview on SunTV

Sway is being interviewed on Sun TV just days before the "Closing House Day"

Surprise Drop-In From Feist and the final mix!!

Now, some of you may or may not know this, but the Outside The Box program was designed not only to have kids learn music in a fun and exciting way; but to introduce them to current music and culture. The thought process was, "Well let's use a song that kids can related to–something cool!"

We used Feist's "1,2,3,4" as our curriculum guide and pretty much extracted the different parts of the song and taught our students chords, notes and scales relative to the key of D (which is the key that the song is in).

We chose this song not only because we were fans of Feist, but because it is a very simple, yet brilliant pop song, that seems to transcend both age and genre. However, what happened next was definitely not in the plan.

Through all the media exposure that we attained with the program, Feist's camp got requested for an interview but had never heard of OTB. It prompted Feist to drop by the community center on our "Closing House Recording Day" where the kids got a chance to record their parts.

For the kids this was huge! I mean they had been working at their parts for over 2 months, and then to have Feist watch them record it was phenomenal. I remember returning from buying some toys for the kids for prizing and seeing Ms. Leslie Feist hanging out with her Father in the communal area. Wow...It was definitely an honor to have her hang out for a few hours and support the kids on their work.

We've finally finished the final mix (not that is was so laborious and intensive, but the holidays just threw us off...hahah!

You can listen to the song here: 1,2,3,4 (Cover Song)

Closing House Day~! Let's pack it up and mosey on for now!

Hey everyone, we've officially set the Outside The Box "Closing House Day" for Saturday December 13th @ the Center!! This will the day for all the kids to get a chance to record their contribution to the Feist song they've been working so hard on!!

This program has been so much fun, and really fufilling. And we are excited to wrap it up and do it all again!

Also check out another article about OTB:

http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid1=127&csid2=844&fid1=34952

Thanks to all of the parents and teachers so far for all of their support.
Keep your eyes on this page as we update you on the next steps.

-OTB Team

Yes, We Can!

Now, I know that an American presidential election doesn’t directly impact the arts funding of our Canadian government, but with the Barak Obama stepping into the White House I feel that his presence won’t be felt as largely in the tangible results in the world economy and policies in the coming years as it will be in the inspirational impact with the people of the world.

Michael is my 8-year-old cousin from Queens, NY that is officially the youngest struggling artist in our family. His aspirations are in the arts, specifically in theatre, and similar to many of the students in our "Outside The Box" workshops he carries the burden of living in a low-income community. So when I heard his view on the election I immediately thought about our kids.

I called his mother Wednesday morning and listened to her jubilant voice reinforce just how much this U.S. Election had given her hope. Chistine, his mother, told me about a conversation that her and Michael had that morning where she asked him what it meant that a black man had been elected President of the United States and he proudly responded, “It means I can be anything that I want!” I realized how Barak Obama's childhood mirrors so many children across North America that his accomplishment has taught kids to dream again.

If all the children in low-income areas on the planet (including Parkdale) of all colours, creed and race around the world have been impacted to the same degree as my cousin Michael then the historic November 4th, 2008 has already evoked that change and self-expression that Obama spoke of in the youth. Programs like "Outside The Box" will be even more necessary in the coming years.


Watch CBS Videos Online

-Sway

Music Education

I made a promise to my family a long time ago that I would never venture into education. That teaching and school bore me to death. But as the program gets rolling, I find myself incredibly excited about the potential for change, about our ability to have kids more excited about learning, and stimulate their creative minds to help them do better in all aspects of their lives. 

Look at that! I'm even using the typical jargon! 

But that's because we are sincerely passionate. And everything that we heard from others about working with kids in a program like this rings true. 

Between Sway, Brent and myself and the other amazing teachers, we really think we stand a chance at making a difference. 

And I'd like to show you what first inspired me over a year ago.

Sir Ken Robinson. The importance of creativity in schools.

-Jahmal

Partayyyyyy! The Open House!

The Open house was a BLAST!! 

We were so grateful for everyone that came out. And all of the parents and all of the kids really had a great time.

Check out these pics of the amazing time we had!

This is shaping up to be amazing fall season full of fun! Thanks to Yamaha Music Canada for providing the drums and keyboards and Gibson guitars Canada for the bass and guitars. We really appreciate it.

Keep checking in on us. We appreciate your support, and only expect bigger and better things as time goes on.