Tomorrow (March 30), the Tao Japanese Drummers will hit the Sony Centre with their high-energy show that celebrates the art of taiko drumming.
The 13 Tao drummers mix martial arts and music in a spectaular show that was inspired by Cirque de Soleil’s integration of Japanese drumming into circus performance.
To date, over five million people around the world have seen their show, which also includes elements taken from Indonesian, Korean and Maori culture.
Before the ensemble takes to the stage, Nagata Shachu, a professional Toronto Japanese drumming group, will present a workshop in the lobby. Studio owner Kiyoshi Nagata will be on hand, along with several members of the group, to explain some of the techniques that the audience will see.
“Taiko, which literally means Japanese drum, is a very broad term,” says Nagata. “Under that umbrella there are many forms of drumming.” Nagata explains that though the Tao drummers are known for their physicality and dramatic acrobatics and costumes, his group is more conventional. “We wear something called the ‘happi’,” he says, “It’s a traditional workman’s jacket.”
Though Nagata Shachu will be displaying multiple drums, Nagata says to keep an eye out for the “miya taiko,” a large barrel-shaped drum made from a hallowed-out tree trunk, the “okedo taiko,” a smaller one made from wooden staves, and the “shime taiko”, which makes a higher pitched sound like a snare drum. “Those are the ones most likely to be in the show.”
Nagatu Shachu has performed all over North America and, in addition to this weekend’s workshop, will begin giving introductory taiko lessons starting April 2.
Tao Japanese Drummers, Sony Centre, 1-855-872-7669. March 30, 8 p.m. $35 and up. (Drumming workshop, 6.30 p.m. $20 with purchase of ticket.)
The artisans are coming! This weekend, artists and designers of every make are assembled in Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre for the annual One of a Kind Show. The event brings unique style to the masses, with over 450 Canadian craftspeople showing their hand-made wares. With so much choice, it’s tough to know where to begin. So, here are our picks for must-see items.
Simple yet unforgettable. Graham Blair, a soft-spoken Newfoundlander, uses his home-grown influences to appeal to every province. “I’m based in St. John’s and part of the mythology of Newfoundland is from fishermen and their stories about giant squid," says Blair. “I took a more contemporary, funky approach to it and because of that it has a lot of crossover appeal. It’s been interesting because a lot of people who have purchased it are giant squid researchers.” Giant Squid, $25.
Reused, organic and absolutely uncommon, this line is for creatively-oriented babes and moms. “Part of my mission and vision is to create organic and up-cycled for babies and toddlers,” says SelenaBurgess. “I also have a strong passion to pass on Aboriginal craft in my dreamcatcher mobiles and woodland aesthetic in all my designs.” Benny the Owl, $36.
Run, don’t walk, to this booth if you’re looking for an item to take you from an unpredictable spring to the dead heat of summer. Coeur de Lion has singular scarves (no really, no two are the same) that can be transformed into a number of styles. “All the dyes are hand done,” says Stephanie Fortin. “There are three types of scarves: the small scarf can be worn as a cowl or head wrap, and then there’s the medium and large cowls which have buttons so you can wear them many different ways.” Small scarf, $75.
We can’t remember the last time we recognized all the ingredients listed on a beauty product, but Matter Company proves that simple is often better. “All the products are based on a holistic practice,” says Denise Williams, the company's founder. “We start from the ground up. We do all of our herbal infusions to create the most effective product.” Matter Company Hand Crème, $19.
A one-woman industry, Natasha Paterson first creates mixed-media images then produces them as prints, t-shirts, change purses … you name it. No matter what she makes, we want it. “I’m really into nature and cities and I like to contrast the two. A lot of my pieces contain a light and free element in contrast to a heavier image in the same piece,” she says. Bird Cage Screen Print, $15.
One of a Kind Spring Show, Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, 416-960-3680. To April 1. $14 adults, $7 seniors and students, free for children.
It’s fair to say that the songs contained on One Hundred Dollars’ Songs of Man are written from the perspective of male characters, but there’s more to it than that. Lead singer Simone Schmidt’s lyrics embody the working-class ethic frequently associated with roots music — these are men at turning points in their lives, who work as hard as they live.
But those same lyrics exude a maturity and breadth that goes far beyond what one normally associates with the genre. It’s a trait shared by the musical side of the One Hundred Dollar equation: take an age-old formula and gently mould it into something unique, golden, personal. One Hundred Dollars have been garnering attention and praise for their unique brand of roots music since their inception.
We sat down with Schmidt to talk about the evolution of the band and what it’s like to play with punk bands.
First, can you just give us a brief history of the band? [Guitarist] Ian Russell and I started singing and playing guitar together back in 2007. Stew Crookes approached us after seeing us play, and he offered to play pedal steel with us. We put out an EP, Hold It Together, and then were playing around. Rick White saw us play a show that we opened for him, and he offered to make a record with us. So we brought along some friends from Ian’s old band, Jon-Rae and the River: Jonathan Adjemian, who doesn’t play with us anymore, on organ; Paul Mortimer who was on bass, and now plays lead [guitar]; and David Clarke on drums. The record we made was Forest of Tears, and we all wanted to keep playing together so we became a band. Our musical relationships kept evolving, and eventually Paul took over lead guitar, Jonathan left, and Kyle Porter entered on bass. We made Songs of Man at the end of 2010 and released it last May.
From what I’ve noticed, you seem to associate with a lot of non-country bands (seeing you play the Toronto Reference Library with F*cked Up awhile back comes to mind). Is it important to try and reach out to people that might not normally check out your style of music? It’s not a pointed strategy. We just play with bands who we know who play music we like. They’re not all country musicians. We attract a broader range of people as fans than most country music because we don’t rely on the more tired tropes of country music that tend to alienate people. Truth be told, most people like the best parts of country music — the stories, the licks, the wild singing. They just don’t like the pap, or clichés, or the stereotypes, or the racism, or the disgusting guitar tones that are of the day.
Songs of Man has been out for a while now. Have you been pleased with the reception its gotten? When people write to me and tell me this or that song spoke to them, I’m glad I put it out. But it’s a hard time to be a songwriter. Seems like nowadays there’s little appreciation for song craft on a lyrical level, and that’s where I’ve focused much of my attention in this project — story telling, word play and the triple entendres. I always remind myself I have it easier than writers who publish poetry in books. But I hope to write songs that grow in meaning as people listen to them over years, and the culture of the music industry hardly even encourages repeat listens. As for the record’s reception in the press, I stopped reading the articles about it because I wasn’t learning anything; people were misinterpreting the basic concept — Songs of Man wasn’t about a bunch of males, it was about men.
Was it exciting to be nominated for an Indie? It’s always nice to get nominated for something. We lost to the nicest guys: Elliott Brood.
You’ve been working on a project where you release a different seven-inch on record labels from different regions of the country. What prompted that project and when can we expect the next one? People were throwing around the term “Canadiana” in reference to our music. I write within the balladic tradition, not the Canadian one, but since it was being said anyway, I thought it would fair to tell some Canadian stories about the oil economy, cancer, about colonialism and this kind of Canadian stuff.
What’s next for One Hundred Dollars? We’re gonna roll with time.
One Hundred Dollars are: Simone Schmidt — vocals Ian Russell — guitar Stew Crookes — pedal steel guitar Dave Clarke — drums Paul Mortimer — lead guitar Kyle Porter — bass
This is what $1.13 billion dollars looks like, Hollywood North. Okay, maybe it was more like $1.13 back in 1915, but if you squint really hard we're pretty sure you can see Colin Farrell zooming in from the future. Yep, just behind that steed there on the left.
Pancakes and waffles at breakfast tables in the province may go dry and lonely this year. According to the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association, the unseasonably warm temperatures over the past few weeks had sap flowing earlier than expected, resulting in output that’s down at least 50 per cent in parts of the province.
That means millions of dollars in losses for maple syrup producers. Also, that’s not-so-sweet news for Vince Vaughn’s hair.
Everything old is new again, or so you might believe after a screening or two at the Toronto Silent Film Festival (March 29 – April 3).
To the dynamic accompaniment of live musical performances (improvised and played on the spot by local musicians and the Toronto Theatre Organ Society), five silent films will unspool over the course of the event at rep cinemas like the Carlton and the Revue.
In addition to the thoughtfully chosen old-time features, the festival will include a selection of animated pre-feature shorts, noise-free samplings from the Toronto Urban Film Festival and other modern-day examples of silent film.
In its bill proper, the festival offers five silent movies, all produced in the ’20s and ’30s in Europe or America (the youngest film showing at the fest turns 81 this year).
We’re particularly excited about Blood and Sand (March 31, 4 p.m., Revue Cinema). A silent classic, this 1922 Rudolph Valentino joint tracks the romantic adventures of a bullfighting lothario played by the world’s first matinee idol. We're also keen to see Our Dancing Daughters (March 29, 8 p.m., Innis Town Hall Screen 2). This sweet bit of celluloid captures a ’20s Joan Crawford in one of her first-ever screen performances, penning a love letter to the jazz age.
The other offerings are Tabu: a Tale of the South Seas (March 30, 7:30 p.m., Carlton Cinema), a simple love story set against the stark beauty of the South Seas in 1931, and The Italian Straw Hat (April 2, 8 p.m., Casa Loma 1), a 1927 gem considered one of the most sophisticated French films of the late silent era. The bill is rounded out by Varieté (April 3, 8 p.m., Innis Town Hall), a German expressionist film from 1925 that resonates with audiences to this day.
And those in need of a chuckle might like to head to 1000 Laffs: Playmates (April 1, 4 p.m., Fox Theatre), which is a collection of comic shorts featuring the likes of Fatty Arbuckle, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
Now in its third year, the silent film fest is likely to benefit from interest generated by the recent success of The Artist, the 2011 silent movie that just swept the Oscars, and Hugo, a cinematic homage to the power of silent cinema.
After he was accused of stealing a cellphone from a Thornhill gym, Ward 2 councillor Howard Shore will have his case transferred to a special mental health court. Late last year, Shore revealed his struggle with depression was behind the “embarrassing incidents.”
Although it is uncertain whether the transfer to a community treatment court will affect the charges against his client, Shore’s lawyer, Edward Prutschi, said that the Crown’s acknowledgement is a good step forward.
Shore allegedly stole an iPhone from the Thornhill Community Centre gym last year. Shortly afterwards, a local newspaper published Shore’s past crimes, including stalking a female lawyer and stealing a cellphone in Florida where he spent 11 days in jail. Those charges have been dropped.
In a statement on his website, Shore says, “I appreciate the tremendous opportunity that has been given to me by the Crown.… Irrespective of any issues of depression, I take full responsibility for my actions.”
Prutschi said Shore is undergoing treatment with his own mental health professionals and will be providing the social workers at the community treatment court with regular updates over the coming weeks.
Mint Bar, which has been the subject of numerous complaints by area residents, was recently convicted on one charge of operating a nightclub without a licence. Located at 173 Eglinton Ave. E., the establishment faces one further charge of operating a nightclub without a licence and one charge for a noise violation — charges that have not yet been proven.
Olga Kusztelska, a City of Toronto: Municipal Licensing and Standards spokesperson, said the local establishment was fined as a result of the conviction.
“We generally respond to complaints, but also, when time permits, we revisit locations that we have received complaints about on a frequent basis.”
Gus Michaels, manager of investigation services at municipal licensing and standards, said the city does not pursue closure orders without a reasonable prospect of success, which usually requires multiple convictions.
Coun. Josh Matlow is frustrated by the lack of tools available to deal with the problem, but he’s doing what he can. His said his office continues to receive complaints from local residents on a regular basis.
“They need to understand that they cannot operate a nightclub illegally in our community, and they’re going to keep feeling pressure until they either obey the laws or get out,” he said.
Mark Karam, vice-president and general counsel at Menkes, which recently acquired the property, said he was aware of the conviction.
“We have put the tenant on notice,” Karam said. “At this point, it’s their responsibility to either confirm that they’re complying with bylaws or, in fact, they’ve ceased and desisted from carrying on their illegal operation.”
On its website, Mint Bar is billed as “a great alternative to downtown clubbing,” and says, “Mint Bar takes a fresh approach to the clubbing experience.”
The owner of Mint Bar did not respond to a request for an interview before press time.
After partnering with a developer to mitigate their financial strains, Asbury and West United Church faces even more budget and construction troubles. As a result of its heritage designation, the church, located on Bathurst Street, just north of Lawrence Avenue, originally struck a deal with an affordable housing company, Options for Homes, to build on the church’s lands.
But after City of Toronto: Heritage Preservation Services deemed parts of the church as heritage, it complicated the matter further, as church officials estimated they will need at least an additional half a million dollars over and above the additional $600,000 Options offered in order to comply with the new design regulations set out by heritage staff.
“The plan was to build a new, environmentally sustainable church, but because we now have this heritage designation, we’ve had to shoehorn the L-shaped [Options for Homes] building on to the lot,” said Pauline McKenzie, chair of the church’s architecture committee.
The designation changed both the proposal for the development and church. McKenzie cited moving the church’s front door from the north to the south and rebuilding a wall using only recovered stones, which she said will cost an additional $104,000. She added that the church had to make cutbacks and use cheaper materials.
President of Options for Homes, Michael Labbé, said, although his group gave the church more money, it was not enough. President of the Bathurst-Lawrence Four Quadrants Neighbourhood Alliance, David Nitkin, believed the process was selective, and said, “We’re amazed that the oldest parts of the church were demolished, and we felt those had historical value. ”
While heritage preservation services provides grants to restore its historical buildings, Asbury and West were not eligible.
“The grant program is there to restore materials that have been lost or damaged, [the church] proposed filling in a wall with new material, it’s not replacing something that’s been there before,” explained Scott Barrett, senior coordinator with heritage preservation services.
Minto Communities Inc. recently informed local residents of its plans to apply for four, high-rise condominiums on the northwest corner of Leslie Street and York Mills Road, which would add to three existing 18-storey apartment buildings. Few details were revealed in a letter distributed to neighbours, other than to compare the planned condominiums to some of Minto’s other Toronto projects, ranging in height from 16 storeys on Roehampton Avenue to 54 storeys at Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue.
The letter went on to invite residents to attend a March 27 pre-application community consultation meeting. Before Minto submits a formal rezoning application, the letter stated, it’s looking for input from local stakeholders.
Coun. Jaye Robinson said Minto has done a lot to improve the existing apartments since it purchased the property a couple of years ago. The site is zoned for apartments, but she has concerns about height, massing, scale and shadowing of the forthcoming proposal. The addition of four more towers may leave little room for greenery and landscaping.
“To me it seems like a lot of buildings for such a small space,” Robinson said.
Terry West, president of the Don Mills Residents Inc., whose group will be working with local residents on this application, said that, based on the information available, his group thinks the proposal is too dense.
“We are looking at what our options are,” he said. “Obviously when you’re opposing a big company like Minto, they’ve got deep pockets.”
The density becomes more concerning when other applications in the area are taken into consideration, West added. He pointed to an application further down the block at York Mills Road and Upjohn Road to build a 20-storey hotel, two 25-storey office buildings and three residential buildings ranging in height from 32 to 38 storeys.
Minto did not respond to a request for an interview before press time.
“My father never thought of himself as a black man, he thought of himself as a man,” Bernice Carnegie said of her father, Herb, as her voice broke. “He was clearly a trailblazer.”
On March 9, Herbert Carnegie, Willowdale’s legendary hockey player, golfer and founder of the youth charitable organization the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation, passed away at 92.
He leaves behind quite the legacy. Known as the best black hockey player to never play in the professional leagues, Carnegie was inducted into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame and is a two-time winner of the Canadian Senior Golf Champion title.
Bernice said support from the community in North York has been overwhelming.
“I said to my sister, ‘I don’t want to have the celebration, I just want to have a private family funeral,” she said. “I realized that with so many people who want to be a part of this moment, it can’t just be a small family gathering. It really has to include the whole community.”
As a black man playing hockey in the 1930s, Carnegie was able to overcome racial obstacles through his love of the game. In a 2011 interview with the Toronto Star, Carnegie said, “Stay on the ice. You can’t win from the penalty box. Play by the rules, and don’t take guff from anyone either.”
Carnegie’s accomplishments, which include being the first black man to establish a registered hockey school, also earned him much recognition throughout North York and Toronto. For instance, a public school and arena bear his name.
It is now up to Bernice, executive director and co-founder, along with her father and mother, to carry on her father’s work at Future Aces.
“I’ve spent 30 years of my life working on projects with my father at Future Aces,” she said. “I am his eyes and I am his feet, and I carry his message for about 15,000 students a year.”
Michigan State University recently surveyed more than 700 employers seeking to hire recent college graduates. Almost one-third of the employers said parents had submitted resumés on their child’s behalf, some without informing the child. One-quarter reported hearing from parents urging the employer to hire their son or daughter. Four per cent of respondents reported that a parent actually showed up for the candidate’s job interview.
Not you or me? Not ever?
It’s a slippery slope.
As a parent of two young (almost) adults, I am often forced by facts to admit that I do too much for them. How much is too much?
It’s too much when instead of launching they’re leaning — or when they lean on us more than is developmentally appropriate. Try this: compare how much your parents knew about your lives (and helped with it) when you were 18 or 21, with how far into your kids’ lives you are. Then ask yourself: Has the pendulum swung too far? Are we helping them grow … up?
All of which is partly why it’s great for young people to get camp jobs.
Working at camp is, for many adolescents, their first job. Certainly their first serious job — a real job with big responsibility, supervision and evaluations, room to grow and get promoted (or not), and children’s emotional and physical safety to safeguard. Working at camp teaches our young people — and us! — not to be the people in the Michigan State survey.
Parenting adolescents in launch-mode is, in some ways, as challenging as parenting toddlers. The challenges are profoundly different, which is why it’s so hard for us to make this transition in our parenting style. When they’re 17 our job is remembering the “wings” part of the “roots and wings” equation. It’s so hard to let go … to stand by and perhaps witness them mess up aspects of their first job or travel or school or independent living experiences … and to remember that there’s usually only one way to learn those lessons — and it’s not by having Mom do it for you.
As parents we’ve been so well trained by 17 years of parenting to do it for them. We are hard-wired to take care of them. Practice has made perfect (sort of).
We are neither trained nor ready to let them do it themselves, mess up some of the time and learn from it. This is much harder than changing a diaper, harder even than the homework wars — because it is painful to watch our beloved kids either risk failure or actually experience it — and a small dose of failure is their best teacher.
This parenting difficulty is much more about our intolerance for their (possible or actual) failure than it is about their needs. They need to go it on their own. Mostly they don’t ask us to ride in on our white chargers and do it for them. It is we who mount our trusted steeds and gallop into the fray, unbidden. And truly unneeded!
What they need from us at that stage of development is paws off. The greatest gift we can give them during their launching period is to trust that they can do it on their own — and that when they mess up, they will learn from their mistakes and do it better next time.
Parenting columnist Joanne Kates is an expert educator in the area of conflict mediation, self-esteem and anti-bullying, and she is the director of Camp Arowhon in Algonquin Park.
Before the ensemble takes to the stage, Nagata Shachu, a professional Toronto Japanese drumming group, will present a workshop in the lobby. Studio owner Kiyoshi Nagata will be on hand, along with several members of the group, to explain some of the techniques that the audience will see.
Matter Company
Whiteout Workshop
