Open Acadia Press Releases2010:
Acadia explores storytelling in the digital ageApril 22, 2010 (Wolfville, NS) -- Acadia University continues to live up to its reputation as an innovator in all things digital, but this time, it's guiding students through an introspective look at the effects of technology itself.
Narrative Unbound is being spearheaded by Dr. Jon Saklofske, a young English professor with a keen interest in the transformative power of technology. It's the latest in his history of intriguing, mixed-discipline projects, which include the Golgonooza virtual learning environment and NewRadial, an open-source visualization tool for humanities studies. "My main goal is to engage students with new media literacy skills," explains Saklofske. "We want students to develop skills to explore the ways stories have been told, are currently being told, and might be told in the future." The game-changing nature of digital communication and media makes the interdisciplinary course pertinent to students from any number of academic backgrounds. "Everyone, in every profession, relies on communication and, to an extent, narrative. Everyone also needs to appreciate, become aware of, and practice new media literacies, and I'll encourage students to enrich the class by bringing their backgrounds into play." Saklofske hopes to see a classroom of diverse perspectives, with professionals and students from other institutions encouraged to participate. Narrative Unbound also represents a new paradigm among Acadia's online credit courses. The University's online offerings have traditionally been open-entry courses that focus on providing the student flexibility and the freedom to study fairly independently. In contrast, Narrative Unbound runs parallel to its on-campus iteration, which enables it to feature a higher degree of interactivity and collaboration. "The hybrid nature of this class is perfect for thinking about storytelling in transition, as the students will be participating in a situation that allows them to experience it directly, through the very structure of the course itself." Students have the unique ability to participate either online, on-campus, or through a mix of both options, which allows them to compare and contrast the physical classroom experience with the virtual. Registration for Narrative Unbound is now available; the course runs from June 28 - July 16. To register today or learn more, please visit the website at http://nu.openacadia.ca.
For more information, please contact Open Acadia: Email: openacadia@acadiau.ca Tel: 902.585.1434 | 1.800.565.6568
Annual science seminar goes green, features live broadcastApril 20, 2010 |
Beginning in June, the University's new "Hypermedia Theory and Practice: Narrative Unbound" course will take students on a whirlwind 3-week journey through a cultural landscape that has been drastically reshaped by digital media. The interdisciplinary course is available in online or on-campus formats, with students free to experiment with both options.
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Colin Clarke, guest conductor for MYWE Concert Band summer academy. |
Youth Wind Ensemble hits a high note
by Rachel Cooper
This summer’s Maritime Youth Wind Ensemble, Acadia’s newest Summer Band Academy, was “an extraordinary experience” for renowned conductor and music educator Colin Clarke. The students liked it, too.
“Tubas, you’ll love this. At J, give me more power, please. Go hog wild there, please. Go hog wild – with tone.” Colin Clarke faces the stage from the conductor’s podium In Wolfville’s Festival Theatre.
Thirty-three pairs of eyes focus on him. They belong to 33 young musicians, all holding a woodwind, brass, percussion instrument or string bass. These musicians form the Maritime Youth Wind Ensemble, a new offering in the 2009 Acadia Summer Band Academies.
It is Friday afternoon, and they are rehearsing for a public concert the following day. Between now and then, they will rehearse twice more: this evening and Saturday morning. They are all high school students and have met for the first time less than a week ago.
Acadia University offers a wide variety of science and music programs each summer. To audition for the new Maritime Youth Wind Ensemble, the students videotaped themselves playing an octave chromatic scale and a solo or etude, then uploaded the video to YouTube. Only the best were selected.
Now the tuba players lean forward a little as Clarke speaks.
“More power. Make the hair in the second row fly!” he shakes his short dreadlocks to demonstrate.
They begin again, this time with more power from the tuba section.
Colin Clarke is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra. As a conductor, music clinician and adjudicator, he is in demand internationally. The Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra has won many regional and national awards and has collaborated with renowned artists, its website says. Clark’s debut at Carnegie Hall was in May 2006 with the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra, and he has been invited to return in 2011.
Clarke’s commitment to working with young people is evident in the Friday-afternoon rehearsal, as is his passion for music education. He is unfailingly courteous, standing relaxed and assured in shorts, loose shirt and sandals.
“Kevin, D, fantastic as always, good for you,” he says. “Laura, third bar of E, come in on the beat. Flutes, I hope you’ll take time to go through F. Get together for five minutes to go over that.”
He uses mild humour liberally as he helps the musicians tighten their performance: “I want ‘Dah! Da DAH!’ Not ‘Moo…’”
Despite the youth of the musicians, the music is demanding. One of the pieces, Symphonic Dance No. 3 (“Fiesta”) by Clifton Williams, conveys a Latin American bullfighter story. “The music has lots of complicated rhythms and lots of off beats – a lot of off beats, a lot of staggered entrances,” Clarke says later.
After nearly a week together, the musicians play “Fiesta” solidly and with heart in rehearsal. The music is stirring, even with the occasional wrong note and hesitant entrance.
“Take your pencils out, please,” Clarke says as the rehearsal starts to wind down. Students poise pencils above sheet music. “Clarinets, write ‘No fear.’ Think, I’m tired of coming in like mice. Write down ‘No fear,’ please. French horns, listen for the saxophones.” Then: “French horns, write ‘No fear.’”
Finally, the musicians begin to gather their belongings. “Not perfect, but not bad,” he says. His “not bad” sounds like genuine praise. “This evening make sure you bring a pencil with you.”
After the students have left, Clarke sits down to chat about how the week is going.
“The experience has been just extraordinary,” he says.
The Maritime Youth Wind Ensemble comprises the top musicians of the 100-plus students here at the this week. According to Clarke, the wind ensemble program is more performance based than others, and the students get a higher level of education.
“I was surprised by the discipline and manners of the musicians here,” he says. “These kids come to rehearsals, always on time. They soak up everything, want to learn. It’s impressive. In rehearsals there’s no talking. Five hours of rehearsals a day, so you’d think there would be attendance issues – but they’re on the ball.”
He pauses. “It’s a conductor’s dream, as a matter of fact.”
For students, too, MYWE has brought surprises. Sixteen-year old Rachel Pond-Kirk of Amherst, NS, expected the week to be more difficult than it turned out to be. She has taken part in several science camps before, but this is her first music academy and her first program at Acadia. Her instrument is the flute.
“I heard of several band camps from friends who had been here,“ she says. “They said it would be a lot of fun and that I’d meet lots of people, which I did. At first I thought it would be more difficult – we had less than a week – but once we got started I realized how easy it could be.”
When asked what has made it easy, she says, “The people I got to work with and our conductor, Colin Clarke. He’s a really funny guy. If we make a mistake he understands and we can keep going until we get it right.”
Members of the wind ensemble range from grades 9 to 12, with grade 9 students playing alongside an ensemble of older students. “This group is actually quite diverse in their levels,” Clarke continues. “I treat the grade 9 students no differently from the older ones, even though the older ones have years more experience.”
A surprise for Clarke has been the quality of the students. He says he was told at the beginning not to expect a high calibre. The students come from different backgrounds, are in different age groups and have varying ability.
“But they have risen to the occasion. The first rehearsal sounded like traffic in the middle of a cow field,” he says with a grin. “But even by Tuesday morning they were that much better.”
“I do a lot of camps and guest conducting. This experience overall has been wonderful. The atmosphere is extraordinary.”
This is Clarke’s first time at Acadia, although he has taught and conducted at camps in the past with Mark Hopkins. Hopkins is Conductor of the Acadia University Wind Ensemble and Coordinator of the Music Education area. The two have been friends for 12 years.
Clarke credits Hopkins, Ardith Haley (Director of Concert Band Academy), and the faculty and staff for the program’s success. He also remarks on the beauty of the area – including the beauty of seeing Cape Blomidon from the big picture window of Wheelock Dining Hall – and the Acadia campus setting.
“I think this is an extraordinary experience for young people,” he says. “If there are people out there wondering what to do with their kids next summer, I highly recommend this program.”
Rachel Pond-Kirk agrees. “It’s fun to be here. I’ll be recommending it. If people love band as much as I do, I’ll recommend it for them.”
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Colonel Derek Joyce, Wing Commander, 14 Wing Greenwood and Dr. Gary Hepburn, Director of Open Acadia |
Acadia flies higher with 14 Wing Greenwood
June 4, 2009
(Wolfville, N.S.) -- As part of its continued efforts to engage people of all lifestyles, Acadia University’s initiative to offer flexible learning opportunities, Open Acadia, has launched the Certificate in Business Management program for Canadian Forces and Department of National Defence personnel at 14 Wing Greenwood. Members of the surrounding community are also welcome to participate in the program.
The Certificate in Business Management will offer participants a comprehensive grounding in management, with all classes to be delivered on the Greenwood base. In addition to exploring management topics and decision-making skills, participants will gain insight into related areas such as business communication and human resources. Open Acadia and the F.C. Manning School of Business Administration worked together to develop the certificate program.
“We’re very proud to be involved in such a unique new program,” says Dr. Gary Hepburn, director of Open Acadia. “Today’s university student expects an education that can adapt to their lifestyle and to their personal and professional goals. The Certificate in Business Management will allow us to bring an Acadia experience to an entirely different set of students while strengthening our bonds with the greater Annapolis Valley community.”
Courses in the Certificate in Business Management will begin in September 2009.