The Piano Salon: Music, Ideas, Conversation

Come to the Piano Salon! Each month, at a different Toronto home, we offer two musical performers in contrasting styles, plus a speaker who will start a conversation on an interesting topic.

The March 2012 salon is going to be on Sunday the 25th at the home of Kevin Barrett and Lynne Woolcott. Jeff Burke will start the evening with a diverse mix of pieces and improvisations on solo bassoon and theremin. Then Andrew Knox from Transition Toronto will talk about this new and exciting community sustainability movement. And finally, the talented Mike Evin will delight and entertain us all with his fun and lovely piano songs.

Light snacks and drinks will be provided . . . bring your own contributions for extra merriment, and come ready to hear great music and join in the conversation!

IMPORTANT - This month's salon will be filmed for a documentary on DIY cultural events by director Carolyn Armstrong! So please be aware that sitting or speaking in camera range constitutes permission for us to include you in the film.

Sunday March 25
Kevin Barrett and Lynne Woolcott's
137 Denison Avenue (steps North from the Dundas 505 streetcar)


7PM Door and light snacks
730PM Jeff Burke
830PM Andrew Knox
930PM Mike Evin

Suggested donation $10 to 15 - no one shunned for lack of funds!


About the participants...

Jeff Burke has been playing bassoon around the Toronto area for over thirty years, hopping from the Anglo-Irish tradition to indie rock, folk, jazz, world beat, hip hop, and contemporary classical with no signs of boundaries or borders. Any style he can get his hands on is fair game . . . yes, he'll play Metallica, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and System of A Down, as well as Praetorius and O'Carolan, on the bassoon. He's recently added the theremin (an early electronic human-voice-imitating instrument) to his bag of tricks and will bring that out, too. Jeff plays solo and in numerous groups (such as recently with the Sun Ra Archestra), has opened for Noam Chomsky, and is known as an adept improviser.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeff-Burke-Bassoon/107406979295155.
http://www.myspace.com/jeffbassoon

Andrew Knox is a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering at UofT. Prior to beginning his Ph.D. he worked in Devon County, UK, as a renewable energy consultant. During this time in the UK, he first was exposed to Transition Towns (see http://www.transitionnetwork.org), a community-based approach to dealing with climate change, fossil fuel depletion, and global economic instability. Upon his return to Toronto in 2009, Andrew and some friends started Transition Toronto (the subject of his talk; see http://www.transitiontoronto.ning.com). Andrew continues work with Transition Toronto to build local resilience in the city.

Mike Evin is a piano-playing singer-songwriter born and raised in Montreal and now living in Toronto. He has recorded five records, the latest being Do You Feel The World. Artists he has collaborated with include Barenaked Ladies and Ron Sexsmith. Much of Mike's inspiration comes from the classic pop and soul music of the 60's and 70's.
http://www.mikeevin.com