Singing. Breathing. Healing.

Medicine Walker, by Sendegehya:t, Thomas Anderson (photo Kimberly Barber, September 29, 2022) I was reading this morning in the Globe and Mail about the healing power of drums in Indigenous culture, and what a balm they have been for so many native peoples (and...

Digging deeper

Chicken Tikka in her safe space (March 2022) Cat photos are just about as cute as cat videos, aren’t they? I hope so…I took this picture of the delightful Chicken Tikka last spring at my friend Heather’s house. I was fascinated by the kitty’s...

I shall swim

Sunset, Mattawa River, August 2022 (photo courtesy Claude Wood) I’ve had some *moments* this week, overwhelmed by the enormity of returning to the University, the multitude of new things (updated syllabi, trauma-informed practices, learning about consent,...

Scaling the wall

Gould’s Wall (taken at Glenn Gould School Atrium, Kimberly Barber, August 2022) Resilience. Persistence. Endurance. These are three qualities I know to be essential for longevity and productivity in the performing arts (note I am studiously avoiding the word...

I’m kinda done with 1:1

Face 2 Face (retrieved from Snappa.com August 4, 2022) I hope that folks don’t find this thought triggering, but I’m kind of done with 1:1 teaching. I don’t mean that in a blanket kind of way–it’s the way that most of us in the classical...