Q. What is the Music Alive Program (MAP)?
A. MAP sends artists to schools and communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, and now the Atlantic provinces. Every year, the NAC and its local partners run about 100 events such as music education workshops and performances for children who might not normally be exposed to the arts. We also mentor young artists, arrange instrument donations, and much more.
Q. Who are the artists who work with the MAP?
A. They’re classical artists, singer-songwriters, hip-hop artists, traditional Indigenous drummers and throat singers. MAP teaching artists are not only gifted musicians, they’re also incredible educators with a passion for sharing music and sparking creativity in others.
Q. What’s been the impact of MAP?
A. Over the years we’ve reached more than 125,000 students, teachers, and community members across the country, and discovered some really talented young artists.
Q. What has been most rewarding for you?
A. I’m most proud of the work we’ve done bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists together to collaborate and share their music and culture. It’s also wonderful to see that some of our newest teaching artists are musicians we first encountered in small communities as students. It’s a privilege to be part of their story.
Prélude magazine – The People
Winter 2018
