The Glenn Gould Foundation Presents: Music and Social Impact

The Promise of Music is a spectacular week of joy and inspiration that celebrates how music making transforms and saves lives across the world.

Orchestras, artists, dreamers, heroes and trailblazers from across the globe are gathering in Toronto to proclaim a simple truth: Music changes everything. With music education, children grow up to achieve significantly more academically, socially and interpersonally. They connect better with others, and create better careers for themselves.

Where is the Chrysalis?

Chrysalis (formerly known as Ryerson Theatre) is located at 43 Gerrard Street East in Toronto. The venue is located on the campus of Toronto Metropolitan University. The nearest major intersection is Yonge Street & Gerrard Street.

How do I get to Chrysalis?

Chrysalis is accessible by transit and by car. Chrysalis is conveniently located in between Dundas and College TTC stations. There are various parking garages nearby, as well as limited street parking.

Click here to get directions.

Is there accessible seating?

Yes, there is a designated accessibility seating section on the Orchestra level for those with mobility devices and/or accessibility accommodations.

Please note, unfortunately our Balcony level is not wheelchair accessible. There is no elevator and the balcony is only accessible by stairs.

If you have access needs or questions about accessibility, please contact [email protected].

Are there accessible restrooms?

There is a single-stall, all-gender restroom in the lobby. Please note, unfortunately this restroom does not have an ADA handicap button to automatically open the door. But the inside of the washroom is wheelchair accessible.

Info: How can music programs in prisons and detention centres contribute to rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society? In places of incarceration where human dignity and sense of self is repressed, creative expression offers a fragile yet vital form of agency.

Drawing on years of collaborative research within the Social Impact of Music Making (SIMM) research network and the lived experience of the founders of a ground-breaking Pr*son program, we will show the value of music both as a tool for rehabilitation, but also as a form of identity-building, quiet resistance, and constructing positive relationships.

Rather than romanticizing the role of music, we critically examine the limits and risks of musical practice in Pr*son settings, how power, vulnerability, and institutional control affect Pr*son music programs, and the ethical responsibilities of practitioners in working musically with the incarcerated.

Info: What does it take to build a transformative community music program, one that changes kids’ lives, opens new horizons for them, and contributes to healthier, more engaged communities? Each of our panelists has put in endless hours, faced innumerable challenges, made and corrected mistakes, and helped build a program that can serve as a role model for those who want to bring learning music to the young people in their own community.

Our panelists will share insights gained from years of organizing, fundraising, working with parents, teachers, administrators and public officials. Their examples show how to get started, build strategic alliances, create and adapt plans, persuade the skeptical, cope with challenged and challenging students, and nurture their organizations from “startup novelties” viewed with skepticism, to cherished, indispensable pillars of their communities, garnering enthusiasm, support and pride.

Info: Will AI increase our musical enjoyment or dull our emotional response? Will it enhance our sonic creativity or lead us to become quick-but-facile “composers”? Tod Machover — who has been at the cutting edge of music and technology for over 40 years, and who leads the visionary MIT Media Lab — will provide context for today’s AI music explosion, explain current approaches and where they might lead in music learning and creating, play relevant examples from recent AI-infused compositions by himself and others, and present an adventurous path forward that blends human and machine in mutually beneficial ways.

Info: If community music projects are to have genuine value, we need to challenge outmoded and romanticized narratives, many of which are rooted in paternalistic assumptions from the past.

Presenter Dr. Roger Mantie will pose provocative questions about how we understand the social impact of music and what underlying assumptions shape our interpretations of concepts like agency, transformation, and responsibility. Posing these difficult questions can lead to more realistic, evidence-based and beneficial initiatives that respond to community needs in a wide range of social, economic and cultural contexts. This session invites us to strive for initiatives founded on a more nuanced, context-sensitive, and ethically grounded understanding of what music can (and cannot) do in the face of social inequality, oppression, displacement and human suffering.

Info: Starting a music program from the ground up can be a powerful way to foster community, engage youth and create a lasting cultural, educational and social impact. This roundtable brings together leaders and program founders from across North America to share their experiences launching music initiatives. Join this session for practical advice on everything from securing funding and building partnerships to creating lasting long-term engagement. Whether you're an educator, community advocate or artist, this session will bring the tools necessary to launch a music program in your own community. Learn from their successes, their setbacks and their growth - but most of all, learn that it is possible for you, your children and your community!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University, The Creative School Chrysalis, Toronto, Canada