The Glenn Gould Foundation Presents: Music and the Promise of Childhood

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: Across the planet, social initiatives rooted in the teaching of music have shown the powerful impact that this form of creative expression, collective engagement and personal development can have on the lives and futures of children and youth. The programs presented in this panel hail from diverse cultural and social environments, and address different needs and challenges among the students they serve. Despite these differences, our speakers will draw upon their lived experience, and that of their students, to identify the common threads that make their work successful, impactful and life-changing, with lessons that can benefit children and communities everywhere.

Info: Health is affected by numerous social factors that arise long before the need for physicians and hospitals becomes acute: loneliness, nutrition, emotional and home support, education, one’s physical environment, availability of cultural and social engagement, to name a few. Addressing these needs in a way that can save health care dollars, relieve stresses on the medical system and produce better health outcomes is the essence of the movement called Social Prescribing. Social prescribing holistically unites clinical and social care by referring patients to local, non-clinical services that are chosen according to the client’s interests, goals, and gifts. Our panelists draw upon a wealth of real-world experience to discuss the powerful role that learning music and access to musical culture can play as a social prescribing aid to the wellness of our children.

Info: Dr. Ahmad Sarmast is the visionary Founder and Director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM), established in Kabul after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. ANIM was created as a modern, inclusive conservatory, welcoming children in need, and open to girls, who had long been banned from access to education. ANIM sought to rescue and revive Afghanistan’s rich, musical heritage which was nearly eradicated under Taliban rule. Sarmast’s mission came at great personal risk. Despite death threats and a targeted suicide bombing that left him with grave injuries, Sarmast persisted and ANIM flourished, until the sudden return of the Taliban in 2021. He refused to be deterred. After several months in hiding, the students and teachers escaped and re-established the school in Portugal – reborn as a “conservatory in exile.” Dr. Sarmast vividly recounts and speaks with raw emotion about the harrowing experience and the enduring strength his students and faculty find in music.

Info: The central role of music makes it an essential part of who people are and how they understand themselves, from cultural celebrations and sacred observances, the telling of folk stories and foundational myths, sustaining family memories, and the voicing of hopes and concerns of the present-day. Yet, with the passage of time and changes in society or the uprooting of families and populations through traumatic events of displacement, war and natural disaster, people can become separated from themselves and their roots, becoming strangers in strange lands, or even alienated from their culture while still living in their homelands. Hear our panelists discuss the vital part music and music education plays in preserving and recovering cultural traditions, in regaining a sense of rootedness, and even finding a fresh sense of identity and kinship as they reconcile themselves to their new homes.

Info: Joshua Cohen is a professor of philosophy, and has taught at MIT, Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley, before joining the faculty of Apple University, established by Steve Jobs in 2008. Jobs' goal was to infuse Apple’s employees with a more holistic and creative vision of the company’s mission and values. Prof. Cohen developed this presentation about Glenn Gould and his re-imagining in 1981 of his groundbreaking 1955 hit recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Created for Apple, and rarely seen outside of Apple University, Dr. Cohen presents revelatory insights not only about a landmark recording, but about the richness of ideas that went into its creation. Through this presentation, Prof. Cohen reveals Gould’s insights about the rich inner workings of a musical masterpiece, but also his ideas about the ethical dimensions of technology, and their implications for society and the future of humanity.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

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