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Quiet Time Town Hall

Main Stage

An easeful conversation with singer/songwriter Robin Dann and guests to talk about her newest project, Quiet Time.

We want to know: how you’ve been feeling, when you feel most at peace, what makes you laugh, what you are grateful for right now? The arts are a reflection of the world around us, and can also offer solace and relief from that world. In music, silence is just as important as sound.

Grab your favourite slippers and sweats, pour a hot beverage, and join Robin and fellow guest speakers composer Allison Cameron, ASMR artist Aayushi and mindfulness-based facilitator Jeremy Finkelstein for a mindful look into the curation of a new audiovisual musical experience that calms, soothes, and inspires.

ASMR (noun): a feeling of well-being combined with a tingling sensation in the scalp and down the back of the neck, as experienced by some people in response to a specific gentle stimulus, often a particular sound. “ASMR is triggered by things like whispering voices, paper tearing, and scalp massage”

What to Expect

  • Event lasts approximately 45 minutes.
  • Sneak peek into our upcoming Quiet Time show
  • An exploration of mindfulness with Jeremy Finkelstein
  • A performance from ASMR artist Aayushi
  • A conversation around how we’re all feeling these days. There’s no pressure to join in the conversation, but there will be opportunities to ask questions and share your thoughts.

Once you sign up, we’ll be sending out a link to join us on Zoom before the date. Please make sure to download the program before the date, and allow a space of 45 minutes to an hour for this event.

Featured Guests

Robin Dann, singer/songwriter
Allison Cameron, composer
Aayushi, ASMR artist
Jeremy Finkelstein, registered psychotherapist and mindfulness-based facilitator

WATCH (and listen) – a sample of ASMR artist Aayushi’s work.

 

Robin Dann is a singer and composer. She is most interested in laughter, empathy, and song as a social tool. Her Polaris-nominated band Bernice tours internationally and releases their music with Canadian label Telephone Explosion Records and UK label Figure8. Robin’s interest in using the voice and song to generally feel better continues to lead her in many directions including several collaborations with the Toronto Dance Theatre, Soundstreams, continuing work for seniors with memory loss at the Bitove Method, as well as ongoing collaboration with many different artists in Toronto and internationally. Robin was named a finalist for the Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize in 2019 and has received government support for numerous projects. In 2019 she was the recipient of a Chalmers Fellowship, allowing her to travel to the Arctic Circle, and to continue her research in song as an empathetic, community-building practice.

Allison Cameron is a professional composer, performer and improvising musician in Toronto.  Her reputation for writing compelling compositions for contemporary music ensembles is international.  She has been celebrated in Musicworks Magazine, The Wire Magazine, I Care if You Listen, Exclaim! and a variety of other publications. Her piece 3rds, 4ths and 5ths from her compact disc A Gossamer Bit was featured in UK’s The Wire Magazine Best of 2015. Her improvising trio c_RL (pronounced curl) was a featured performer at the international conference After Experimental Music in Ithaca, NY and most recently was part of the festival Goteberg Art Sounds in Sweden. In 2018 she won the KM Hunter Award in music, and, her improvised and composed work was featured in a two-day mini-festival by Toronto’s Arraymusic. Upcoming work includes a new piano solo for Philip Thomas in Cambridge; new works for Modelo62, a Dutch-Canadian collaboration; and, a forthcoming CD on Simon Reynell’s critically acclaimed label: Another Timbre (UK).

Aayushi is an ASMR artist from Germany, and has run her YouTube channel since mid 2019. She describes her style as having relaxing trigger assortments alongside mouth sounds, hand sounds, and whispers (mostly in English, though sometimes in German).

Jeremy Finkelstein is a Registered Psychotherapist and a mindfulness-based facilitator for The Centre for Mindfulness Studies and Mindfulness Everyday. He has done facilitator training through the University of Toronto and The Centre for Mindfulness Studies. At The Centre, Jeremy facilitates the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs, leads silent retreats and introductory workshops. With Mindfulness Everyday, Jeremy facilitates The Mindful Edge: Stress Reduction and Life Strategies for Teens. Also, Jeremy is a steering committee member for Mindfulness Toronto, a mindfulness professional community. Before pursuing mindfulness, Jeremy studied music and drumming at York University, holding a BFA in Music. Jeremy played drums in jazz, improv and rock groups for 20+ years.