Summer concert season

Ah June; the start of summer concert season. What makes a good summer concert? Is it the weather, the venue, the musicianship of the performer? Or is there something else?

Ottawa’s re-named  CityFolk festival (formerly Ottawa Folk Festival) recently announced their headliner – rock legend Van Morrison. Good for them but I won’t be there. I’ve already had the pleasure of his company at the 2007 version of Bluesfest. Sure, I enjoyed hearing Gloria and Brown Eyed Girl and many other hits. What bothered me was his attitude. Maybe it shouldn’t matter, but when I attend a concert, I appreciate some kind of performer/audience interaction. Mr. Morrison appeared on stage, sang his songs, introduced his band at the end of the show and left abruptly, with no encore. He made absolutely no attempt to connect with the thousands of people who paid a lot of money to see him.

Contrast him with Diana Krall. The Citizen’s review (http://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/local-reviews/music-review-feel-good-and-familiar-works-for-diana-krall-at-nac ) of  “Canada’s jazz queen’s” May 31^st concert gave her top marks for musicality but what impressed me, as much as her musicianship, was her demonstration of humility and generosity. So many top stars introduce their band near the end of the show but not Ms. Krall. As soon as her opening number was done, she introduced the five members of her band. She was also accompanied by an orchestra and throughout the show she acknowledged them and praised their conductor. When introducing each song, she always mentioned the name of the composer and/or arranger. Krall, the big-name entertainer, often said she felt so lucky to be able to perform the piece or to play with such great instrumentalists. At the end she stood among her bandmates to take her bow. What a class act she is.

Another outstanding performer that I’ve had the pleasure to see both at outdoor festivals and onstage at the NAC is Natalie McMaster. Whether on her own or with members of her musical family, she provides wonderful musical entertainment and a real warmth.  At the end of her show you feel like you have met her, that you know and care about her.   

One of the most magical outdoor concerts I’ve been to was James Taylor at Bluesfest, in July of 2008.  Us old fogies were settled in our lawn chairs long before the concert began, enjoying a perfect summer night. With his friendly chatter, it felt like an evening with friends in a living room, as we all sang along to his sweet, gentle hits.

I didn’t know what to expect from Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers when they performed at Confederation Park a couple of years ago. Could he really play banjo as well as make us laugh? It turns out that the multi-talented Steve Martin is a real musician with the funniest banter of any concert.

I’d love to see Paul McCartney again. His performances are the opposite of Van Morrison’s. In a CBC radio interview in 2010, he said, "I go out there and try to give people the best night of their lives." He delivers. There really is nothing quite like belting out all those great tunes with McCartney as a very enthusiastic choir leader. As the cameras panned the crowd at his concert, I was struck by the sea of happy faces; all these strangers, of various ages and backgrounds, united in joyous singing. What a great gift, to be able to give joy to so many.

Concerts can be like that; magical escapes. Audience interaction, humour, warmth, along with great music make for unforgettable experiences. Here’s hoping that this summer’s Ottawa festivals provide us with plenty of magic.

Nepal

How could I have neglected this space for so long? Blame it on May, my favourite month, with its gift of flowering trees, like these at Ottawa's Experimental Farm.

We've also had the pleasure and the total busyness of an extended visit with our grandchildren. They just left this morning so I'll put away the high chair, toys and the Raffi Christmas cd until the next visit. Our little guy loves Santa and Christmas songs.

When I watch the evening news I feel like I am living on a different planet. Here I am in Ottawa, Canada, a stable country, with fairly reasonable weather, while in so many parts of the globe, misery and catastrophes are rampant. While I stroll among the lilacs at the Experimental Farm or play with my grandchildren, thousands in Nepal are living outdoors, desperate for aid, as they await the start of monsoon season. The Nepal earthquakes have faded from the media but those people 's lives are still in turmoil.

 There are so many causes to support. It often feels overwhelming. However, if anyone reading this has thought about donating to the Nepal relief effort, now is the time. The Canadian government will match any donations made by Canadians by tomorrow, May 25th. For more information about the many charities working in Nepal have a look at this CBC piece where you can click on a charity to donate.

Lesson for today: Be assertive

On Tuesday night on CBC's The National, their medical panel had a discussion entitled Health care in the online world. They talked about  doctors using email, twitter, medical apps on phones and digital  medical records. May I humbly suggest that it is all well and good to use these new tools as long as we keep in mind that it is us lowly humans who must make it all work.

Recently I changed doctors. I am very pleased that my new doctor is a lovely woman whose office is within walking distance of my home. When I left after my "meet and greet" appointment on March 5 th, I signed a form consenting to the transfer of my records from my previous doctor. That doctor's office contacted me a few days later, when they received the request. They would transfer the records after I paid them $25.00.  I gave them my MasterCard number and thought that was the end of the story. (Silly me!) Knowing that such transactions frequently take time to process, I waited and made an appointment for April 28th, to get my new doctor's opinion on my ongoing knee problem.

When I walked in, I expected my new doctor would be able to access my previous records, including the MRI that was done on my knee. No such luck!  The answers to all my doctor's questions -  dates and results of my tests -  were in my hard copies which I had left at home because I had trusted that the transfer had been done. My new doc said she would have her staff double check the next morning and I was asked to call my old doc to see if they had actually sent them.

So the following morning I called the new doctor's secretary. No, they were sure they had never received them. I called the old doctor's office. Now these are the people who charged $25.00 to my MC on March 12th.  I politely enquired whether or not my records had been sent out. They sent the records out on March 13th! The secretary at the old office said she would call the new office. The records had been sent out on an encrypted disc and the password had been sent in a separate email.

After another couple of calls, the secretary at the new office confirmed that yes, they did receive the records a while back, but it was an unusual format and she had never figured it out. Now, however, she had the records and would make sure that my new doctor saw my file.

So, my lesson: Do not rely on technology. It is only as good as the people that use it. Do not assume that an electronic message or task has been done. I should have called to ensure that my records had been received.

Now my daughter Norah, who is way smarter than me, already knows this. Recently, on a Monday, a doctor told her that she would request a test at a hospital. There would be a long waiting period for the test. The next day Norah called the hospital to see if they had received the requisition from her doctor's office. No they hadn't. She called again on Wed and received the same answer. So she called her doc and was told it had been sent. On Thursday the hospital told her to get the doc to re-send the requisition. On Friday she called the hospital and was told that they had finally received the req. but they could not act on it because the doctor's office had failed to attach the clinic notes. So on Friday afternoon Norah called the doctor's office and asked then to attach the clinic notes to the requisition.

If she had not started her enquiry, she could have been waiting politely for a call from the hospital for months, knowing that it was a long waiting list. She never would have received that call and months would have been lost.

Fortunately neither of these cases are life and death. What if they were more serious, time-sensitive issues?  As patients, we have to be proactive and assertive. We may go to all kinds of super intelligent specialists and have access to all kinds of technology but we are the only ones who know our entire medical history. It's imperative to keep track of our health episodes and to follow up on doctor's orders so that we can advocate for ourselves. Sitting back politely is not a useful strategy.

Holy Week Walk

After a long winter, there is something special about those first walks outside  on warm sunny days. My first spring walk happened last Friday.

The sun was shining and the temperature climbed to a balmy fifteen degrees as we joined about sixty others for a walk in downtown Ottawa. That first warm day marked not only a welcome sign of spring but a significant day in the Christian calendar - Good Friday.   

This walk was organized by Kairos Spirituality-for-Social Justice Centre, a ministry sponsored by The Grey Sisters. It was a few of those sisters who organized and lead the walk. If this is conjuring up images of nuns in habits leading a group of people in costumes, with perhaps a big cross, think again. This was just a casually dressed group of people going for a walk together on a lovely sunny day. The only prop was a microphone and speaker, rolled along so that we could hear the reflection at each stop along the way.

Crossing the Laurier Avenue bridge, towards the National Defence Building

Anne Taylor, one of my former high school teachers, gave the welcome and introduction to the event. The former high school building where I first met Anne, is still owned by The Grey Sisters. They transformed it into the Bronson Centre, which houses many charitable agencies. It's just one example of the leadership and care for  marginalized people, that these wise women are providing, here in Ottawa.

Sr. Anne Taylor walks with a young participant

This walk, in its fifteenth year, was called a Social Justice Way of the Cross. We walked from our downtown parish of St. Joseph's to Confederation Park and made several stops along the way. At each stop a thoughtful reflection was read. It was similar to other Good Friday walks, in that the last days of Christ’s life formed the basis for the prayers and reflections.

However, the stations of the cross served as a point from which we were connected to present day situations. At a totem pole in Confederation Park, the stop was Jesus Falls: Violence against aboriginal women and girls. Some of the other stops were:

Jesus carries his cross: Carrying one another’s cross: Palliative care

Veronica wipes the face of Jesus: Empowering and including women and

Jesus comforts the women: Defend mother earth

In Confederation Park, walking towards City Hall

It was a very meaningful gathering. One phrase that stuck with me is "active hope". After each reflection was read we sang a simple refrain, “What have you done? What are you doing? What will you do, now you know?”

It reminded me of a picture I recently came across on Facebook, from Guideposts. It is of former President Jimmy Carter, a man who has been such a giver, in his post presidential years. Here he is, dressed in work clothes, probably at a Habitat for Humanity build.

 

With the national and international news getting more depressing by the day, it's not easy to stay positive or hopeful. Thank goodness for the people of active hope, who  are doing such good work and encouraging us to do the same.

EQAO - a postcript

Well, I never really intended to follow up on my comment about scrapping EQAO (Ontario's Education Quality and Accountability Office) but this little video just fell into my lap. I saw it on Facebook, the day after my last post. The video shows a very young student addressing her Florida school board. Her remarks are very similar to what many of us think of Ontario's EQAO, which commenced in 1996. It is a waste of precious time, energy and money and causes untold stress for everyone involved. If only the EQAO money ($33 million annually) could be poured into special education, where it would actually result in much better results province wide. Here's an argument against standardized testing.

Learning Disabilities

Well, it's always fun to be on the radio. Last week, on March 23rd, while staying in baby land, I took a break from making baby food and changing diapers to make a call to CBC radio's Ontario Today show. The discussion that day was entitled, Why are schools not following plans for learning disabilities?

It's too bad they started with that negative slant but it certainly generated an interesting discussion. As a mother, grandmother and retired special education teacher, this is a subject that I care passionately about. I wish I could say that in 2015 we have made great strides and that students with learning disabilities are getting the best service ever. Sadly, as the radio discussion confirmed, that is not the case.

Today's great gadgets: the smart boards, laptops, chrome books and cell phones, all provide wonderful advantages to LD students. However, technology alone does not solve every problem. There is still a great need for individual attention and instruction which is simply not possible in today's classrooms, in spite of many teachers' heroic efforts. I won't go on and on about this here. If you're interested, you can listen to the program.

My main point is that students who are experiencing difficulty need to be given a complete assessment early - by grade one. People with a learning disability are of average or in many cases, above average intelligence. A few famous folks with LD are: Jamie Oliver, Whoopi Goldberg, Albert Einstein, Daniel Radcliffe, Steven Spielberg, Keira Knightley and Richard Branson. Many people are identified as both gifted and LD. If they do not get the help they need at an early age, their self esteem often suffers, as they see their classmates achieve milestones that they find impossible. LD students require intensive assistance in the primary grades. If they can master the basics by the time they hit the junior division (grade four) then they will fit in much better with their peers and feel so much better about themselves.

Elementary school years zoom by very fast. I was recently in a grade five classroom and there was a student there who could hardly read or write. When I spoke to his teacher about him, she told me that the spec. ed. teacher was currently in discussions with the parent, trying to persuade her that her child required testing. That mother was still in the denial stage - "There's nothing wrong with my kid."

What's really sad is when you have the big discussion with parents of grade eight students. They have to fill in their option sheets for high school and that's when some of them finally realize that their child may not be capable of following the academic stream. So much heartache could be avoided if we poured pots of money into testing, early intervention and intensive assistance for our primary grade students. In Ontario, where would we get these pots of money? Scrap the EQAO testing! But that's another discussion.

Here Comes the Sun

The 20th of March - the first day of spring! Can it really be true? I am writing this from Toronto where it really is a lovely, warm, sunny day. Everyone we know in Ottawa has been complaining about our long, cold winter. While it's true that February was especially cold, we certainly have not had the severe storms that have plagued Halifax, where our son Brendan currently resides.

While summer still seems like a long way off, many Ontario residents have been planning their summer holidays. Earlier this month we managed to snag a spot at our favourite provincial campground. I'm not even going to say the name because competition for spots is already way too crazy. You can reserve a spot at an Ontario park five months in advance, so today you can reserve any spot that is available on August 20th.

The strategy for making a reservation is complicated. Well, maybe not complicated, but it requires perseverance. First, you scout through your campground website to see what will come available on the day you want to book and then, on that day, get up before 7 am to prepare. For a solid week, in late February/early March, Pat and I were up well before 7 to attempt to make our booking. I logged onto my Ontario parks account, and went as far as I could go on the campsite reservation form. Everything was typed in and my finger hovered over the last button - "reserve", until the second hand hit the top of the clock at precisely 7. Beside me, Pat dialed the reservation number on the phone, leaving the last digit until the same moment.

Most days my screen went blank or I was completely kicked out of the parks site, as soon as I hit the reserve button. Some days my screen froze and then, when it re-awakened, all the spots that had welcoming green triangles beside them at 6:58, now sported angry red triangles. The best spots are always gone by about 7:05. Somehow Pat got through on the phone two days in a row. The first day the operator slowly went through all the preamble; "Now which campground do you want? How many people in your party? How many tents will you have?" By the time she got around to asking which sites we wanted, they were all gone.The next time we got through, we were rather rude and immediately told her which campground and which site we were after and asked her to do the other details later. It worked! It is not a perfect spot. There is no shade or privacy. However it is close to a magnificent beach and close to flush toilets so we figure we're lucky.

It was a strange feeling, sitting up in bed, in the darkness of an early March morning, with the phone and latop all fired up, ready for action, knowing that at that precise moment, hundreds of other snowbound folks were in the same position, sitting in their beds, preparing to compete with us for these same spots. We are desperate people, longing for summer, for warmth and long sunny days.

Today's sun and temperatures are a hopeful sign. Spring and summer are on the way! It's a day for one of my favourite Beatles songs, Here Comes the Sun. Enjoy!