Christina
Smith
Submitted:
October 3, 2016
Awarded
: $
1333
Contact Information:
Christina
Smith
28 Outer Battery Road
St. Johns
Newfoundland and Labrador
A1A 1A7
Canada
709 743-1012
Reference 1:
Betsy MacMillan, McGill University
Reference 2:
Dr. Ian Sutherland, Dean of Music, Memorial University
Summary of Submitted Materials:
Submitted Documents:
Submitted Recordings:
Committee Notes:
Hey, Gang-
So thus far, we have two applicants (both Canadians, I see! One Maritime/ East Coast, the other West), for, respectively, a tenor viol and start-up funds for a new little chapterette.
Re: Christina Smith's application, I can't help but wonder if there's a more direct and efficacious way we might be able to help her get (say) a discount on books and strings. That money would go right to JM Rozendaal and, say, Charlie... but is there any kind of nudging or sleight-of-hand we could engage in to get more bang for our/ her buck? Canadian exchange rates and all don't make it better- worse, in fact, as memory serves.
Just thinking out loud...
-DM
One piece of slight-of-hand might be for us to grant the $$ to an intermediary in the States (such as Marie, or is it Lisa now?) who could make the purchases and then present the materials to Christina as a gift.
...and continuing our ongoing discussion about viols and money from last April...different people and different needs this time....Happy October David and Jack! David, are you suggesting we might lean on John Mark to give her a discount? I should think she might start that conversation with JM herself, but perhaps she might be encouraged to do it. As to strings, she's probably better off getting them from the Toronto source because if she were getting them from the U.S. there would be an extra charge for being sent to Canada. Or did you have other efforts in mind?
A GIA seems to be the only VDGSA grant possibility which would accommodate her particular needs since her participants range from kids to adults.
Lucy
If we arrange something like Jack's idea for Christina would we need to do something similar for Deborah, who is also Canadian? She's asking for $1500. We usually limit our grants to $1000 but should we make it, say $1200, so she ends up with $1000. I don't know what the current rate of exchange is, only that the U.S. dollar is stronger.
Lucy
Oops...I see we awarded $1300 twice last April. But my point remains the same.
L
OK....time to make some decisions. I would do it the easy way and give them what they ask....$1500 for Deborah and $1330 for Christina. I think both applications are sensible and should eventually bring new players into the fold. Thoughts?
Lucy
This is fine with me (giving both the amounts requested). Good projects; no red flags. And no other requests.
Hope both of you are well.
Hey, Gang-
Yes, indeed- Happy Hallowe'en to both of ye as well.
I think that as long was we're within our budget, awarded each applicant her requested amount is fine. I don't think we need to over-work the bang-for-the-buck aspect of it... just trying to save a couple o' bucks/ loonies.
So sure, green light from me as well. Let me know if we run into any issues... and Lucy, if you are the one who is "presenting", perhaps you might bring up our conversation and concerns just in case someone higher up can see a better way of doing things.
All the best,
-D.
I will make note of our concern when I write the report for the January meetings. Cheers until the next go-round in April!
Lucy
Good deal. Thanks Lucy! And best regards to you both.
Hi, Committee! Thank you so much for your work on deciding these grants, which are a very important part of VdGSA's work!
Personally, I don't have any problem with using all the grant money plus more to help worthy projects, and I am sure the board feels the same way. Let me know what kind of "note from the board" you need so that you feel GREAT about spending the society's $$? We would love for you to come to us when you need to to as for a mid-year increase in budget, should that problem arise. We don't need to pinch pennies to the extreme, we need to see if we can really afford to spend more on our membership's needs.
Thanks, Lisa! Benevolence noted.
The number and nature of requests have varied a great deal from year to year - there seems to be no discernible pattern - so sometimes we are in a position where we need to ask for more, but not always (as, this year). But it's good to know you've got our back in cases where we feel the traffic supports it.
Project Description:
My name is Christina Smith, and I am a string teacher in St. John’s Newfoundland. About 7 years ago I picked up the bass viol after a gap of thirty years – I had played it a little in University. In the fall of 2014 I approached Memorial University to do something with their viols, which had been silent since the mid 1980s, and with the aid of a small grant, I taught four beginners to play.
This year I am running a project called Gambade! to kick-start an ongoing viol-playing community. The intent is to quickly achieve a critical mass of gamba players by offering a cross-section of our string-playing community a very low-cost opportunity to begin playing the viol. An instrument and free instruction will be provided, a consort to play in and a performance opportunity. Without this project it will take years to develop viol-playing in St. John’s because of the difficulty of convincing enough people to commit to the expense of procuring lessons and an instrument with which they are unfamiliar. We have eleven instruments being lent or donated and one VdGSA rental bass coming from Montreal. Participants are a microcosm of the local musical community. We have five youth participants (ages 11 – 15). The rest of the group is comprised of music students at Memorial University, young professional musicians/teachers, amateurs from the community, and a Memorial University professor. Conditions of participation are membership in the VdGSA and a commitment to study with a “circuit rider†teacher (if we are successful in our application to that program.)
I am applying through the Suzuki Talent Education Program for a Newfoundland and Labrador Community Arts grant to cover teaching fees for a circuit rider teacher and, starting in December, for myself. I am teaching pro bono until then. I have every expectation that the project will be funded by the Arts Council but if it is not, I will be continuing to teach for free until June, and the circuit teacher will be paid by participants. Memorial University is giving us free rehearsal and performance space, lending their four viols and providing strings for them. What we need is money for music, and strings for the other seven viols.
I would like to purchase 5 copies of Rozendaal’s Viola da Gamba Dojo series, at CDN $340 and Jacqui Robertson-Wade’s graded consort collections, at CDN $135.00 as a foundation of a viol music collection (prices include 15% tax and shipping.) The music will be housed and administrated with the Suzuki program’s library and used on an ongoing basis by participants in future years.
As for strings, we could use one spare set for treble and bass (we have a set for tenor); extra top three strings for each instrument (2 basses, 3 tenors, 2 trebles) plus a couple of extra top d’s for treble. Cost from the Sound Post in Toronto including 15% tax and shipping is $858.73. Any leftover strings will be made use of in future years.
Many thanks for considering this application.
Sincerely
Christina Smith
Request Amount:
$
1333
Total Project Cost:
$
Budget and Additional Funding:
Qualifications:
BMus. with honours, music history University of Western Ontario, 1981
Artist Diploma in cello performance, University of Western Ontario, 1982
Suzuki Cello Teachers Degree, Talent Education Institute, Matsumoto, Japan, 1990
Brilliamment Baroque workshop, Thoiry, France, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014.
Arts in Education award, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, 2012
Currently studying with Betsy MacMillan in Halifax.