PULSE

STORIES FROM THE FRONT LINES OF MUSIC & MEDICINE

September 14, 2023
918 Bathurst

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We would like to extend our gratitude to our supporters

Welcome from the Founders of Pulse Music Media

Andrew Ascenzo
Cellist, Producer

SarahRose Black
Music Therapist

Welcome!

Music moves us. Music heals us. 

Tonight, we’re thrilled to invite you into first-hand experiences of the incredibly therapeutic power of music, through the eyes of a music therapist. Over the past several years, we have told stories and shared music in performance that has shone a light on the role of music in healthcare, and we are absolutely delighted to bring you into multiple first-hand experiences, based on SarahRose’s work as an oncology/palliative care music therapist.

Music therapy has deep roots in ancient traditions which use the arts for healing and wellness and has intersected with evidence-based medicine over the past 60 years in Canada, bringing intentional music into healthcare spaces across our country and around the world. Tonight, we invite you to the bedside of several patients who have experienced music therapy during their hospitalization. We welcome you into the relationships that are created and fostered through music during challenging and vulnerable times, and it is our sincerest hope that these narratives and musical performances create a deep understanding of the role of music therapy and provide you with an unforgettable evening of music and stories.

While all stories told in tonight’s performance are true, the narratives have been anonymized and all patient identifiers have been changed to protect patient confidentiality and honour the experiences of these individuals. 

A note on The Light in Your Eyes: The patient who courageously wrote this song gave express permission for it to be used for performative and educational purposes. We extend our ongoing gratitude to his family for this privilege. 

We are indebted to our extraordinary collaborators: a massive thank you to Michaela, Bora, Jialiang, and Adam for bringing your artistry and creativity to this concert, and for singing the songs and playing the music that has filled hospital rooms for over ten years. Thank you to Jocelyn and Ramune for your gorgeous artistic offerings, and to the beautiful 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education for hosting our event. We are deeply thankful to our families and friends for continually supporting our work in music and health.

Finally, we dedicate tonight to all the patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare providers who have invited music into their lives and shared their experiences wholeheartedly and openly: thank you for your incredible inspiration. 

If at any point you require additional support or resources for coping with grief, loss, and/or bereavement, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Hospice Palliative Care Association of Ontario. Additional resources are available HERE.

Thank you so much for attending tonight’s performance: we look forward to welcoming you to many more Pulse events in the future!  

SarahRose & Andrew 

PROGRAM

The Raven
Jocelyn Brown
with art by Ramona Luminaire

Aria
from Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
J.S. Bach

Prelude
from Suite No. 1 in G Major for Solo Cello, BWV 1007
J.S. Bach

Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Queen
arr. Andrew Ascenzo

Fever
Peggy Lee
arr. Andrew Ascenzo

Claire de Lune
Claude Debussy

Piano Trio No. 1 in G Major
I. Andantino con moto allegro
Claude Debussy

I Got Rhythm
George & Ira Gershwin

Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8
I. Allegro con brio
Johannes Brahms

Here Comes The Sun/In My Life/Let It Be
George Harrison/Paul McCartney/John Lennon
arr. SarahRose Black & Andrew Ascenzo

The Light in Your Eyes
SarahRose Black & P.H.

Shake it Off
Taylor Swift
arr. Andrew Ascenzo

Anthem
Leonard Cohen
arr. Andrew Ascenzo

MEET THE PERFORMERS

  • Narration, Voice, Piano

    Dr. SarahRose Black, PhD RP MTA is a registered psychotherapist and certified music therapist, researcher and educator specializing in psychosocial oncology and palliative care at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and in private practice. She is a graduate internship supervisor at Wilfrid Laurier University and an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto. SarahRose is the Editor in Chief of the Canadian Journal of Music Therapy, and her research focuses on music therapy and medically assisted dying, music within psilocybin use in advanced cancer care, and music therapy for adolescents and young adults with cancer. As a pianist, vocalist, and music health educator, she has performed, taught, and presented on her clinical work and research across Canada.

  • Cello, Guitar, Percussion

    Cellist. Performer. Conductor. Composer. Musical Director. Artistic Director. Teacher. Video Producer. Audio Engineer. Multi-Instrumentalist. Andrew Ascenzo is redefining what it means to be a professional musician in the 21st Century.

    Andrew is a graduate of the Doctor of Musical Arts program at the University of Toronto and recipient of the Tecumseh Sherman Rogers Graduating Award, the highest honour awarded by the Faculty of Music. He performs regularly as a soloist and was a founding member of the Bedford Trio, who served as the Irene R. Miller Piano Trio in Residence at the University of Toronto and finalists of the Anton Rubinstein International Chamber Music Competition. As an orchestral cellist, Andrew appears regularly with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Concert Orchestra. Andrew’s work in multi-media has included serving as the Artistic Producer of the Banff Centre’s Evolution Classical summer programs, video production for organizations including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, University of Toronto, University Health Network, Ottawa Chamberfest, Leaf Music, and Gryphon Trio, and for his most recent audio project, Andrew recorded, designed, and performed the electronic component for the world premiere of Rob Kapilow's Aprés Maman at Ottawa Chamberfest. Andrew has worked extensively in musical theatre, and most recently appeared as Music Director of Eclipse Theatre Company’s original production ’Til Then in July 2022. Andrew is the Artistic Director and Producer of Music in the Atrium, a weekly concert series, now in its 27th season, at Toronto's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

    In 2019, Andrew founded Pulse Music Media with music therapist Dr. SarahRose Black, which was created to share the incredibly unique intersections between the performing arts and music therapy in order to invite audiences across the country to hear music with new perspective and to more deeply understand the incredible impact that music can have on our well-being. Together, they have performed and lectured for the Canadian Opera Company, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Public Libraries, Google Canada, Pocket Concerts, Concerts in Care, and the Room 217 Foundation.

    Andrew is currently a cello instructor and guest lecturer at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. He can found on all social media platforms @andrewascenzocellist.

  • Voice, Guitar

    Michaela Bekenn (she/her/they) is a Toronto-based certified sound therapy practitioner, yoga and meditation instructor, and singer-songwriter. Her extensive interdisciplinary training in theatre, music, dance, yoga, mindfulness, and Traditional Chinese Medicine allows for an eclectic approach within her private and community-based practice. Michaela sources great joy from supporting clients across the lifespan including youth, corporate groups, neurodiverse adults, and seniors. She is currently enriching her professional and personal toolkit while completing her Master of Music Therapy and Psychotherapy. Michaela

    believes in the power of community and the value of storytelling in guiding us closer to the land, and closer to each other.

  • Violin

    Violinist Bora Kim is from Toronto, Canada, where she made her soloist debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 2009, performing 7 concerts at Roy Thomson Hall. Highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and Steinway Hall in New York, solo recitals across North America, Australia, and the Netherlands, chamber collaborations with pianist Emanuel Ax and the International Sejong Soloists, and masterclass for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. As a winner of the Canada Council’s 2018 Instrument Bank Competition, Bora was awarded the four-year loan of the 1747 “Palmason” Januarius Gagliano violin.

    Bora is a graduate of the Doctor of Musical Arts program from the Yale School of Music, where she also completed Master of Music and Master of Musical Arts degrees under the tutelage of Hyo Kang. She holds double Bachelor of Music degrees in both Violin and Piano Performance from the Colburn Conservatory of Music, as the first double- major graduate in the school’s history. Bora is an alumna of numerous festivals including Sarasota, Aspen, Norfolk, Banff, and Orford.

  • Piano

    Jialiang Zhu is a native of China and currently calls Toronto, Canada her home. Jialiang completed her Bachelor in Piano Performance and Masters in Piano Performance and Pedagogy with Professor Marietta Orlov at the University of Toronto. She is continuing her studies at the University of Toronto, pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree under the tutelage of Professor Lydia Wong. Jialiang recently won the 2017 Gwendolyn Williams Koldofsky Prize in Accompanying.

    Jialiang loves to collaborate with other artists. She is an alumna of both Banff Collaborative Piano Residency and Toronto Summer Music Festival. Her passion for contemporary music has led her to collaborative projects such as: Tapestry New Opera Workshops; the FAWN opera production Herma’s Shepherd: Vision I at the Open Ear Festival of Art, Architecture, and Sound; and the Tapestry Opera/Canadian Stage co-production Noor over Afghan at the Festival of Ideas and Creation. Jialiang co-founded the Bedford Trio with violinist Alessia Disimino and cellist Andrew Ascenzo. The Bedford Trio performs regularly, is an alumnus of the Orford Music Academy, and recently completed the Career Development Residency at Ottawa Chamberfest.

    Jialiang finds equal inspiration in solo piano performance. She was the featured soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the York Chamber Ensemble. Jialiang was a semi-finalist in the 2016 Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition and a finalist in the 2017 Vancouver International Piano Competition. Mostly recently, she won the University of Toronto’s 2018 DMA Recital Competition and will perform in the Thursdays at Noon concert series in March 2019.

    A passionate teacher, Jialiang has been working at the University of Toronto Piano Pedagogy Program since 2012. Most recently in May 2018, she adjudicated the Chinese Compositions Group and Bach group in the Canadian International Music Competition. Jialiang also has a studio of private students.

  • Lighting Design, Percussion

    Adam Kaleta is a Toronto-based percussionist and drummer. He has performed with Orchestra Toronto, the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Weston Silver Band, as well as numerous other pit bands, orchestras, marching bands, and jazz/rock bands. Adam performed in the 2015 performance of R. Murray Schafer’s epic work, Apocalypsis, during Toronto’s Luminato Festival. He is currently a member of Batucatronica, a group that combines tradition Brazilian Batucada with modern electronic music. Growing up as a drumset player, Adam enjoys blending drumset chops with his training in various other styles of music from around the world, giving himself a unique sound as a percussionist. He is also well versed in audio recording, and often combines percussion and electronics to explore the possibilities of electro-acoustic performance.

  • Visual Artist

    Ramune Luminaire is a visual artist, writer, and educator whose work revolves around emotions and experiences that are seldom expressed or discussed. Her artwork has been shown in galleries and museums in southern Ontario, Toronto, Montreal, various parts of England and Norway. Her chosen media are drawing, installation and sculpture. In this book the drawings, prints, pastel paintings, and photo transfers are Ramune’s response to Jocelyn’s writing—sometimes illustrative, sometimes purely intuitive.

  • Poet

    Jocelyn Brown, RN, CNS, has worked at with oncology patients at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre for 18 years and much of her time is spent witnessing the depths and messiness of the human condition, listening to stories of people who are stuck in their worst nightmare, living with terminal cancer. She witnesses patients’ vulnerabilities and is awed by the grace she sees in the way they deal with their experiences; she is humbled by the rawness of their suffering and grief; and astounded by the ways in which they find joy. Jocelyn’s is a story of helping to normalize death and focusing on love at the end of life instead of fear. She developed the curriculum for, and teaches, a course with the de Souza Institute, “Empathy Fatigue and Grief for Healthcare Professionals” and uses Love and Loss as a teaching resource. The writing and images in the book invite readers to consider their own vulnerability and how that engagement can create the possibility of change and healing. The book has become an entry point for nurses and other healthcare professionals to talk about dying, death, loss, grief, hope and coping, a trigger for reflection on their own stories and how these stories shape us personally and professionally. She is passionate about the idea of staying connected and responsive to our own creative call. Recognizing how creativity provides opportunity for reflection and expands our perception and self-awareness and how this can increase resilience, empathy, and compassion.

Love & Loss

a collaboration between a palliative care nurse and a visual artist

This artist’s book is unique—not a self-help book, not a poetry book, but an inspirational go-to for anyone dealing with death or grief, including carers and healthcare professionals as well as educators.

Order your copy HERE
$20.00 CAD plus p&p

All profit from the sale of the book supports bereaved children through Camp Erin, Toronto