Ever since doing a very small presentation at the ESL Book Shop for my friend, owner Cheryl McCarron, I've had this wonderful sort of link to the ESL community, who see in the Six String Nation a great tool for their work. After all, part of acclimatizing new Canadians is not only improving their skills in English but also giving them a rich sense of the history and culture of their adopted country - and teaching through Voyageur brings all of that into play while at the same time embracing whatever their own musical traditions might be.
My internal clock being off balance from my trip out west actually worked in my favor as I rose early to be at this morning's TESL Ontario Conference. As I was trying to find correct room at the Sheraton Centre, the volunteer with the clipboard - seeing my guitar case - kept insisting that maybe I wasn't in the right place but once the organizers found me and got me to the City Room, there's no question I was where I was supposed to be. The presentation went really well and the reception was phenomenal.
The guitar was played by John Stevens, Carlos Medina ("Here Comes the Sun"!), Geraldine Alvarez and guest ringer Michelle Rumball (pictured), who was also celebrating the release of her new CD, Welcome to the Beauty Saloon.
Special thanks to Cheryl McCarron, Stephanie Wolf and Mohammed Hashemi.
Posted at 2:06 PM