#afiara quartet

Last night I had the chance to enjoy a truly inspirational performance. Kid Koala’s Nufonia Must Fall, based off of his graphic novel of the same name, plays on the carpe diem sentiment that is ever sought after by much of the current youth but too often elusive to the seasoned and fresh alike, and not the carpe diem aesthetic that breeds LMAO.

Being the sucker for animation and stop motion films that I am, this performance blends three things that I love, breathing life into lifeless objects, performance art, and music(technically considered performance art). Directly below the screen were three stations for Kid Koala, Afiara Quartet and the only station of the puppet show that didn’t involve puppets. Below them were around twelve other stations dedicated to scenes for the puppet show, all which are small sets to where the puppeteers do their choreography. The syncopation of the musicians is one feat, but the syncopation of the musicians and the puppeteers’ choreography into their puppets is a completely different level. At various times I had to look away from the projectors and watch the puppeteers to reassure myself that what I’m witnessing is live, especially in how the exceptional lighting flawlessly and seamlessly sets the entire show’s various moods from somber to hopeful, mundane to blissful.

My “Learning in the Wild” – Activity 10

My learning in the wild ‘outing’ was attending the first night of the “New Creations Festival” by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thompson Hall. The festival, now in its 12th year, seeks to push the boundaries of classical music through artistic fusion. Full disclosure: it has probably been over a decade since I last attended the symphony. While I appreciate most types of music, I have…