Making Space for Music

May 14, 2019

Good evening everyone and welcome to this special evening to kick off our Making Space for Music campaign.

I want to thank you all for coming tonight to support our Faculty of Music in this way and I want to thank all of our performers for sharing their exceptional skill and talent with us tonight.

It is deeply meaningful to see so many in our community invested in the success of our music programs and it is incredibly exciting that there is such a groundswell of support so early in the campaign.

In fact, just a month ago when we announced on social media our plans to revamp the music building, we were flooded with likes and comments of support from music alumni and community members.

Indeed, the Faculty of Music is a gem at our university. It has been an integral part of Laurier’s identity since its inception in 1975.

In the 1980s, our Chancellor Maureen Forrester, herself a national opera icon, helped bring the Faculty of Music to even greater prominence. As you know, our recital hall is named in her honour.

Our faculty are recognized worldwide, and our class sizes are small, ensuring students have access to exceptional, personalized instruction from some of the greatest musical talent in the country.

This campaign’s goal is to create a space that celebrates this history and reflects the exceptional strength and talents of our faculty and students.

With your support, we will transform the music building, creating an exceptional entranceway from University Avenue, and build a new lobby with amphitheatre-style space full of natural light.

This space will feature a grand piano for impromptu concerts and community events.

Finally – and this is the part I’m most excited about – this campaign will support the creation of 43 new solo practice rooms and 11 rooms for ensembles.

Each room will be designed with floor-to-ceiling windows creating an openness and sense of place on University Avenue that complements the exceptional architecture of Lazaridis Hall – the building we are in right now.

This practice space is essential for student success. It is where students will develop the skills and confidence they need to be exceptional musicians and performers.

It will raise our Faculty of Music to new heights.

I have a deep appreciation for music in many forms.

Music brings people together in celebration and sorrow, has the power to evoke emotion, and can be used as a therapy to help everything from addiction to dementia.

It is truly remarkable that every culture around the world has some form of music. To make and enjoy music is to be human.

At Laurier, we are incredibly fortunate to have such an exceptional Faculty of Music. This faculty brings a creative energy to our campus and connects us to the community in a way that only music can.

We are all here tonight because we believe in the power of music.

I want to thank you again for your support.

Through your generosity, Laurier’s Faculty of Music will continue to leave its mark on the university, our community, and beyond.

I would now like to welcome Dr. Carruthers back to the podium to introduce our next speaker.