Published by Communications and Public Affairs 519 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338

News Release

September 06, 2005

U of G to Host Jazz Colloquium

The University of Guelph is hosting a free jazz colloquium Sept. 7 to 9 at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre to coincide with the 12th annual Guelph Jazz Festival.

"Improvising Matters: Rights, Risks, Responsibilities" will feature panel discussions and performances that provide an overview of issues associated with improvisation. More than 20 speakers will address topics ranging from "Responsibility, Improvisation and the Law: The Protection of Political Speech as Improvisation" to "The Way to Play: The Metaphor of 'Language' in the Discourse of Jazz Musicians."

The colloquium is sponsored by the Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation, the SOCAN Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage/Patrimoine Canadien, the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, the university's research and student affairs offices, the School of English and Theatre Studies, the School of Fine Art and Music, and the Central Student Association.

"The event is designed to engage the community as much as possible and include a broad range of experiences and opinions in discourse with musicians and presenters," said Hanna Smith, colloquium co-ordinator.

Program:

Sept. 7
• 9:15 to 10:30 a.m. Panel: "Rights, Risks, Responsibilities."
• 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. Panel: "Tensions and Transformations, Utopias and Dystopias: Improvisation and Social."
• 1 to 2 p.m. Concert: Gordon Allen's Powerbuch.
• 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. Presentation: Alain Derbez and Emiliano Marentas, Mexico, "Jazz Will Set You Free."
• 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Panel: "Languages, Identities, Borders."
• 5 p.m. Concert: Ensemble Pierre Labbé.

Sept. 8
• 9:05 to 10:15 a.m. Keynote speaker: Ingrid Monson, Harvard University, "Improvisation and Moral Purpose."
• 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. Workshop: "Improvising the French-Canadian Diaspora."
• 1 to 2 p.m. Concert: Rob Clutton.
• 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. Panel: "Improvisations, Pedagogies, Institutions."
• 3 to 4 p.m. Concert: Cosmologic.
• 5 to 6 p.m. Concert: André Duchesne, Jean René and Pierre Tanguay.

Sept. 9
• 9 to 10:15 a.m. Plenary panel: "Ancient to the Future: Celebrating 40 Years of the AACM."
• 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. Workshop: "Of Other Spaces: Improvised Geographies."
• 1 to 2 p.m. Concert: Marshall Allen, John Oswald, Scott Thomson and Doug Tielli.
• 2 to 3 p.m. Audience Round-table on Listening: "The Audience Speaks Out."
• 3 to 4 p.m. Concert: Lori Freedman.

For more information about the colloquium, call (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56547. To learn more
about the Guelph Jazz Festival, go online or call (519) 763-4952.