A great night of Rock and Roll in benefit of the CityArts Toronto Rock Camp scholarship fund and Learn to Play programs took place on December 17th, 2009 at the exclusive Gibson Artist Lounge in Toronto. Pictures by our talented photographer, Devin Dubeau, can be seen below.




A big thank you to Gibson Guitars, Epiphone Guitars and Amplifiers, Tina, Brad, Leo, Adam (for the super sound), Jeff Long, and Long and McQuade. Thank you as well as our four bands including TRC alumni Gentlemen & The Jury, The King's Cards, as well as Broken Bricks and the incomparable Frankie Whyte and the Dead Idols!

We've got big plans in store for 2010. Thank you all for your continued support and best wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2010!

Seraphim Marcopoulos
Executive Director and Founder,
CityArts / Toronto Rock Camp

Join us for a special CityArts Toronto Rock Camp event. A Holiday Party and Benefit for the CityArts Rock Camp Scholarship fund at the exclusive Gibson Artist Showroom on December 17, 2009. Featuring live bands in an intimate setting. Full details to be posted soon.

Date: December 17, 2009
Time: 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Price: $20.00 Proceeds to benefit the CityArts Scholarship Program
Location: The Gibson Artist Showroom
Address: 1205 King St West, Toronto, ON, Canada

Map to the Event:


View Larger Map

The CityArts Toronto Rock Camp is about to launch a year round program! Stay tuned for more Information!

The multi track recordings from the CityArts Toronto Rock Camp Summer 2009 edition are now all uploaded on the TRC website. Check out the recordings here: Summer 2009 Recordings

CityArts also runs creative learning educational programs in Art, Music, Media and Technology. Photographs of the CityArts Eco Art Camp from July 20 to July 24, 2009, taken by Geo Perdis.

The “Week Three CityArts Toronto Rock Camp Recap”: CityArts Toronto Rock Camp 2009: week #3 recap

The “Week Two CityArts Toronto Rock Camp Recap”: CityArts Toronto Rock Camp 2009: week #2 recap

The “Week One CityArts Toronto Rock Camp Recap” reads like it was written by a professional journalist. It was in fact written by Marc Weisblott. Head over to the CityArts website and read it for yourself: CityArts Toronto Rock Camp 2009: week #1 recap

The CityArts Toronto Rock Camp was covered in Brasil News in the July 21, 2009 edition. CityArts Toronto Rock Camp bands Stealth and The Pushes had pictures featured. If you read Portuguese, check out a copy of the newspaper or read it online.

Photographs by Devin Dubeau taken during Week Two of the CityArts Toronto Work Camp. Concert photographs from the Friday, July 10th, Concert. All Rights Reserved.

This year, CityArts is producing limited edition T-Shirts for the Toronto Rock Camp and CityArts programs. Our designer has worked for such esteemed companies like BMW and has produced three incredible designs. Quality sweatshop free garments are made by American Apparel and come in Men’s, Women’s and Kids styles and sizes. Limited Editions! First Edition production, 36 each of the three designs!

Three Designs: Flying “V” (Miles), CityArts Classic Girl (Lucy), CityArts Corporate (Nick)

All profits from T-Shirt sales go towards subsidizing the Fall/Winter 2009 CityArts free after school and in-school programs. By a stylish T-Shirt and support free Music and Arts education in at risk communities in Toronto!

Regular Price: $25.00 CDN Camper Price: $20.00 CDN (If Attending a CityArts Camp)

T-Shirt Sizes: Mens: (Small, Medium, Large, XL) Womens: Classic Girl Style (S, M, L) Kids: (Sizes Coming)

Photographs taken by Geo Perdis during Week One of the CityArts Toronto Rock Camp. All Rights Reserved.

With 10 Days to go to the opening of the Toronto Rock Camp, many have asked if any spaces are available for the Summer 2009 Edition. We have expanded into an incredible new facility and have added many talented staff members and counsellors. This has allowed us to double in size from Summer 2008 in order to meet demand.

Even though we’ve doubled our capacity while retaining our class leading staff to student ratios, we’ve already far surpassed past registrations. Many weeks feature sold out spots for certain instruments, so please consult our Registration Page, Dates and Fees and Registration Form for updates on spaces available.

A great way to get news from the Toronto Rock Camp is through our Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/torontorockcamp where we publish a daily status update.

For current registration status, please contact us via email or call me directly at 416-880-9370.

We’re set to have a fantastic summer and thank our staff, sponsors, parents and campers for their continued support.


Seraphim Marcopoulos,
Executive Director
CityArts Creative Learning Inc.
Center for Social Innovation
215 Spadina Ave., Suite 400, 
M5T 2C7, Canada
tel. 416-880-9370
http://www.cityarts.ca

The Toronto Rock Camp:
Website: http://www.torontorockcamp.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=30643305813
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/torontorockcamp

The T3 Triple Threat Workshop with Valerie Stanois is open for registration. Visit the T3 Program Page and the T3 Registration Form for more information. The program is set to run for a initial the one week sessions (starting on July 13th, July 20th, and July 27th) and is limited to only 12 participants per week. Register early to avoid disappointment!

Valerie Stanois, star of the hit musical “We Will Rock You” to offer a CityArts workshop for young performers

 
Valerie Stanois

For immediate release
15 June 2009        
 
TORONTO – CityArts Creative Learning is pleased to announce that the star of the hit Toronto musical “We Will Rock You,” Valerie Stanois, will be teaching at our Triple Threat (T3) Workshop for young performers this summer.
 
Ms. Stanois’s innovative “T3” workshop provides hands-on training in acting, singing, and dancing skills for young performers aged 11 to 17. Each week-long workshop will be headed by Ms. Stanois and feature some of Toronto’s most talented performers as guest instructors.
 
“I’m so excited to be able to give back to the community by leading this workshop for young performers! So many performers inspired me growing up and I want to do the same", says Ms. Stanois.
 
“We’re honored that a performer of Valerie’s caliber has joined us this year. We’ve also got an amazing line-up of musicians to teach at this year’s Toronto Rock Camp,” said Seraphim Marcopoulos, Managing Director of CityArts Creative Learning.
 
Now in its second year, the week-long Toronto Rock Camp gives musicians aged 11 to 17 the opportunity to play together in their very own band. Students are taught how to write songs, given instruction on their instruments, and coached on performance techniques from the camp’s staff of professional music teachers and industry professionals. Each week-long rock camp culminates in a live concert performance that’s open to friends and family.
 
The Ontario Ministry of Education’s Focus on Youth program has sponsored the Toronto Rock Camp, and CityArts is making 24 full scholarships available for potential students. Students can apply for a scholarship: http://www.torontorockcamp.com/register/scholarships.php
 
++++
About City Arts Creative Learning:
CityArts Creative Learning Inc. is a registered non-profit that develops and delivers arts, music, media and tech learning programs for kids and grownups.
 
-END-

Media contact: Seraphim Marcopoulos
Managing Director, CityArts Creative Learning Inc.
Tel: (416) 880-9370, seraphim@cityarts.ca
For more info and to register: http://cityarts.ca

Photographs taken by Dominic Ali at Rock and Roll Heaven, Toronto, May 31, 2009

The first in a series of CityArts / Toronto Rock Camp concerts hit Rock and Roll Heaven on May 31, 2009. Playing before a capacity crowd, TRC alumni bands, Carmen and Jack October, The King’s Cards, and Gentlemen and the Jury put on a fantastic performance.

They were followed by The WitHouts, Left of Eden (featuring CityArts / TRC instructors Mike McAvan, Chris Lesso, Valerie Stanois, along with Jeff Eager). Left of Eden was joined on stage for CityArts Music Director Leo Georgoulis and Tristan Avakian (Lead Guitarist for the hit Queen Musical “We Will Rock You”) for a three song set of Queen Hits!

Check out the Rock and Roll Heaven Concert gallery here.

“TRISTAN IS AN AMAZING GUITARIST” – BRIAN MAY (QUEEN)


Tristan Avakian

CityArts and the Toronto Rock Camp welcome guitarist Tristan Avakian in 2009. Tristan will be leading the Guitar Workshops and lending his expertise to the Toronto Rock Camp program. Personally selected by the legendary Brian May of Queen, Tristan is the lead guitarist for the hit Queen Musical “We Will Rock You”.

“There’s an aura of being around a working professional that you can’t communicate through a DVD or clips on YouTube,” he says. “From my own experience growing up, I know there’s no substitute, so that’s a role I hope I can also play for some kids.”

To learn more about Tristan visit the following websites:

CityArts Profile: Tristan Avakian
Website: www.tristanavakian.com

Come join us on May 31st, 2009, from 5 PM to 9 PM as CityArts launches its summer 2009 programs, in Art, Music, and Media with a free concert at Rock and Roll Heaven. Toronto Rock Camp instructors will be rocking the stage!

Date: Sunday, May 31, 2009
Time: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Cost: Free (all ages show)

Rock & Roll Heaven
1660 O’Connor Drive,
Toronto, ON, Canada
(416) 750-7335

Google Map:  http://tinyurl.com/palh47

The Toronto Rock Camp is the real “school of rock” for young Torontonians aged 11 to 17. Each week-long-long camp teaches aspiring rock stars how to write, perform, and promote their music. CityArts Creative Learning Inc., which runs the Toronto Rock Camp, is a registered non-profit. (http://cityarts.ca)

Come out and enjoy performances by:

-Cast members and CityArts / Toronto Rock Camp instructors Valerie Stanois "Oz" and Tristan Avakian (WWRY Lead Guitarist) from the hit musical "We Will Rock You"
-The WitHouts
-Left of Eden
-Sixes and Sevens
-Three rock camp student alumni bands — whose members range in age from 11 to 17

To learn more visit http://torontorockcamp.com  or http://www.cityarts.ca or contact Seraphim Marcopoulos Tel: (416) 880-9370

CityArts / Toronto Rock Camp instructor Colin Knowles has launched his personal website. Composer, Musician, and Teacher, Colin Knowles has been active in the Toronto music scene for 8 years. After formal classical training he furthered his study at the renowned Humber College Jazz Program. After graduation he became active as a musician playing in various Toronto Jazz venues as well as teaching privately. Colin returns to the Toronto Rock Camp where he will be an instructor and also leading the Keyboard Workshop and Master Classes.

www.colinknowlespiano.com

The Toronto Rock Camp’s own Chris Lesso, Director of Drums and Percussion, is featured in a series of Sonor Clinics during May in Ontario. Chris will be leading Drums Workshops and Master Classes at the Toronto Rock Camp.

Canadian Sonor Artist: Chris Lesso will join John Favicchia for a series of Drum Clinics and Master Classes in Ontario. Chris is a freelance drummer and educator based out of Toronto, Ontario. He began studying music on the piano at the age of 7, and received his grade 8 in classical piano through the Royal Conservatory at age 12. He began drumming when he was 9, and has never looked back. After gaining much experience performing and writing music in various bands, he sought out and took lessons from many world-renowned artists such as Dom Famularo (World Clinician), Ed Shaughnessy (Johnny Carson Show), and Jim Chapin (Famous Educator), then going on to study with highly respected teacher and drummer Jim Blackley. Chris is currently studying jazz harmony on the piano.

Chris' unique blend of hard rock, jazz, improvisational, and world flavored rhythms can be heard with guitarist Tony Springer, (www.wildt.ca), trumpeter Nick 'Brownman' Ali, pianist Steve Kovan, and Chris' own original instrumental band 'The Factor', (wwww.myspace.com/thefactortoronto), as well as various Top 40 bands, all playing around the Toronto area and internationally.
The future holds an ever improving output of energetic live shows and rhythmically intense recorded work, always drawing from a wide range of influences and styles.

Chris is endorsed by Sonor Drums, and a member of the Professional Drum Teachers Guild.

05/05/09 7:00PM DRUM CLINIC @ COSMO MUSIC Richmond Hill, Ontario 05/06/09 7:00PM DRUM CLINIC @ MUSIC PRO Barrie, Ontario 05/07/09 7:00PM DRUM CLINIC @ WIZDOM MUSIC ACADEMY Hamilton, Ontario

More dates are scheduled. Full details can be found on Chris Lesso’s MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/chrislessomusic

We are pleased to welcome Rob Brown to the Toronto Rock Camp! Rob will join us as a teacher and is also developing a Bass Guitar clinic (to be announced shortly). Learn more about Rob by reading his biography below.

Rob Brown is a musician who has studied music with some of the best musicians in the industry, such as Pat Labarbera, Alex Dean, Will Jarvis and Rick Lazar. He has performed extensively with many professional recording artists including motown's The Temptations and Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave), Dan Ackroyd (Blues Brothers) and currently leads his own bands, The Agents of Groove and Warriors For Peace.

Rob is a graduate of the Jazz Performance course at Humber College and received his Bachelor of Music Arts degree at the University of Windsor. Since that time he has taught extensively, specializing in improving bass skills in groove, improvisation and general theory knowledge. Rob has had the honour of teaching music to many people over the years, some of whom have gone on to professional music careers of their own. He brings with him a lot of experience in many realms of music and has a good knowledge of many genres!

Engineer/Composer/Producer/Sound Designer Dino Cuzzolino is a graduate of Ryerson's Radio and Television program and has worked in the industry nearly 15 years recording and mixing audio for commercials, television series, films, videos and animation.

His passion has always been recording and producing music. Whether it’s advertising jingles, film scores, bands or songwriting demos. He spends most of his days (and some nights) doing just that at Toronto based Krystal Music & Sound Design and at his own production company Balance Music.

Dino is designing the Sound Recording programs (Workshops and Clinics) that will premiere at this Summers Toronto Rock Camp. We are pleased to welcome Dino to the Toronto Rock Camp and CityArts team!

Online Registration for the Summer 2009 session of the Toronto Rock Camp is now open. Please visit our Registration Page, learn about our Programs, Dates and Fees and apply with our Online Registration Form.

You can register for the Toronto Rock Camp only through this website (http://www.torontorockcamp.com). If you have any questions about registration, availability, and this year's program, please feel free to contact us by email or phone.

Online Registration: Opens March 30th, 2009

1. Fill out the Online Registration Form in order to book your week(s)
2. You will receive a confirmation of your registration information.
3. You will receive an electronic invoice with instructions for payment (online via credit card or by mail via cheque, etc.).

Click to Register Online Now!

Details have been posted about the Workshops and Master Classes which are being held during the Summer 2009 Toronto Rock Camp session.

The Toronto Rock Camp's Workshops and Master Classes are intensive one week sessions. Featuring a staff to student ratio of 4:1, Workshops and Master Classes will help young musicians accelerate their ability with instruction and guest clinics from some of the music industry's leading musicians and teachers. Small class sizes limited to eight students or less result in exceptional one on one instruction.

For more details, please visit our Drum Workshops and Guitar Workshops pages.

We are also planning Bass, Vocals and Keyboard Workshops for this Summer’s edition of the Toronto Rock Camp. Details to be posted soon.

Online Registration for the 2009 Edition of the Toronto Rock Camp will open on March 30th, 2009. Families will be able to register their children for both the Summer Rock Camp and for the special Instrument specific Master Class and Workshop weeks.

We are very pleased to be moving to a superb new location for the Summer 2009 edition of the Toronto Rock Camp. An entire dedicated floor of classrooms filled with natural light, dedicated clinic and theory instruction music room, a dedicated stage, atriums, patios, all fully climate controlled and air conditioned, and a beautiful field and playground, will create an unparalleled creative, stimulating and safe environment for our students and staff.

Our 2009 Edition will be located at:

Toronto Rock Camp
Our Lady of Lourdes School
444 Sherbourne Street,
Toronto, ON, M4X 1K2

We are pleased to welcome Chris Lesso to the Toronto Rock Camp team! Chris ran a successful and well received clinic last year, and joins the Toronto Rock Camp as the head of Drums and Percussion instruction.

Chris began studying music on the piano at the age of 7, and received his grade 8 in classical piano through the Royal Conservatory at age 12. He began drumming when he was 9, and has never looked back. After gaining much experience performing and writing music in various bands, he sought out and took lessons from many world-renowned artists such as Dom Famularo (World Clinician), Ed Shaughnessy (Johnny Carson Show), and Jim Chapin (Famous Educator), then going on to study with highly respected teacher and drummer Jim Blackley. Chris is currently studying jazz harmony on the piano.
 
Chris' unique blend of hard rock, jazz, improvisational, and world flavored rhythms can be heard with guitarist Tony Springer, (www.wildt.ca), trumpeter Nick 'Brownman' Ali, pianist Steve Kovan, and Chris' own original instrumental band 'The Factor', (www.myspace.com/thefactortoronto), as well as various Top 40 bands, all playing around the Toronto area and internationally. The future holds an ever improving output of energetic live shows and rhythmically intense recorded work, always drawing from a wide range of influences and styles. Chris is a member of the Professional Drum Teachers Guild, the Percussive Arts Society, and is endorsed by Sonor Drums.

Chris conducted a successful and well received clinic at the Toronto Rock Camp in 2008, and returns in 2009 as the head of Drums and Percsussion instruction.

More about Chris:

• Chris Lesso's MySpace Page

The Toronto Rock Camp welcomes back Mike McAvan. Mike enthralled TRC campers last year with this weekly clinics. This year, Mike McAvan returns not only for his exciting weekly guitar clinics, but also as an Instructor in the Toronto Rock Camp's Guitar Workshop and Master Class program.

Mike is a gifted guitarist and composer who has received endorsements from Ernie Ball Musicman guitars, Ernie Ball strings, Koch amplifiers, Evidence Audio cables, DiMarzio pick-ups and BOSS pedals, and most recently JAM Pedals!

The Toronto Rock Camp is please to announce that the entire Toronto Rock Camp team returns for another great year. Founders and organizers, Seraphim Marcopoulos and Leo Georgoulis are pleased to welcome back our great instructors Chuck Majic, Colin Knowles, Eoghan Condra, along with superb drummer Chris Lesso and guitarist extraordinaire Mike McAvan.

Both Mike McAvan and Chris Lesso have clinics last year at the Toronto Rock Camp. The return not only as clinicians, but as instructors in our instrument specific master classes and workshops!

As our program is growing, so will our superb staff of instructors and clinicians! Stay tuned for announcements of the talented musicians and instructors who will be joining the Toronto Rock Camp team in 2009!