Shis thsue:

(Y A treat for classical, folk music lovers

(¥Y Comic Corner: Racism, British style

(Y U2's big comeback

And more!

Seen something worth sharing?

Contact: Chery! Minns, Arts Editor
Marts@theotherpress.ca

www. theotherpress.ca

 

Arts alive in Atlantic Canada

» New Douglas College field school explores Maritime culture

, Cheryl Minns
& Arts Editor

Marts
@theotherpress.ca

 

the beach, read a book, and
listen to music. Or you could do

course credit as part of Douglas
College’s first ever Canadian
Maritime Field School! With
courses in biology, literature,
and music, this u-credit
program focusses on the
region’s natural wonders and

4 to June 20 at Douglas College
and Dalhousie University.

“The fact that we'll be
there, seeing and experiencing
and talking to people who
have been involved in some
of the different things like
fishing, mining, and all of that
is a wonderful way to bring the
literature alive,” said Jasmine
Nicholsfigueiredo, instructor
for the field school course
English noz - Themes in
Literature.

The course explores the
cultures that influenced
Maritime literature as well as
the cultures that Maritime

: literature has affected.

: Nicholsfigueiredo’s example

: of this is the character of Anne

: from Anne of Green Gables,

: who has become a popular icon

. : in Japan where girls dress up

his summer, you could go to : as her. As part of the program,

: students will get to visit Green

all of that in Atlantic Canada for : rabies in Prince Edward .
: Island and see memorabilia

: from the book’s author, L. M.

: Montgomery.

The program’s music

: course, Performing Arts 1136 —

: Introduction to Music, focusses
: on the migration of people and
: : the evolution of music as they
cultural arts, running from May ; travelled. Course instructor

: Hazel Fairbairn’s example

: of such evolution is how a

: Scottish fiddle tune went from
: its original sound in Scotland

: toa faster beat in the colder

: Maritimes once the people

: migrated there, to a slower

: tempo when the people later

: migrated to warmer Louisiana.

“That’s the kind of musical

: journey that this course traces,”
: Fairbairn said. “I’m not going

: to ask you what key that’s in.

: I’m not going to ask you what

: instrument you play it on. I’m

: going to ask you to think about
: the people who are making the
? music.”

The English and

: Performing Arts courses will

: also include attending cultural
: events and social gatherings

: that highlight Maritime life,

: such as a traditional ceilidh

: with Gaelic folk music and

: dancing.

For students interested

: in the sciences, Biology 10-

: Principles of Biology: The

: Biosphere introduces students

: to evolution, ecological systems,
: and marine biodiversity, with

: a focus on Atlantic Canada’s

: unique features, such as New

: Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy.

The Maritime portion of

: the course will feature field

: trips, tours, and activities,

: while the classes completed

: at Douglas College will cover

: the required lab assignments,

: according to biology instructor
: Todd Harper.

Prospective students are

: invited to learn more about

: the program at the Canadian
: Maritime Field School info

: session in room Au70 at

: the David Lam campus on

: September 24.

For information about the

: program, costs, schedule, and
: more, check out hazelfairbairn.
> com

Different languages, different worlds

» More than a parental generation gap in ‘CODA’

, Cheryl Minns
& Arts Editor

M arts
@theotherpress.ca

 

hen actor Mark Murray

began writing a stage
play about his life growing up
with Deaf parents, it seemed
like just another school
project. Now, three years later,
he is performing his one-
man show CODA (Children
of Deaf Adults) at festivals
across the United States and
Canada, including his most

recent performance at the 3oth :

Vancouver Fringe Festival.
The show explores the
challenges and benefits of
living in two different worlds,
one with speech and one with
sign language. Murray acts
out scenes from his childhood

: and teen years using spoken

: audiences of both languages

> can understand.

: “When writing the scenes
: | wanted to make sure that

: the audience could follow

: what was happening even

: though half of the dialogue

> wasn’t spoken,” Murray wrote

 

: to the Other Press. “However,
: the exception to this was the
: scene between the mother

: and father that is in only

: sign language. I wanted the

: audience to experience what

: the Deaf often do in everyday
: life: being left out of the

: conversation.”

While the hearing

: audience members feel

: excluded during the signed

: scenes, Murray often arranges
: fora Deaf interpreter at his

: performances, so the Deaf

: dialogue and sign language, so: audience members do not feel :
: they are missing part of the
: show.

“The Deaf and CODA

: communities have beenvery :
: positive about the production, :
: especially because I have tried :
: to have at least one American
: Sign Language interpreted

: performance for each run,” he
: wrote.

The show is a personal

: look at Murray’s life, his

: often strained relationship

: with his parents, and the

: relationships his parents

: have with friends and family.
: He gives details about his

: parents’ backgrounds during
: monologues about them,

: suchas how his father has

: u siblings and none of

: them have ever learned sign
: language, and how his mother

signs lively conversations

: with her friends but will
: only communicate with him
: through his father.

“My parents have always
been of the mindset that ‘it’s
your life, it’s your choice. So,

: in that way they have been
: supportive. They haven't seen
: the show yet, but once they

 

 

: do! will be interested in their
: opinion on it,’ Murray wrote.

The show concludes with

: Murray deciding to move away
: from home so he can pursue

: his own dreams instead of

: being his parents’ aide all the

: time. His advice to Children

: of Deaf Adults is that “asa

: CODA, you will always feel

: responsible for protecting your
: parents, but they have been

: taking care of themselves for

: a lot longer than you've been

: around.”

Murray will continue

: touring with CODA in

: January 2015, with his first

: stop being in Austin, Texas

: (his home state) for the 22nd
: FronteraFest.

For more information

: about CODA or Murray’s other
: works, check out his website at
: markmurrayartist.com