December 14, 2016 “For the Love of Music”

A collaboration between Awareness Film Night, the Sooke Philharmonic Society and Harmony Project Sooke

The evening will be a benefit for the Harmony Project and will feature 3 short films followed by live music and mulled cider and seasonal goodies in the theatre foyer.

The original Harmony Project was founded L.A. by Dr. Margaret Martin who saw the great need and potential benefit of providing free musical education to children in the inner city neighborhoods of L.A.

Several years ago Maestro Norman Nelson of the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra visited HP in L.A. and came away inspired to bring a similar program to Sooke. Although the context in inner city L.A. of violent gangs and extreme poverty is quite different from our context here in tranquil and relatively well-off Sooke, both communities share the need of more access to musical education, especially as school districts have been forced to cutback programs in the Arts.

The evening will begin with performances by The Harmony Project’s Beginning Strings and Drumline classes. We will then screen the recently produced half hour documentary “For the Love of Music”, described as “an intimate look at the celebrated Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra…and the orchestra’s relevance within this small West Coast town”.  That will be followed by several short films about the Harmony Project, its history, successes and some research into the benefits of learning to play a musical instrument.

Filmgoers are then invited to enjoy live music by members of  the SPO in the theatre foyer plus refreshments at a concession offering coffee, mulled cider, baked goodies and popcorn.  The evening will end when the mingling, music and mulled cider are finished.

Proceeds from the event and concessions will go towards the work of HPS and SPO to continue promoting and producing music in our community.