TFS - Canada's International School

EDUCATOR EDUCATOR – STUDENTS STUDENTS David Arnot-Johnston: David Arnot-Johnston: The Mindful Musician The Mindful Musician Music Teacher, Senior School Music Teacher, Senior School Ottawa native David Arnot-Johnston has devoted his life to music. He knew in high school that he wanted to be a music teacher, but his love for music was sparked even earlier, when he was eight years old and began to sing in a choir. Mr. Arnot-Johnston took his bachelor of music in music education at the University of Toronto, completed the Hoogdeonderwijs Oude Muziek graduate program in early music at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague in the Netherlands, and earned a master's degree in music history and performance, also from the University of Toronto. He has had a stellar career as a tenor soloist, a conductor and music instructor, and directed the music education program at Canada's National Ballet School for 10 years. But the true depth of his lifelong devotion to music can be illustrated by the fact that he sold his beloved BMW 800cc motorcycle to buy his two violins. These days, he derives the greatest pleasure nurturing the musical interests and talents of TFS students, and leads the following school ensembles: La Chorale / Jacques Brel Singers, String Ensemble, Junior and Senior Jazz Ensembles, and Fiddle Club. While he has long been fascinated by the tone qualities of every instrument, from the flute to the trombone, it is the violin's expressive quality that has captured his heart. For a tenor to say that the violin comes closest to the human voice is high praise indeed. So when the idea of a strings program at TFS was put forth, Mr. Arnot-Johnston sent himself off to a violin "boot camp," where he spent the entire summer honing his skills. Because of his efforts and achievement, TFS can now offer a strings program. Mr. Arnot-Johnston is an accredited Suzuki violin teacher and plans to pursue more levels of training. Polishing the Stone "I enjoy seeing my students succeed, and succeed in discovering who they are. It's energizing for me as well." LIKE MASTER SCULPTORS, our teachers continuously smooth, polish, finish and refine their art and craft, guided by a mindset to constantly grow. Learn what inspires these four teachers, from across TFS' branches, to burnish their skills to a brilliant shine. by Victoria White Watching his students today, Mr. Arnot- Johnston recalls how making music was so exciting for him when he was a child. Whether teaching Mozart or Mingus, he lives for those moments when it all starts to come together for them, when they realize they are playing well in rhythmic unison. More than simply developing an ability to play an instrument or to sing, creating and performing music is a path to self-discovery, he believes. "I enjoy seeing my students succeed, and succeed in discovering who they are. It's energizing for me as well. We now know that music education appears to accelerate brain development in children, but when I see their faces begin to brighten and those shy but amazed smiles start to spread as they realize that the sound they are creating is good, that's joyous. Music opens the door for students to walk through and know themselves." 28 TFS ENTRE NOUS 2016

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