What's On at the Library

Culture Days is a massive, cross-country celebration of arts and culture and this weekend on September 26-27, Toronto Public Library is bringing this festival into branches across the city with a massive lineup of 57 programs!

Here are a few standouts.

On Friday, 1:30-2:30, the Danforth/Coxwell Branch is hosting a Demonstration/Performance/lecture of Improvised Music. Many musical people wrongly think that improvisation is only for a special few. The Association of Improvising Musicians of Toronto (AIMToronto) will unlock some of the mysteries of musical improvisation with this demo/performance. AIMToronto is a collective of 200+ musicians and composers who play a number of different styles but come together in the act of improvisation aka spontaneous composition.

Also on Friday, 12:30-1:30, at City Hall Branch, the Noah Sherman Quartet performs. Not your usual municipal fare! The Quartet (drums, bass, sax, trumpet) will perform the music of John Zorn's Masada group. Elements of jazz, klezmer, and free/avant-garde music all present in this intimate, emotive music. Free three-track EP here: noahsherman.bandcamp.com.  

On Saturday, 1:30-2:30, at Annette Street Branch (a beautiful library in the Junction) you'll find Improvised Fairy Tales with Second City. Join the Second City Training Centre for family friendly improvised fairy tales. This will be great fu n for kids of all ages. Using audience suggestions, the Second City cast will create never-before-been-told fairy tales, right before your eyes! Anything can happen, so join us and take part in the story!

Also check out the Neighbourhood Arts Network's webpage, where you will find spotlights on all kinds of Culture Days activities across the city. NAN, along with Culture Days Ontario, has partnered with Toronto Public Library for four years to bring these wonderful cultural endeavours to a library branch in your neighbourhood. Here's a post about one of the library activity organizers, May Chook, who does vocal improv.

May will be at the Dufferin/St. Clair Branch branch at 11 am, Saturday morning, and later in the day you can also catch her at the Centennial Branch at 2 pm.

For all things Culture Days in Toronto, in Ontario and across the country, visit the Culture Days website.