This year, the VIU Music Department held their entire program online. Ensemble classes pivoted to private performance projects, and the students and teachers connected online to practice and play music together using new, experimental technology. The graduation recitals became recording projects, where the student had to organize, facilitate, and produce a short concert video featuring their compositions, arrangements, and their own playing. This was a huge challenge, but as you can see, each student rose to this challenge.
What you’re about to see are three recital videos, the product of a year of very unusual study, and very hard work from music students who didn’t let circumstances stand in the way of their graduation. Thank you for watching and supporting the next generation of Canadian jazz musicians.
Patrick Thompson
Patrick Thompson is a Vancouver Island based jazz guitarist. He has had a passion for music that arose at young age. Starting on piano at age seven kicked off his journey into the world of music. When he was eleven, Patrick had had enough of the piano and changed his focus over to the guitar after hearing the Pat Metheny record Tokyo Day Trip-Live EP.
Once he entered high school, Patrick enrolled in the Wellington Secondary Jazz Academy under the direction of Carmella Luvisotto. This program had been, and still is one of the top high school jazz programs in Canada winning accolades in festivals all over the country. This program gave Patrick the opportunity to develop his musicality and musical theory expertise while being exposed to a diverse number of professional opportunities in music. Throughout his high school career and into university, Patrick has had the opportunity to share the stage with jazz icons such as Christine and Ingrid Jensen, Mike Murley and Ari Hoenig.
Through music festival auditions, Patrick acquired numerous awards for his playing, the highest of which was the “Lionel Hampton Award of Excellence- Solo Guitar” in 2015. Patrick has reached the end of his musical journey at Vancouver Island University and is excited to continue to write, perform and teach music wherever it takes him.
Hailey Dean
Hailey Dean was born and raised on Vancouver Island, BC. As a child, music had a huge impact on her life, from listening to her favourite bands and jamming with friends, to playing in school bands.
Over the past five years at VIU, she has thoroughly enjoyed learning and taking advantage of the many experiences that the university has to offer, including learning from and working with a variety of guest artists.
While primarily a trumpet player, she has also been excited to learn in many different areas, including composition and theory. In addition to her studies, she has enjoyed working with small group combos, the VIU Big Band, and the Nanaimo Musicians' Association Big Band. She would like to thank her wonderful teachers for sharing their knowledge, and her family and friends for all of their support over the years. She has learned so much at VIU, and is excited to see what comes next in her musical journey!
David Proctor
David Proctor is an Island-based guitarist and composer who works in a variety of styles. Originally from Calgary, he moved to Nanaimo to study music, and now considers it his home.
This work is a quarantine project created in lieu of a final graduation concert. The video includes performances of five original compositions: a three-part "Jazz-ish Suite," which combines indie rock elements with jazz harmony; a brief and sunny solo piece ("Field Party"); and a swing tune inspired by Thelonious Monk ("Monk in Public").
Featuring improvisations by Adam Robertson (drums), Ben Henriques (tenor), Drake Shoemaker (bass) and Ketan Radia (drums). Please enjoy!