The Listen Up! Story

Listen Up! began through the vision of world-renowned professional chamber ensemble the Gryphon Trio. Throughout this award-winning Trio’s tours across the country, they connected with local presenters and community leaders, and observed the inequities of arts access in communities, most specifically for young people in under-resourced schools. Listen Up! was conceived as a response to that gap in access.

The Gryphon Trio members envisioned a program for elementary school children that would inspire creativity through a variety of art forms, having at its core, engagement in music composition and performance. The primary vision was to build confidence in and appreciation for classical music. It was recognized that the need to build relationships with school communities would require an extended (year long) program that would lay a strong foundation for arts engagement, encouraging greater access long after the program’s completion.

Launched in 2010 in Almonte, Ontario, Listen Up! has taken place in 17 diverse communities across Canada. Ottawa and Toronto are the core program hubs with individual programs having taken us from Hamilton, ON to Powell River, B.C.

Working with professional artists in multiple disciplines throughout the year, young people are able to surpass challenges and barriers. They discover artistic aptitude, find their voice and create and perform new work that is showcased for their community. It is this extended (year long) opportunity for young people to explore their creativity in collaboration with the highest calibre of professional artists, that makes Listen Up! an impactful and unique program within the arts education sector.