Bill Prouten

Hello all!

Well, quite a lot happened at the end of the 2011 Winter Semester at Keyano.  On March 31st, the college announced it was “suspending” the Music and Music Instrument Repair programs, and a few of us were given our notices of termination.  The community found out very quickly and there was a uproar about the future of the Arts in the community.  After a week of bad press for the college and an impending student-led demonstration, the administration made a public announcement that they would hold public hearings on the fate of the programs.  There were a number of shenanigans that went on, (which I will not elaborate on here), and despite review committees that recommended continuation of both programs, the college opted for at least a one-year suspension of the Music Program, with the potential for the program to appear again in Fall 2012 in a completely new guise, depending on local community interest.  The fate of the Music Instrument Repair Program is still dubious, to my knowledge.

Rather than try to survive in Fort McMurray without a job, I opted to move to Toronto, where my girlfriend Claire lives, and I am hoping to establish myself as a performer and educator in this market.

I wish my colleagues at Keyano all the best, and I hope the Fort McMurray community manages to maintain the few arts programs it has at the college level.  My time there was well spent, I made a lot of good friends, and the college and the community were good to me!

I would also like to thank all the great musicians that came as guest artists, to the Keyano Jazz Festival and to my recitals over the years, for their musicianship and inspiration to a generation of young musicians in a remote Northern community.

If anyone would like to get in touch, my hotmail address is still the best way.

Cheers,

Bill