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That Higher Level

2018 1 h 14 min
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That Higher Levelfollows the 100 musicians who make up the National Youth Orchestra of Canada over the course of two months of training and touring across the country. Embedded with the orchestra throughout, filmmaker John Bolton weaves together footage that captures the essence of the training institute and, eventually, the journey and performances on tour.

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That Higher Level

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That Higher Levelfollows the 100 musicians who make up the National Youth Orchestra of Canada over the course of two months of training and touring across the country. Embedded with the orchestra throughout, filmmaker John Bolton weaves together footage that captures the essence of the training institute and, eventually, the journey and performances on tour.
  • writer
    John Bolton
  • director
    John Bolton
  • producer
    Shirley Vercruysse
  • director of photography
    Vince Arvidson
  • editor
    Hart Snider
  • sound designer
    Troy Slocum
  • sound recordist
    Jason Milligan
  • production supervisor
    Jennifer Roworth
  • line production
    Caroline Coutts
  • story consultant
    Hart Snider
  • camera assistant
    Paul Dombrovskis
    Desmond May
  • gaffer
    Paul Dombrovskis
  • key grip
    Paul Dombrovskis
  • camera crane operator
    Garrett Lalonde
    Ken Woznow
  • production assistant
    Muhammad Talha Naeem
  • technical coordinator
    Wes Machnikowski
  • assistant editor
    Ashley Lynch
  • graphic designer
    Jenny Breukelman
  • online editor
    Serge Verreault
  • re-recording mixer
    Jean Paul Vialard
  • studio administrator
    Carla Jones
  • production coordinator
    Kristyn Stilling
    Krista McMillan
  • stills photographer
    Emily Cooper
    Jeff Topham
    Kevin Kelly
  • marketing manager
    Catherine Veitch
  • publicist
    Katja De Bock
  • executive director
    Barbara Smith
  • artistic director
    Barbara Smith
  • production director
    Jonathan Welmers
  • tour director
    Jonathan Welmers
  • operations manager
    Bo Lee
  • director, philanthropy & communications
    Kate Eccles
  • manager, graphic design
    Victoria Kotyck
  • manager, visual communication
    Victoria Kotyck
  • manager, external relations
    Blanche Israël
  • manager, marketing & communications
    Dan McKinnon
  • administration officer
    Marjorie Maltais
  • production staff
    David Popoff
    James Tizzard
    Lauren Scobie
  • conductor
    Jonathan Darlington
  • executive producer
    Shirley Vercruysse

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Education

Ages 10 to 18
School subjects

What does it take to be a musician in Canada’s National Youth Orchestra (NYO)? In what ways are the mentors important to the students? Discuss how the musicians can make it possible for each note to have its own personality and how they interpret the emotion of the music. The horn player noted that gender balance is beginning to happen in orchestras. Is there a fair representation of Canadian society in the NYO? Compare the risks to physical and mental health to other types of work. Discuss the difficulties involved in competing against each other in the future for professional work. The tour was described as gruelling, comprising 26 long days and 12 concerts across Canada. Why is it worth it for musicians to dedicate their lives to music?

That Higher Level
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