Send a Symphony Musician to School 2015 – Heather Walker, professional musician

This year the Vancouver Island Symphony’s Outreach and Education is launching a four-part integrated music education program in partnership with three school districts on Vancouver Island.

In February 2015, ALL Grade 4 students from the area will be attending the Vancouver Island Symphony. In addition, the Symphony will be sending a musician to each school prior to students attending the education show called My Symphony.  Send a Symphony Musician to School Program assigns one musician to each school in our Education Partnership.  Their role is to be our ambassadors for the Vancouver Island Symphony and to perform for and inform the Grade 4 students about the orchestra and how it works. Schools often have the entire school attend the musician’s presentation, expanding the music education experience to hundreds of students from K-5.

Heather Walker is very pleased to be the professional musician assigned to give presentations in 14 elementary schools in Nanaimo, Lantsville, Cedar, and Courtenay.  She loves interacting with the children, showing off & playing many different instruments, and teaching them about the French Horn and what it is like to play music professionally.

When not performing music professionally, Heather teaches the Alexander Technique, a unique movement re-education system. The Alexander Technique is taught to any individual who wants to be free from pain, tension, and postural problems, and who wants to recuperate from stress, prevent injuries, and be more present in their whole being. Through introductory workshops and gentle one-on-one hands-on sessions, Heather teaches clients how they can notice tightening, release muscle tension, re-establish better balance, and move more efficiently. Clients learn the tools to expand their awareness and are delighted to develop more calmness, lightness, presence of being, and freedom of movement.