Clark Bryan is an award-winning concert pianist and recording artist. He has studied with some of the greatest pianists of our times. With more than a dozen albums to his credit, Clark has also recorded over two thousand piano works since the Pandemic. As a teacher, Bryan has taught thousands of students, adjudicated more than 75 music festivals coast-to-coast in Canada, given dozens of workshops and written a book, “Gateways to Learning and Memory”.
In 2004, he founded The Aeolian Performing Arts Centre. Today, this historic and legendary Centre is recognized as a beacon for arts and culture in Ontario and regularly hosts musical artists of many genres and is prized for the gift of intimacy and acoustics it provides to both audiences and performers.
Bryan believes that everyone should have universal access to music, art, education, and culture. Because of this belief, he launched El Sistema Aeolian in 2011. This free, UNESCO award-winning program has offered more than a thousand children and youth an opportunity to experience the joy of a rich musical education. “Music is one of the most powerful tools we have for social change,” he says. In all his work with the arts and education work, Clark displays a progressive, social-justice mindset.
Other innovations have included Aeolian Pride Choruses, Rebelheart Collective, Aeolian Talks, A National Song Writing Competition and The Aeolian Jazz and Musical Arts Festival.
Bryan was awarded Musical Personality of the Year (2005) and won a Jack Richardson Award for Community Contribution (2011). In 2017, Mr. Bryan was given the Western Alumni Award of Merit and inducted into the Don Wright Faculty of Music Wall of Fame. In 2018, Clark was recognized with a Canada 150 Award through the House of Commons for his contributions to community and the nation. In 2022, Clark won Best Classical Solo Musician at Forest City London Music Awards. In 2023, Bryan was featured in a book about London by renowned author Richard Bain. In 2023, Clark was awarded a Lifetime achievement award from the Forest City London Music Awards and inducted into the London Music Hall of Fame. In 2024, he was awarded The Mayor’s Honour List from The City of London.
Bryan continues to extend his reach into the community. Whether speaking about the power and joy of music study in his TEDX talk or engaging in community activism, Clark is committed to community. He speaks regularly at events, is featured on radio, newsprint and television.
January 4, 2015
A book I read recently is having a profound influence on the way I am deciding to map out my future. The title is “Become a Key Person of Influence” by Daniel Priestley. I believe that everyone should give this a read and think about how much our world has changed and how we need to also change. Developing a “niche” entrepreneurial approach to our career pathways is the only way to be noticed in our world. Daniel’s five steps are as follows: 1. Pitch 2. Publish 3. Product 4. Profile 5. Partnership.
Have a look at his site: www.keypersonofinfluence.com.au
November 11, 2014
It is a day to reflect on how lucky I am to live in this amazing country. I have been really fortunate to have been given a great start in life. I had all the lessons and two very caring parents who believed education was of primary importance in terms of setting up the possibilities of a meaningful and rich life. I am committed to making sure our young participants in the El Sistema Aeolian Program also get the greatest access to education and the investment and nuturing of their full potential.
October 29, 2014
Working with my teaching team in El Sistema Aeolian, I’ve come to realize just how much reflection, training and creativity we all need to add to our skill sets. Since children, youth and adults aren’t often taught how to learn/teach, when given the role, they often fall prey to reflexes they experienced. Old fashioned didactic approaches ensue. “We’re going to learn” or “I’m going to teach” often result in a top down approach of “repeat after me” or “not like that”. What a revolution we need! I’m committed to developing a training program for this.
October 27, 2014
Last Friday and Saturday Janina Fialkoska paid a visit to the Aeolian. She did a Q&A with The Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association of which I am president and then performed a stellar recital. It was wonderful to get to know a very humble talent personally and to listen to Janina’s perspective in dialogue and music.
October 16, 2014
Law of Attraction
Do you believe in the “law of attraction”? I do! It’s simple; stay focused on things you are passionate about. See and feel them as a reality and you will manifest them. The trick is to look and walk around the fears which can try to block your focused vision. The Aeolian’s success is completely attributable to this law.
October 14, 2014
How does a community deal with historic marginalization? In London Ontario, “don’t go east of Adelaide” is a phrase ingrained in people’s minds and hearts. At the University of Western Ontario, staff and students at student services actually take a map of London and draw a line down Adelaide street and tell their students not to go there! One city has done a fabulous job of changing that: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/10/how-to-attract-artists-to-a-down-and-out-neighborhood/380894/
What I’d like to know: who are the individual that got the “buy-in” from all the key stakeholders to begin this process. The Old East Village in London has also done a great job, but still hasn’t been able to get all key stakeholders to engage! Every city in North America seems to have a neighbourhood or two which it has marginalized. We need to get rid of the “us and them” and change this!
October 13, 2014
On this Thanksgiving day I pause to reflect upon all of the wealth in my life. The opportunities I have been given to engage in and enjoy life have been significant. Music has been a one of the greatest blessings I’ve been priveldged to have experienced. I want everyone to have the chances I’ve had.
October 10, 2014
How does one change bureaucratic culture? We have a city and its various portals stuck in a “top-down” approach to community and culture. Instead of supporting innovation and creativity, organizations want to be “in charge” of it! I think the solution has a number of strategies. I think first of the “revolution” rather than slow change approach. If these people and their systems wanted to change, they would have by now. They need to be called out for their abuses of power. A strong leader is needed to rally the forces of like-minded revolutionaries to take this on. The next step is to create mechanisms to ensure that this abuse of power doesn’t happen again: values, code of ethics, rules of engagement are all part of this. Because we can’t “trade out” the people, we’ll then need to train. I’ve heard 20 time, 20 different ways and twenty different people is the approach to change which is lasting in its effect.
It’s a big job, but it’s time to do this. The world can’t wait for the slow changes. Our community of London Ontario has been stuck for a long time. Let’s do it!
October 9, 2014
Values
There are significant changes we need to make in our world if we are going to survive as a species. Survival is one thing, but flouishing is another. How do we catalize these changes? I believe it is going to be through giving the next few generations every opportunity to learn and grow. Call it “education” if you will, but I think it is “the investment” in every young person needed to have them build their greatest capacities as human beings. In culture, one could say “if a child picks up a violin now, they are more likely to support an orchestra later”. They are also more likely to go to concerts. We need to give these experiences- an enriched education to those who aren’t getting it-not just the privedged few who are!
In an effort to continue to provide opportunities for music education, The Aeolian and D&S pianos have partnered to create a new program: 88 keys to inspiration. This program solicits gently used, quality pianos for donation. The pianos are tuned and delivered to homes of children who normally couldn’t afford them. The piano is a great instrument to teach “whole language” music and should be at the heart of everyone’s home-not just the elite.
Clark Bryan 