Parade Of Pre-Adolescent Aspiring Noise Freaks

One of my favourite GTA events occurs this thursday in Brampton. Richard Marsella, aka Friendly Rich, organizes the annual Parade of Noises. Involved are hundreds of grade 4 students (quite the interesting population sample of Brampton...) wailing on homemade instruments alongside heavy duty improvisers/entertainers John Oswald, Bob Wiseman, Eric Nagler, and 'overseen by' R. Murray Schafer. Apparently a Brampton fire engine will be 'played' as part of the fun as well.

This is a wonderful event because it lets kids express
their inner freak in a banal public, suburban space. You've got to believe that more than a few of them will remember and build upon this experience over the course of their lives. This type of collaboration is extra-cultural, that is, it encourages artistic activity that isn't tied to any one established tradition, it's all about the mixture of spontaneous ideas. I'm sure parents are fascinated or threatened by this event, but hey, the mayor of Brampton is a staunch supporter, so it's got the seal of official culture after all.