Music: Understanding Cultures and Their Connections (Ms. Lloyd)

Music: Understanding Cultures and their Connections

It was a pretty hectic lunch, students running through the halls to get to Club Fest, when I got to

sit down and interview Ms. Lloyd. We sat side by side, one chair between us, on the new black

risers in the vocal room that added a new level of sophistication to the classroom. Her new pixie

haircut added a new level of uniqueness and flair to her personality, her face reading someone

who is both intrigued and inviting while also giving a sense of professionalism. She recounts

stories, gesturing with her hands and changing her tone depending on the anecdote. The

meeting carried a calming atmosphere - I was talking to Ms. Lloyd in the welcoming environment

that always feels so much like home.

Ms. Lloyd has been at Havergal for 2 years now, yet you might not know much about her aside

from the fact that she is a teacher of vocal music, with a powerful voice singing various genres

of music during prayers. Exposure to different genres dates back to her childhood home, which

was quite musical. She recalls growing up, listening to her mom, her two sisters, and her

grandma singing on a Sunday night, in 4-part harmony, while doing the dishes. She listened to a

lot of folk music, such as Joni Mitchell, and rock music, like Bruce Springsteen, however, her

dad always played classical music, like Bach or Mendelssohn, on Sunday. Music was always

playing at the household, and everyone in her family had some sort of connection to it.

Despite this, none of her relatives worked in a music-related field. “I wouldn’t say my parents

discouraged me,” she says, referring to her pursuing a career in music. She’s thinking very

carefully, almost hesitantly, about how she wants to phrase her next words. “They were happy I

was doing something I liked.” She reveals that her parents didn’t truly understand what a career

in music entailed. “I think they were good at sort of keeping their opinions to themselves and

letting me do my thing but I will say my father could not hide his joy when I said I wanted to go

to teachers’ college,” she states, laughing at that last remark.

Ms. Lloyd studied music at the University of Toronto, based in classical and technical singing

foundation. She recounts going into the U of T library and asking the librarian for a book about

the Beatles. She remembers the librarian’s gasp and horrified tone, imitating her. “We don’t

have books about the Beatles here.” Taken aback by the librarian’s response, she thought to

herself, “Oh okay. I get what’s happening here because that’s not valid music or something.”

From that point on, she strove to get rid of the elitist impression that comes with classical music,

especially with technique. “I also try and make people understand that all styles of music are

valid.” She laments that her early musical training was so focused classically and wishes that

she had exposure to other musical styles like jazz. “It would have completely changed my

trajectory but I’m certainly happy with where I am now.” She jokes around, further saying that

since her husband is a jazz musician, she eventually got the training later in life.

After graduating from music school, Ms. Lloyd was a full-time performer. During her late 20s,

she toured in a kids’ opera all around Ontario, that took place in the playground of a school,

which centred around the subject of bullying. At the end of the performance, there was always a

Q and A session at the end so that all the kids could get involved in the discussion. While she

enjoyed performing, there was something about the close interaction with kids that made her

decide to go to teacher’s college. “I felt what it was like to work with kids on a bigger way,” she

states.

One thing to understand about Ms. Lloyd is that she wants to please others. Pleasing others to

the extent that she’ll “resort to peace at all cost even when you [I] know it’s not right.” It’s been

something that she has been working on. This realization of trying to change came to her about

two years after finishing graduate school, when she travelled to Montreal to participate in an

improvisation workshop conducted by a singer from the United States. The final exercise at the

end of the week was to sing, for two minutes, fully improvising on the spot. Her turn came

around, and what came out of her mouth was how she never wanted to sing again just to get an

A.

“I had felt like that’s all I had done my whole life because I’m so good at giving people what they

want.” This improvisation workshop helped her discover that her artistic expression was being

able to sing just for herself, not because that was right, or how it should be done. For now, her

brain is still home to an inner critic, likely a result of her years of musical education, that she still

can’t turn off. She explained that she’ll meet singers that sing with full abandon, and that’s who

inspires her. “I want to know how to truly not care like that. Because the freedom of that is so

cool.”

Coming into Havergal, she knew what she wanted. She wanted to show us, the students, that

there was more to choral music than classic Anglican tradition. What I thought was most

inspiring about what she brought was when she said, “There are so many other things in the

world that people are doing. That’s one awesome thing, I love it and I’ve done it but it’s only one

thing. So bring that versatility.”

“She strives in both choir to provide repertoire that is very diverse and somewhat

unconventional,” states choir-head and student, Sophia Park. “Ms. Lloyd knows what critiques

to give to each student individually, and when that critique is necessary.” It doesn’t matter

whether you’ve never seen western notation before or if you’ve never had classical voice

training. She looks purely at if you can sing, and tries to shape your voice from there. While she

has a clear plan in place, she’s excited to explore different ideas when opportunity knocks at the

door. Havergal gives her an outlet where she can teach, and pass down this information she’s

learned while also giving her a platform to perform, like the iconic trio with Ms. G and Ms. Wade.