Volume 27 Issue 4 - February 2022

GAETZ PHOTOGRAPHY
SHANNON CARRANCO
L to R, Marigold co-founders Charlotte Siegel, Kevin Mulligan and Khadija Mbowe
co-founded Marigold, [marigoldmusicprogram.com] an initiative to
make community-based music education (both classical and other
genres), accessible to racialized youth from a wide spectrum of socioeconomic
backgrounds, with the goal of helping to build stronger,
more resilient communities. “It is important to show youth that
people who look like you do this kind of music,” says Siegel, who
serves as the program’s managing director.
Marigold’s namesake brilliant orange flower, Siegel explains, sprouts
up anywhere but only thrives in a particular type of soil. Marigold
strives to supply each participant with their own uniquely enriching
environment tailored to make them thrive.
Co-founding Marigold was another leap of faith for Siegel. “What do
I know about running a non-profit?” she wondered. But the bolder,
braver Siegel forged ahead. “I believe in it,” she told herself. “So let’s
figure it out.” (Marigold has already secured Ontario Arts Council
funding, as well as a Pillar Sponsorship from the University of Toronto.)
The program unfolds in two steps. The Summer Music Intensive,
staffed by professional musicians, targets the tools of music, including
composition, and culminates in a collective showcase partially written
by the youth. Afterwards, the participants are individually matched
to compatible mentors who meet with them weekly to flesh out their
aspirations, offer resources and accompany them on outings to shows
and other venues.
Marigold’s philosophy, including its championship of accessibility,
echoes that of Siegel’s own alma mater. Both RPSM and Marigold
inspire students to dig deep and take stock of their innermost feelings.
Monthly meetings at Marigold begin with a check-in, when every
participant gets the chance to tell whatever is on their mind. “[We’re]
making sure they feel heard and valued,” says Siegel. Marigold’s egalitarian
staff-student relationships are also modelled on RPSM. Mentors
act as cheerleaders and advocates for their charges, providing a safe
space for mentees to learn to trust their instincts as they explore their
lives’ directions. “It’s not ‘Do what I say,’” says Siegel. “It’s believing in
yourself.”
Like RPSM, Marigold hopes to build a sense of belonging and
community through participants’ intense, shared adventure in music.
Regardless of their aspirations, everyone benefits from the connections
woven by exposure to the medium. “You’re not alone, we have
shared experiences,” Siegel says. “That’s what the arts have to offer.”
Ultimately, Siegel hopes that participants’ immersion in Marigold
will empower them, whatever life path they find themselves on. The
discipline instilled through practice, the chance to experiment with
new possibilities and the opportunity to play games and have fun all
contribute to a heightened sense of agency, says Siegel. “I’m one of
those people who believe you can do anything you want,” says Siegel.
“We’re just hoping to show that.”
It seems that Siegel and her team are succeeding. Members are
already forging a community. “They just love coming in to chat and
hang out and reconnect with the group.” Recently, one trainee was
elated when she received a scholarship to Branksome Hall, the high
school of her dreams. “She never would have thought of applying
there before,” says Siegel. But the interviewing and résumé skills
gleaned from Marigold, along with a renewed confidence in herself,
helped to clinch the coveted spot. “I am just so proud of what we have
been able to do in a year,” says Siegel.
Siegel too is flourishing. Last August she was admitted into the
Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, a training program
combining elite level mentorship with challenging performance
opportunities, onstage and in recital. “I do feel quite supported,”
she says. Today Siegel takes vocal classes as well as master workshops
in breath work, diction and acting. She’s also preparing for her
upcoming debuts in Fantasma and The Magic Flute. “And that I’m
very, very excited about,” says Siegel.
Siegel continues to hone her musical craft, absorbing life lessons
along the way: a life coach at the Canadian Opera Company has
recently helped her recognize that she is happiest when balancing
hard work with reparative self-care and family time, Siegel says. This
discovery has been liberating “because if you are a full person outside
of music, then you need not dread making the inevitable musical
mistake.” This knowledge continues to bust Siegel out of the bonds of
perfectionism and propels her towards a freer future.
Charlotte Siegel has come a long way from the hesitant 19-year-old
teetering on top of the metaphorical cliff. She’s become a risk-taker,
taking the plunge, finding new possibilities outside her comfort zone.
It’s never easy. “It’s a scary feeling right before you go,” says Siegel. But
the euphoria of jumping and surviving more than makes up for the
anxiety. “You do something and you don’t die,” says Siegel. “Yeah, it’s
addicting.”
Upcoming COC performances by Charlotte Siegel:
Fantasma (she plays Léa’s mother, Manon) March 9,10,12,13 (2022)
The Magic Flute (she plays Second Lady) May 6,8,11,14,17,19,21 (2022)
To learn more about Marigold, see marigoldmusicprogram.com.
Vivien Fellegi is a former family physician now working as a
freelance journalist.
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20 | February 2022 thewholenote.com