Oral History with Lenard Whiting

Lenard Whiting has working at UTSC since 1994, serving as a Lecturer in the Department of Arts, Culture, and Media and as Director of the UTSC Choir until his retirement. In this interview, he speaks about establishing the choir at UTSC in his first year, developing it into a series of courses, and his appreciation for working with skilled and diverse students over the years. He speaks about playing the organ for UTSC convocations and the community-building he has seen as students move through the music program. He recalls performing at the groundbreaking for the Student Centre, Remembrance Day ceremonies, and TEDxUTSC events. Lenard then describes the importance of engaging the community in music through performances and participation in the concert choir, and the value of the relationships that the choir fosters between students, faculty, community members, and UTSC alumni.