My friend Gil
Listen to Gil’s music!

And yet, it’s not just “whatever.” It’s nothing like when a child sits down and pounds on the piano keys, causing dissonant noises that often end up being irritating.
On the contrary, Gil’s music comes from a place of maturity and generosity, and has depth.
Many of the people who come to eat lunch at the Dépanneur Sylvestre have noticed this. No one ever complains about Gil making music at the piano. On the contrary, people mention how much they enjoy the softness of the musical background, and feel free to continue their conversations.
Patrick Duquette, the journalist from Le Droit newspaper who wrote the article about Gil, was also quite surprised, and asked if he always plays the same thing. There is nothing memorized or repeated in Gil’s music! There is no plan, no reference to anything in particular, simply a pure musical presence that arises in the moment, just like wind blowing though leaves, or a little stream of water that springs out from a mountainside!
Gil joyfully transcends the limitations of knowledge or of unawareness in playing music.
Certainly, there are what we call “false notes,” according to the musical education we have received. But if you let yourself be carried along by the swell without resistance, you’ll quickly realize that Gil’s music moves us towards a different kind of presence, more subtle; beyond the usual appreciation of a musical performance.
He is living proof that “You don’t need to be a virtuoso… to dare to put your hands on a piano!”
Mon Ami Gil - 5 - Playing Piano from L'Arche Canada on Vimeo.
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http://crm.larche.ca/my-friend-gil
Gil loves music…
We are looking for recordings of simple, joyful music, royalty free, played on one or two acoustic instruments, to accompany the upcoming clips in the web series My Friend Gil. Please send your suggestions to gil.monami@gmail.com.
Project initiator: Gil Frois
Filming: Voices and Colors New Media
Production: Jean Vanier Association
Web series adaptation: L’Arche Canada
Filming and dissemination partners: L’Arche Agapè and Association des Arches du Québec