Daisy Elitha Peterson Sweeney (May 7, 1920 – August 11, 2017) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
classical music and piano teacher, known for having taught many of the most notable figures in Canadian jazz music.
Sweeney was born Daisy Peterson in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
in 1920. Her students included
Oliver Jones,
Ken Skinner
Kenneth Skinner Jr. is a jazz pianist, head of the group ''Ken Skinner and the jazzmongers!''.
Ken Skinner and the ''jazzmongers!'' recordings have showcased jazz players such as Bob Mover, Kirk MacDonald, Kevin Turcotte, Jake Wilkinson and Dunc ...
,
Joe Sealy
Joseph Arthur Sealy (born 16 August 1939) is a Canadian jazz musician. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2010.
Awards
* Juno Awards of 1982 - Nominee for Best Jazz Album - ''Clear Vision''
* Juno Awards of 1995 - Nominee for Best Contemporary ...
, Reg Wilson, and her brother,
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...
. Sweeney would take her students to
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
for preparatory exams and performances.
Beyond teaching, she also co-founded the Montreal Black Community Youth Choir (now called the
Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir
The Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir is a choir from Montreal, Quebec, Canada that sings primarily traditional and contemporary Gospel music. The choir's repertoire also includes a mix of music ranging from Gregorian chant to Bach chorales, tradit ...
) with
Trevor W. Payne
Trevor Winston Payne, (born 21 December 1948) is a Canadians, Canadian musician and member of the Order of Canada (1996). He is the founder of the Montreal Black Comunity Youth Choir, as well as the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir.
Early lif ...
in 1974. She was also the mother of Canadian
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
athlete and television journalist
Sylvia Sweeney
Sylvia Sweeney, C.M., (born October 3, 1956) is a Canadian executive television producer and Olympian. In 2017, Sweeney was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada "for her long-standing commitment to and creative leadership at the nexus of a ...
.
Montreal Mayor
Denis Coderre
Denis Coderre (born July 25, 1963) is a Canadian politician from Quebec. Coderre was the member of Parliament for the riding of Bourassa from 1997 until 2013, and was the Immigration minister from 2002 to 2003 and became the mayor of Mont ...
tweeted in August 2017 that he intends for the city to name a street after her.
In 2018, Sweeney was honoured with a community
mural
A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...
on a building in Montreal's
Little Burgundy
Little Burgundy (french: La Petite-Bourgogne) is a neighbourhood in the South West borough of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Geography
Its approximate boundaries are Atwater Avenue to the west, Saint-Antoine to the north, Guy Street ...
neighbourhood.
["Daisy Sweeney mural 'captures her spirit,' says daughter at unveiling"]
CBC News
CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca. ...
Montreal, October 23, 2018. The artist, Kevin Ledo, also painted a mural of
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
in the city's
Plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...
neighbourhood.
[
]
References
External links
*Daisy Peterson Sweeney
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweeney, Daisy
1920 births
2017 deaths
20th-century Canadian pianists
Canadian women pianists
Black Canadian musicians
Canadian people of Saint Kitts and Nevis descent
People of British Virgin Islands descent
Musicians from Montreal
Canadian music educators
Black Canadian women
Anglophone Quebec people
Women music educators
20th-century Canadian women musicians
20th-century women pianists