
Colette first heard about High Notes Avante (HNA) when she saw an ad for the High Notes Gala
in the local paper in 2016. Her daughter was struggling with anxiety so she thought it would be
good for her to come and listen to the stories and music, as her daughter is artistically inclined.
âGoing to the gala and listening to other professional artistsâ mental health stories took away
the embarrassment and shame that she felt,â says Colette. âWe went back and invited more
people to join us. My daughter was able to own her own journey and we have been going ever
since then.â
Colette says her daughter is doing 90% better and is âvery fortunate to be in a supportive
environment and High Notes has been a very big part of thatâ. Colette herself quietly struggled
with OCD and anxiety when she was younger. âIt wasnât talked about or diagnosed. People just
said âColette is a bit differentâ. My dad thought I was serious but it wasnât discussed,â says
Colette who would encourage others to go to the gala. âThe tickets arenât expensive for the
quality of the entertainment and the beautiful venues they are set at.â
Colette who says HNA has made a big impact on her family, also joined the online choir during
the pandemic. âThe weekly sessions with Sina Fallah provided such a great opportunity for us to
connect with other likeminded people when we couldnât get out of the house,â she says. âAfter
each session, I left with a warm fuzzy feeling, being more confident about my singing abilities
and ability to get through the week.â Even though the choir and programs are designed for
people who have been touched by mental illness, âwhen participating you arenât even talking
about mental health,â says Colette. âYou can if you want to, but some people who are
struggling wants a getaway from their week of anxiety and it doesnât have to come up,â she
says. âIt is nice to know you can if you want to, though.â
Coletteâs niece, a knitter, has also struggled with anxiety and Colette encouraged her to help
raise funds for HNA by creating toques that she sold to the choir members and then donated $5
from each hat back to the help with the expenses of running the choir.
Colette also volunteers at Bingo World and would encourage others to also help raise funds for
High Notes Avante. âIt is such an easy thing to do. It is a nice way to meet new people. There
are always two people working at the same time so if you are hesitant at first you have the
support of the other volunteer and the hours go by quickly,â she says. She found the people
there friendly and interested in learning about our programs and says she hopes to volunteer
again soon. If it wasnât for people like Colette, HNA wouldnât be able to offer our free music
program.
âThe choir have made me a more adventurous, social and calm person and I canât believe that I
am learning to play guitar at age 64,â she giggles. âHigh Notes Avante is really touching people
at the grass roots level from people to people.â