In conversation with Rob Aguiar, the heart and soul behind so many Glimpse initiatives that have added light and positivity to Mississauga and GTA communities since 2016.
Winner of the 2022 Mississauga Music award for best local promoter and recipient of a 2023 City of Toronto Urban Hero Award in the arts category, Rob’s mission is and has always been to build community connections by shining a light on what’s good in the world while showcasing local artists and their amazing talents. Carrying with him all the joys and wonders of every Glimpse collaboration of the past, Rob is excited to pivot onto a new path that begins to separate a portion of his Glimpse journey from his role as an educator.

For those new to your Glimpse initiative and what you’ve accomplished, what does Glimpse means to you and how has it added to the community?

Absolutely and thank you for this opportunity to give people a glimpse into this amazing journey. In October of 2016, my students and I launched the former Glimpse Into The Life of a Child YouTube channel. It served as a platform of expression. We all have a voice that can and should be heard. We all have the power to add more light to the world. If something inspires you, shine a light on it. Share it with the world. I volunteered every free moment to work with students to showcase the positive messages we explored in children’s literature, song lyrics, and current events. Scripts were written collaboratively and then the material was presented by the kids in special video projects that we called Glimpses. We built quite a following and started to collaborate with and interview authors, illustrators, publishers, and of course many amazing local singer songwriters. As a culminating celebration of each Glimpse Journey, I produced a music festival that we called Glimpsepalooza. The first one was live and then we had to pivot to online due to pandemic limitations. Over the last 5 years we had the honour of showcasing over 50 local artists, many of whom participated year after year, and presented over 100 songs and the positive messages within their lyrics. An unexpected pivot at the end of 2023 has resulted in a shift in how Glimpse will operate going forward. I’m excited for the opportunity to explore a newer path.

In what ways have you and Glimpse had to pivot?

For years, my students and I have been fortunate to build many incredible volunteer based partnerships and run with some really big ideas. Within my role as an educator, there are policies and procedures that have required us to step back into the box. At the school level, we had to shift the way we operate and eliminate any potential conflicts of interest. So, entirely new social media accounts were created that align with school board policies. The old accounts have been rebranded and will no longer focus or highlight any student activity. The kids will continue to glimpse children’s literature, interview authors/illustrators, express their mathematical thinking, and showcase positive messages found in poems and songs. The 2023 Project Power Kids, as they are now referred to, will continue to grow in confidence, resilience, and compassion. They will continue to embrace who they are and learn from each other’s fabulous differences. They will remind us that each of us can power up and level up everyday to do better and be better. We will do this together at the school level. But, I’ll be doing my own thing in the community.

The wonderfully generous volunteer based collaborations with singer songwriters and the Glimpsepalooza festival will no longer be part of the journey for the students. Although that’s unfortunate, this unexpected pivot presented an opportunity for me to carry Glimpse onto a new path that is entirely separate from my role as an educator. I’m excited and nervous, but that’s all part of the creative process. It was always part of my plan to explore what Glimpse could become after I retire, but why wait? Now, instead of putting things on my “one day” list, I have decided to put things on my “day one” list.
The time is now. I’m excited for a Glimpse of something new.

What do you hope to accomplish at the community level as you embark on this new and exciting Glimpse journey?

First and foremost, I’m just going to have some fun with it. This new chapter will be branded as Glimpse Productions. With the help of Modern Mississauga and Mississauga Music, I’ll be showcasing a different local artist every month from January until June. I’m so lucky to get to do this. I’m going to connect with some great artists who have agreed to be interviewed for this series that I’m calling A GLIMPSE INTO THE HEART OF A SINGER SONGWRITER. The interviews will be shared online each month.

Beyond the interview series, I hope to produce and host some live music events throughout the year. There are a few concepts that the kids and I have explored over the last few years that I’d love to reinvent and deliver to the community on an entirely different level. One is A GLIMPSE INTO THE HEART OF A LYRIC, a panel of artists discussing positive messages found in lyrics and performing their music live. Another is A GLIMPSE INTO A SONG BORN FROM A STORY, where original songs inspired by the messages found in children’s literature (or perhaps a song that became a book) are presented live at a fun family event. Last but certainly not least, the ultimate goal is to bring GLIMPSEPALOOZA back to life as a live community event hosted by myself and some Glimpse Kids during the summer months. None of these ideas are set in stone but I’ve never shied away from dreaming big. I’ve knocked on a few doors, reached out to some friends, started some discussions and I’m very encouraged by the enthusiasm I’ve received thus far. Building upon the collaborations established over the last 5 years, I’m very hopeful that myself and the Glimpse Family will continue to change the world one song at a time. Get ready for a Glimpse of something new!

Where and how can people learn more and join you on this new journey?

Well, I’m actually going to be speaking at Matt Zaddy’s THE JUNXION OPEN MIC at the Erin Mills Town Centre on Saturday, February 3rd at 1:00PM. I’ll be sharing
messages of gratitude and our ability to grow from struggles. I invite you to drop by and say hi!
Join my digital community on Instagram and check out the Glimpse Archives on YouTube.