Celebrating the Life of Trent P. McDonald

“Any moron can destroy, let’s create!” – Trent P. McDonald

That is a quote from our email exchange on September 18, 2025. We were working on a collaboration: his new song, some street art and a chat.

We couldn’t quite settle on any of the samples I sent. Then I found a quadriptych in an alley in Cabbagetown. The colours were perfect for the rainbow he was using in his video.

Trent – I really love the dancers!  I followed the link you sent and also the link that they have, to more info about the mural.  It is all great.

Resa – It sounds like we should go with the Dancers. I’ve been thinking about it, too, and it does fit with your song and vice versa.

Trent – There is the freedom of the styles – from the kid’s drawings of buildings to the Matisse inspired abstract dancers, The color palette is great.  It is very dynamic; the sense of movement is fantastic – not being boxed in at all!  Free expression.

Trent – I am not sure if you want to get into the music nerd side of it, but some questions can centre around the time being in 7-4, 6-4 and 5-4 while most pop/rock music is 4-4 with a very occasional 3-4 (waltz-like).  

Moving Elevation is the official title

Resa – The quadriptych was painted indoors on canvas. They were coated and moved outdoors onto an alley wall of a dance school.

Children worked with the artists and created the backgrounds.

Citadel & Companie is the dance company that commissioned this quadriptych.

Part of their program offers dance lessons to children.

“It is lit from the blue sky above, even if the sky is covered in clouds.”

The above words are Trent’s, from one of our mails. We were talking about why a pic he took, of a drawing of a trumpet he had done, tuned blue.

That sentence applies to much more than just a photograph. I see it as a philosophic metaphor. Music, in Trent’s life, was always a light from above.

Ghosts

The last panel of the quadriptych seemed somewhat apart from the other 3, because of the figures. My initial thoughts were of dancing ghosts. They now haunt.

Fiyero, one of his dogs had just died.

Trent – And thanks, Resa.  Even though I drove down to the Cape yesterday so should be in a “happy place,” I’ll admit I am a little depressed today.

Resa – Take it easy out there, and be careful. We are not at our sharpest when grieving, or even just blue.

I suggested posting on the 16th of October, or just after. That would give us time to finish the Q&A!

Trent – Oh, the date sounds good.  I will be off line from the afternoon of October 9 until maybe the morning of October 13.  The 16th is perfect.

Resa -Write me tomorrow, or anytime! It doesn’t have to be about the post. Anything you want to say is okay by me.

Music Maker

Trent and I found our palship because of music. Oddly, inasmuch as we both love music and had a special spot for John Lennon, it was equipment, the hardware that instigated out first chats.

As my hubs is a musician/composer/producer, I’ve watched music equipment come and go: evolve from analog to digital, from the McLeyvier (ahead of its time & developed by a friend of ours) to the Synclavier (of which Trent had one).

Trent – Hi Resa, So, I decided to go ahead and do the cover of “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” I just sketched it all out in a notation program (writing the notes, etc.) and have started to play around with it on the guitar.  I changed keys again from what I do with my instructor to make the guitar part easier.  I bumped it a little higher, but still not what CCR did – John Fogerty had a very high voice!

Anyway, thought you’d be interested to know that I am doing this.  Most likely I will record over the weekend and put it out early next week.

This is what would have been our 5th post together. If you’d like to see the other 4, just click on the banner below. Trent did the drawing of John Lennon.

Pics taken by Resa – September 18, 2025

Toronto, Canada

The Artists:

& the children