If You Can’t Hear the Cellos: The Art of Listening Louder than You Play Artwork

PrincipalED: Conversations with Grace McCallum

Interested in girls’ and women’s success? And in hearing from people who are invested in advancing girls’ education today and helping to shape its future? Then the PrincipalED podcast is for you! We’ll take you inside the halls of a girls’ school, where you’ll hear candid conversations with educators and students, friends of the school and experts in their fields. We’ll also highlight the incredible stories of people in our Branksome Hall community, sharing what's on their minds—and why it matters.

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PrincipalED: Conversations with Grace McCallum

If You Can’t Hear the Cellos: The Art of Listening Louder than You Play

February 06, 2026 • Grace McCallum/Branksome Hall • Season 2 • Episode 5

0:00 | 56:43

In this episode, Grace sits down with members of Branksome Hall's Arts faculty to explore why the ‘A’ in STEAM is the essential ingredient for true innovation. Recorded in the Senior & Middle School Theatre Lab, this conversation explores how the artistic process helps students develop the key qualities of empathy, resilience, collaboration and risk-taking.

Angela David, Arts Instructional Leader, Adam Despinic, Music Coordinator and Janeen Gilbert, Visual Arts Coordinator, share their journeys to Branksome, how they coach students to “listen louder than they play,” and the human qualities the arts foster that can never be replaced by AI. They also provide some teasers about Nocturne, the exciting student-led, cross-disciplinary performance created in partnership with Toronto’s Red Sky Performance that will open the new iCAST building at Branksome in fall 2026.

The episode concludes with a spotlight on Grade 12 student Carina, winner of our podcast theme song competition! Carina joins Grace to break down her creative process and share the inspiration behind the music you’ll hear in every episode.

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The PrincipalED podcast is produced by Branksome Hall, Toronto's leading independent International Baccalaureate (IB) World School for girls. branksome.on.ca

Episode keywords: Arts, theatre, visual arts, music, composition, arts education, STEAM education, human creativity, arts in innovation, transdisciplinary learning, empathy in education.

Show keywords: Branksome Hall, Grace McCallum, podcast, education, girls’ education, leadership, school leadership, independent schools, private schools, girls, teens, women, academic success, social-emotional learning, resilience, well-being, future of education, university preparation, women in leadership