Arts & Culture

As fall approaches and the mercury drops, the cooler temperatures might lead to thoughts of holing up in a warm and cozy living room with some cool jazz and the libation of your choice. And if it's jazz you're in the mood for, the Arts Department on the fifth floor of the Toronto Reference Library has over 1400 vinyl records, 3100 CDs and 165 DVDs for you to watch and listen to (although only the DVDs can be signed out and taken home to your warm and cozy living room and libation).

But if you'd like to actually learn how to play jazz so that other people will want to watch and listen to you, we've also got almost 600 books of jazz sheet music that can be signed out and taken home to your warm and cozy practice space (libation optional), including the works of many of the greatest singers and players in jazz history. 

Speaking of practice spaces, TRL's Arts Department also has two piano practice rooms (the Oakwood Village and Parkdale branches also have pianos you can use), and if you'd like to try your hand at other instruments you don't happen to own, you can sign out a variety of instruments for free with a library card at Parkdale's Musical Instrument Lending Library.