I remember first picking up the tenor saxophone in Grade 7; I was so proud that I had passed the required half semester of playing the clarinet to graduate to the instrument I really wanted to play.
I always looked forward to band class; I did not care if that was “nerdy.” Locating the large black case in the instrument storage, carefully putting together the neck and the body, sliding my reed under the ligature, just so the instrument would play perfectly in tune.
Every part of it was magical.
Some of my best memories in high school centre on being part of the band program. I was fortunate enough to have a teacher very passionate about music, and he pushed us all to be better than we thought we could be. I remember sold out concerts at convocation hall at the University of Alberta, playing songs no other concert band would dream of playing. We even placed first in the province in my senior year.
Even now, years after graduating, learning to play an instrument has allowed me to be a part of things I would never otherwise be, such as being in the pit band for the local production of the Drowsy Chaperone last spring.
I hear Edwin Parr Composite School’s band used to be something to write home about, and as a self-proclaimed band nerd, it is disheartening knowing no such program exists anymore, that students will miss out on the great opportunities I was given through band.
With the new secondary school set to be complete soon and students will move in after Christmas, it is the perfect time to rebuild the music program. Band not only expands one’s self esteem – knowing you can play such eloquent music in front of an audience – but studies widely show it improves performance in other subjects as well.
As you can read in my article in this week’s edition about EPC’s music program, the school division has designed the new school with a band room.
This is a positive first step to re-creating EPC’s band program.
While I can recognize the difficulty of recruiting for rural school music programs, I would strongly encourage EPC to push ahead and get instruments back into the hands of students.
