SRSD bands collide on stage in mass performance

The sound of music is coming from Carlton Comprehensive High School.

Thursday night hundreds of students from about 10 different Saskatchewan River School Division (SRSD) schools hit the stage for the annual Massed Band Concert.

In the morning about 200 kids from Grades 6 to 8 were there practicing, one of which was Grade 8 Ecole Vickers School student Miranda Bellisle.  She plays the baritone saxophone.

She attended this event last year as well, but has developed as a musician since then.

“It was kind of a bit nerve-racking the first time, but then afterwards you get through it and everything,” Bellisle said.

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“Now that we’re older we play a lot of, like, newer music and it’s a lot more fun,” she said, adding that by Grade 8 band is optional so those who are there want to be there.

She plans to attend Carlton next year and join band.

Perry Acorn, a band teacher with the SRSD, said the students from all the bands will form one massive band—something they’ve done for a few years now.

 “It gives students in smaller schools an opportunity to have a big band experience.  Maybe some schools don’t have all the band instruments.  This way they get to play with all the instruments that are open,” he said.

“They also build a bit of a community; they meet the same people they’ve met in other band trips and band camps and they also meet the kids they’re going to play in band with when they choose to come to Carlton next year.”

However, not every student in Saskatchewan is lucky enough to have band as an option.

In a letter to parents this week — the Prairie Spirit School Division announced it is cutting the band program in light of a $7 million budget shortfall.

For Acorn, this is sad news.

“We have a lot that we should be happy with.  We have a lot that we shouldn’t take for granted and our students are very lucky within the Sask Rivers School Division to have such emphasis on the academics and the arts,” he said.

Acorn said arts programs like band boost math and reading skills.  “So for a school division to be cutting the band program, that’s really disappointing.”

Grade 12 Carlton student Alyson Hastings said it’s a shame that some schools won’t get the option of band.  She currently plays flute.

“We get to go on band trips every year and we’ve grown as musicians so much throughout high school and also at Carlton in band we get to see each other every single day for an hour. And in other classes you don’t get that opportunity to grow your friendships and really get know people every single day,” Hastings said.

Fellow flute player Jasohna Haukenfrers, and Tiffany Parschauer who plays the alto saxophone are in band with Hastings.

They said it has produced a lot of opportunities for them and they’re happy to see students in younger grades involved in music.

Parschauer started band in Grade 5 and carried it through elementary school into high school.

“I thought it was something new.  I actually already knew how to play the piano, so I thought learning another musical instrument would be a good experience for me to learn,” she said.

Haukenfrers is going to take it even farther and plans to go to university to become a music therapist.

“I love kids and I want to help people using music and it’s my passion,” she said.  “Music can bring not only passion and fun and enjoyment and a pasttime, but I also think music can bring healing and it can be a good way to reintegrate or re-establish someone in society,” Haukenfrers said.

For Acorn, this passion is part of the reason they teach band.

“Life is better with music in it.”

At 7 p.m. Thursday night the audience will see a mix of different performances from Beginner Band, Grades 6 to 8 Band, and Carlton Bands.

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