(submitted photo/firebirdnorth)

By Nigel Maxwell

Youth programs

P.A. woman proposes music therapy for troubled and bored youth

Jul 22, 2019 | 12:09 PM

According to one Prince Albert woman, the best way to reach out to youth in the community is through music.

That’s why Kathleen Clarke hopes to start up an after school program at King George school. The program would be based on the El Sistema program started up by a man in Venezuela in 1975, who witnessed youth in his community having nothing to do, and getting into trouble.

“When we learned about this, we kind of looked around our community and thought ‘Yeah we have kids who are looking for something to do, and we have a need in our community too,'” she said.

Clarke who has a music education degree, and has over 30 years experience teaching music in the classroom, said she feels strongly this program could make a difference.

“In my core I have always had a passion for social change, for how can we make this better, what’s the key to seeing this situation improve,” she said.

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At this stage Clarke has secured a place at King George school, but is still in the process of submitting grant applications and collecting violins, violas, and chellos. She said her long term plan would be to form an orchestra.

“The group lesson is part of what makes that community bond and making music together,” she said.

The group, which has been called Firebird North Sistema Project, has a website and a Facebook page. Board member Colleen Bowen told paNOW they would like to start up in the fall but admitted that could be a bit ambitious.

“We are in the process of trying to reach out to groups in the community so that they hear about us and we can form links and connections,” she said.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell