Students take part in Music Festival!
Over 450 band and choir students from SD83 had the opportunity to take part in the annual Shuswap Music Festival, on April 11 to April 29, 2023. The festival not only gives students the opportunities to perform in a concert venue, but also to be adjudicated by accomplished musicians!
Michelle Reed, District Vice Principal of Music, comments that 13 SD83 bands took part and had the opportunity to play at Song Sparrow Hall. “This is an amazing acoustical experience for our kids.” Also, commented Reed, the performances are being recorded and a copy given to the bands! The choirs performed at Nexus, another great musical venue!
Reed explains at a festival there are “standards of excellence” which the bands/choirs are judged against (unlike first, second, third, like in sports). “Each group competes for their own excellence.” There is also a top band/choir in each category, which comes with a prize.
CONCERT BAND
B100 = North Shuswap (Bronze), Falkland (Bronze), A.L. Fortune (ALF) Grade 7 (Gold), Carlin (Bronze) – Best Band award went to A.L. Fortune
B200 = Eagle River Secondary (Bronze), Shuswap Middle School (SMS) Grade 8 (Gold), ALF 7/8 (Gold) – Best Band award to A.L. Fortune
B300 = ALF 9-12 (Gold), Jackson 9/10 (Silver) – Best Band award to A.L.Fortune
B400 = Salmon Arm Secondary Sullivan (Gold), Pleasant Valley Secondary School (Gold) – Best Band award to PVSS
JAZZ BAND
J100 – SMS 8 (Gold)
J200 = Jackson (Gold)
CHOIR
Secondary – Sullivan Choir (Gold)
Middle – SMS Choir (Gold)
Elementary – Bastion Choir (Gold)
The purpose of the Shuswap Music Festival is to encourage, support, challenge, and celebrate music students and amateur musicians by providing opportunities for learning and performing on the road to musical excellence. Reed mentioned a couple of the Festival sponsors including the Rotary Clubs, Acorn Music’s Cory Bagg, who is a former SD83 band student, and SASCU, who sponsor awards.
In addition, the Festival provides the opportunity for constructive and professional evaluations of musical performances. There were some SD83 connections with the adjudicators as George (Geordie) Roberts is originally from Enderby and Gord Waters is a retired SD83 Music Supervisor.
The Festival is produced by a not-for-profit society managed by a volunteer board of directors and by Salmon Arm Rotary. Reed, on behalf of SD83, wanted to express her thanks to these groups of dedicated volunteers, and the sponsors, for providing this opportunity for SD83 students.