Cremona Band wins gold at national band competition
Cremona’s Grade 7 to 9 band is back from national music festival, having earned a gold award for their performance. According to Alex Hutcheon, Cremona School’s band director, this finish signifies an achievement of excellence in all aspects of the band’s performance.
”I am very proud of the group for achieving the standard of excellence for their performance,” says Hutcheon, “but what I am most proud of is the respect and gratitude that the students displayed to our parent chaperones, tour guides, bus drivers and clinicians. They did a fantastic job representing our school, school division and our province.”
The Nationals MusicFest Canada was held in Toronto, Ontario at York University from May 13 -17. The Cremona School band, made up of 37 students in Grade 7 to 9, was invited to the national event after a ‘superior’ finish at a music festival in Alberta last spring.
The band performed at national music festival for 30 minutes, and then had a private clinic with a guest conductor for an hour following the performance. Students were also able to listen to other bands perform.
The band performed three songs. Eagle Song by Robert Buckley, a Canadian composer, is a favorite of the students. Eagle Song translates to S’pakwus Slulum in Squamish and is a traditional piece from the Squamish First Nation. The composer worked along with an advisor from the Squamish First Nation, and performer Bob Baker to arrange the music to be performed by young artists.
The second piece is called Zenith by Peter Meechan, also a Canadian composer. The music is inspired by looking off into the night sky, and mixes themes of serenity and beauty with the intensity of the vast universe.
The band’s third piece of music was Marzo Zingaro by Randall Standridge. It is a “fun Gypsy March intended to tell the story of a Gypsy wandering through the Italian countryside,” according to Hutcheon.
Ada R., a Grade 7 student, says she enjoyed the trip because she “strengthened our friendships, learned about individual responsibility, and gained a cultural experience from exploring a different part of our country. I really enjoyed watching other groups perform. I had no idea that Canadian schools had string ensembles and that was great to watch. Finally, I loved working with the guest conductor. He had great feedback and he was kind and patient.”
Jillian R., a Grade 8 student, says, “I loved touring around Toronto. It was a new experience for me and the sights were amazing. Musically, I really enjoyed listening to groups that sounded incredible. I feel like the concert hall we played in made our group sound better than we ever have. Our group did a great job listening to one another and I am very proud of our group for achieving gold.”
Outside of their musical opportunities, band students also visited Niagara Falls, went on a hike in the area, took a ride on the Whirlpool Aero Car, explored Clifton Hill, and visited the Royal Ontario Museum, the Hockey Hall of Fame, Ripley’s Aquarium and the CN Tower. Also students attended a Toronto Blue Jays
Hutcheon says, “the ultimate goal of a music educator is to instill such a love for music that students continue playing, creating, enjoying and being involved in some sort of music making outside of school and into their adult lives. My hope is that the experience of performing on the national stage, representing Cremona School, Chinook’s Edge, and small communities and K-12 schools across our country, will instill an intense passion for music that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.”
Many families and community members helped to make the trip to nationals available to students through fundraising throughout the last year, and through donations. Hutcheon says, “We are very appreciative of all who have assisted in making this dream a reality.”