2005 Clinicians give students valuable feedback
Not long after initiating the Saturday concerts on Main Street, it was evident to the committee that bands were less and less willing to participate in a festival that ran during the May long weekend. Festival events were bumped back to the middle of the week, to be held Wednesday to Friday and soon after bumped again to run Tuesday to Thursday. Although the public found this disappointing, it was essential to save and grow the festival. The committee focused more on the needs of the participants instead of the public. It was risky but proved to be the right move.
The value of the feedback given at the Kinsmen International Band and Choral Festival was not lost on a Moose Jaw elementary and high school band teacher. Wednesday afternoon, Scott Irvine and Joan Watson from the True North Brass band worked with students from the Gr 8 band from various Moose Jaw Schools.
“We’re preparing for our year end concert and these are the songs we’ll be playing.” Said Kristen Dalzell, director of public school bands from Grades 6 to 8 as well as the Peacock / Riverview Collegiate’s concert and jazz bands. The clinicians were catching things that Dalzell hadn’t even thought of she said and she was given a tape of the clinician’s 40 minute long discussion with the band.
It’s an experience Irvine said he wished he would have had as a younger musician. “I’d have killed to have had a professional talking with me when I was 12 years old.” Irvine said. “I’d be bugging the guy”.
Watson, along with the True North Brass said she came to the festival upon meeting festival chairwoman Sharon Penner at a national conference. Both Watson and Irvine are multitalented musicians with decades of experience in bands.
A lot of young musicians make the same mistakes about making themselves heard.“Bands are about wind instruments.” Watson said. “Mostly young players are learning about fingers and playing the notes themselves. They forget to take a breath and blow through the instrument. A lot of young musicians at the festival are being taught a lot in a short period of time. Quite frequently they are learning the instruments for the first time at the late elementary school level. Watson is originally from Dauphin, Man. but her band rarely makes it to the Prairies. She was impressed with the festival Wednesday, its first day.
“It takes a lot of determination and vision to get it up,” Watson said. “That’s what inspires me.”
The festival includes choirs as well as concert and jazz bands. On Wednesday night at the Cultural Centre, a student group, selected by the clinicians performed, followed by the Marklinger, Dyksman, Gallagher Jazz Trio.
The festival continues until Friday.