Band is the place to be at Powell River’s Brooks Secondary School.
This year over 60 students have enrolled in grade eight band, up significantly from just two years ago when only 22 children enrolled.
“This is a happening, years in the making,” said Roy Carson, band teacher at Brooks. “We’ve been trying to make band accessible to everyone.”
Carson said he’s been working on what he calls the Powell River School District’s Module Program for about four years now. The program promotes music among grade six and sevens in the district by circulating eight pods of instruments, each with about 50 or 60 flutes and clarinets, for students to share.
“All those kids that didn’t have that support would probably opt out of band,” said Carson. “We want the kids to realize that they can play music even if their parents didn’t.”
Students get a lot out of band, said Carson. “We talk about what makes a great team. For example, how we act and treat each other.”
For at least two new grade eight students the draw of band lies in the company you get to keep.
“It will be fun to hang with the band,” said Cayce Hollingsworth, 13, a soccer lover who previously went to Assumption School and joined band at Brooks as a clarinet player.
“The more people you have playing, the better it sounds,” said Carson Cecconi, 13, a guitar player who attended Westview Elementary last year and will be playing alto saxophone in the band.
Besides socialization, students will be learning how to work together as a team, as well as how to master their instruments, said Carson.
Carson estimates about 25 per cent of students choose not to continue with band past grade eight with so many options available at Brooks.
“The question is, how do you spur a lifelong love of music in these kids?” asked Carson. “At Brooks, we try to focus on what’s unique at our school and that’s exploring the feelings we create when we make music.”
Along with old favourites, like the Star Wars themes and songs from Spider-Man and the Pink Panther, Carson said he plans on teaching Antonín Dvořák’s, Largo.
“What I love is when we all get through a song for the first time,” said Carson. “It sounds like a trainwreck, but everyone is cheering because they feel like they just finished a marathon.”
Due to high enrollment this year, grade eight band has been split into two classes, one taught by Roy Carson and the other by Paul Cummings.
According to Carson, the Brooks band will perform out of town about four or five times this year.
