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By Kieran Delamont
The prospect of a long trip with 40 or so kids adept at making loud noises with wind instruments might be a little stressful.
But Rob Pretty, the conductor of the Henry Larsen Elementary School concert band, seemed fairly composed on Monday afternoon, the day before his band was set to travel to Toronto to participate in MusicFest 2018. (Or “nationals,” as it’s known.)
The band earned its spot by recently winning gold at a regional festival in Ottawa, and has earned a reputation for being a top-level elementary school band.
“This is the group that I enter for competitions,” said Pretty.
The band is made up of a select ensemble of students from Grades 7 and 8 (as well as one student who is in Grade 6) from Henry Larsen in Orléans.
For the kids, a trip to nationals will be the final jewel in an already successful year. Last weekend, the band was invited to perform at Comiccon in Ottawa, where they played a medley of songs from famous video games.
Pretty said working with his students, rather than, say, dictating what they have to play, is one of the keys to the band’s success. The medley of video game songs, for instance, is a big hit with the kids.
“It’s a collaboration process. The kids, ultimately, get to decide (what they play) based on some stuff that I bring forward,” said Pretty. “That’s how they buy in. They love the music they’re playing, because it’s relevant to them.”
Not only do they enjoy it, they do it very well — a testament, said Pretty, to the seriousness with which the kids approach the music.
“The kids really do practice a lot,” he said. “The pieces of music that we’re playing now are extremely high level pieces. There are high school bands that aren’t as strong as we are, because of the simple fact that they don’t practice as much.”
Music teacher Rob Pretty conducts his youth orchestra at Henry Larsen Elementary School in Orleans. Errol McGihon/Postmedia
查看原文...
The prospect of a long trip with 40 or so kids adept at making loud noises with wind instruments might be a little stressful.
But Rob Pretty, the conductor of the Henry Larsen Elementary School concert band, seemed fairly composed on Monday afternoon, the day before his band was set to travel to Toronto to participate in MusicFest 2018. (Or “nationals,” as it’s known.)
The band earned its spot by recently winning gold at a regional festival in Ottawa, and has earned a reputation for being a top-level elementary school band.
“This is the group that I enter for competitions,” said Pretty.
The band is made up of a select ensemble of students from Grades 7 and 8 (as well as one student who is in Grade 6) from Henry Larsen in Orléans.
For the kids, a trip to nationals will be the final jewel in an already successful year. Last weekend, the band was invited to perform at Comiccon in Ottawa, where they played a medley of songs from famous video games.
Pretty said working with his students, rather than, say, dictating what they have to play, is one of the keys to the band’s success. The medley of video game songs, for instance, is a big hit with the kids.
“It’s a collaboration process. The kids, ultimately, get to decide (what they play) based on some stuff that I bring forward,” said Pretty. “That’s how they buy in. They love the music they’re playing, because it’s relevant to them.”
Not only do they enjoy it, they do it very well — a testament, said Pretty, to the seriousness with which the kids approach the music.
“The kids really do practice a lot,” he said. “The pieces of music that we’re playing now are extremely high level pieces. There are high school bands that aren’t as strong as we are, because of the simple fact that they don’t practice as much.”
Music teacher Rob Pretty conducts his youth orchestra at Henry Larsen Elementary School in Orleans. Errol McGihon/Postmedia
查看原文...
