This week on ART BEAT my topic was music education. I was inspired by the national event Music Monday which takes place annually on the first Monday in May.
Created by The Coalition for Music Education, May 4th, marks the 11th annual Music Monday in Canada. The event celebrates the importance of music in our lives, and highlights the need to protect and enhance quality music programs for every child in Canadian schools. To commemorate this national event in a local way I chatted live in studio with Melanie Palmer Monds President of the Bulkley Valley Folk Music Society and Coordinator of the Smithers Younger Guitar Camp. I was also joined in studio by Tehdi Durham and Sim Wilson, former participants in the Smithers Younger Guitar Camp.
Have you heard of Music Monday? The event began in 2005 and is closely tied to schools across Canada where music students simultaneously participate in a nationwide musical performance. I learned about Music Monday when I found a letter posted online that was written specifically for music Monday by notable Smithers musician Alex Cuba. Along with other celebrated Canadian’s, Cuba was asked to write a thank you letter to a former music teacher who had influenced him. In the letter to his former music teacher, Maestro Luis/El Chupao, it says:
“at 15 years of age, you gave me a sense of focus and most importantly a developed taste in music. ...Through your lessons I learned dynamics in music, and I apply your teachings to everything I do today.”
What a compliment! You can read the whole letter online here: http://music.cbc.ca/#!/blogs/2012/4/Letter-to-my-teacher-Alex-Cuba
Alex Cuba isn’t the only one who was deeply influenced by his music teacher, or by learning music. Research shows that there are strong links between learning music in school and success in life, and not just success in a musical life. A new poster launched by The Coalition for Music Education proclaims the motto: Success in Music. Success in Life. No Coincidence. http://www.musicmakesus.ca/success/HTML/index.html
The poster shows 22 diverse professionals including doctors, judges, scientists and athletes who attribute music as a fundamental part of their life success.
You probably heard of Music Monday in 2013 but did not realize why. It was in 2013 that Music Monday reached new heights – as high as the international space station, when astronaut Chris Hadfield collaborated live from space in a coast to coast simultaneous concert for Music Monday. It became one of the most remembered Canadian events of 2013. Hadfield was joined by over 700,000 music makers across Canada, to sing the Music Monday song, I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing), which he co-wrote with Barenaked Ladies front-man Ed Robertson. Have a listen here:
http://music.cbc.ca/#!/blogs/2013/5/Music-Monday-Chris-Hadfields-song-from-space-crosses-Canada
also check out “Music Monday Comes to Space” (with additional video of mission control coordinating the event!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM7XerPy2kY
You still have time to get involved in Music Monday 2015. It happens Monday May 4th beginning at 9am Pacific time. For more information visit www.musicmonday.ca. You are invited to go to the website, learn this year’s song, by yourself or in a group, and sing or play along simultaneously with hundreds of thousands of others across Canada in solidarity for music education. Don’t forget to plan for next year, and register any event you do.
This year’s anthem was chosen from thousands submitted in a nationwide contest. The winning song is an original composition by 16 year old student Connor Ross of Montreal called We Are One / Nous Sommes Unis. http://www.musicmonday.ca/anthem/
We all know music is an international language that has no need for words, but just to keep it diverse and inclusive, The Coalition for Music Education translated the 2015 We Are One song lyrics into several languages including Italian, Gaelic, Inuktitut, Ojibwe and Cree. On the show I played Susan Aglukark’s version “Uvagut” in Inuktitut. Find other versions here: http://www.musicmonday.ca/translations/
On a local level, Smithers, British Columbia is a place that celebrates and fosters musical talent not just once a year, but in many ways every single day. An outstanding example is The Bulkley Valley Folk Music Society with its Midsummer Folk Music Festival and guitar camp programs that have inspired and nurtured hundreds of musicians.
The Bulkley Valley Folk Music Society (BVFMS) grew out of an organization called the Styx River Coffee House. This group of dedicated music lovers decided a music festival would be an asset to the Bulkley Valley and formed a non-profit society which started the Midsummer Folk Music Festival.
Completely volunteer-run since its inception, the festival started on a $500 budget with funds contributed by the organizers. In 1991 the festival turned a $20,000 profit and put the extra money back into the music community. The BVFMS is responsible for seed-funding key Northern British Columbia festivals: the Kispiox Valley Music Festival, Haida Gwaii’s Edge of the World Festival and, Robson Valley’s Music Festival. For many years the society has also contributed $2,000 a year in scholarships for high school students showing musical talent.
In 1996, The Society started Smithers’ Adult Guitar Camp and, a few years later, the Younger Guitar Camp. Both guitar camps are unique programs that attract a combination of high quality local and national talent and attract aspiring and experienced musicians from British Columbia, the USA and other regions of Canada. The guitar camps boast accomplished instructors, for example iconic folk singer Valdy. Valdy has said that “Smithers has a great musical foundation” and he praised younger guitar camp for giving local youth a leg up in the process of learning music.
One need only look to the outstanding talent associated with guitar camp, and its past students to confirm that something special is happening here. Past participants of Younger Guitar Camp include MIP Power Trio and The Racket, Theresa Pasaluko and Tehdi Durham. Other notable campers include Jake Jenne and Ian Olmstead both of who currently form part of Alex Cuba’s band. Based on guitar camp alone one could reasonably argue Smithers, British Columbia is a musical mecca unique and outstanding in all of Canada.
I was joined live in studio by former Younger Guitar Camp participant Tehdi Durham who is now an instructor at the camp, and by Sim Wilson an ongoing participant who has attended three times.
Both Tehdi and Sim are extremely talented young songwriters and musicians. I encourage you to listen to them online and support their music:
Tehdi - Listen especially to the vocal range and guitar skill on the song “Home”
Sim Wilson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhUEXwdeZ_Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exl08RB8Reg
Smithers Younger Guitar Camp (SYGC) was started by Jordy Walker and Helene Flury. Jordy Walker is a music composer, producer, sound designer and multi-intrumentalist. His compositions and sound design have been featured in theatre and contemporary dance productions across Canada as well as in documentaries short films for CBC, NFB, Discovery Channel, HIFI and more. Together Walker and Flury created a safe and supportive environment were youth can learn and push musical boundaries.
The SYGC is a very unique program specializing in guitar instruction, welcoming youth, ages 10-18. It is a full immersion camp that encourages youth to achieve a greater musical confidence. Participants improve technical proficiency on the guitar, and collaborate in the creation of a song for the final concert. The youth who come to guitar camp also participate in field sport games and learn life skills such as team participation.
For Music Monday and beyond, lets all encourage music to be a part of each of our lives. You can start by passing on the message about Smithers Adult and Younger Guitar Camps and consider attending. The camp is extremely affordable in the range of approximately $400-500 including accommodation, food, and instruction. For those not from the valley, heads up that the camp location is truly stunning and inspirational. If you think The Banff Centre is the only place for high quality artistic creation and soul inspired scenery, I challenge you to try Smithers Guitar Camp.
The 2015 Smithers Youth Guitar Camp will be Tuesday August 11 to Saturday August 15, 2015 at Camp Caledonia on Tyhee Lake 20 minutes drive from Smithers. http://smithersmusicfest.com/bvfms/programs/youth
Check out Smithers Younger Guitar Camp on Facebook and show your support by giving them a “like”.
Inspired? Want more? Check out further music by former participants of Smithers Younger Guitar Camp
Theresa Pasaluko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jViLYJzDb1I
The Racket: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy7HQCLqoVc
From my little art heart,
Colleen Sharpe
Listen to this week's show online under the playlist:http://http://www.smithersradio.com/program/art-beat
Email me with any show ideas, comments or questions to artbeat@smithersradio.com
#CoalitionForMusicEducation #SmithersBC #MusicMonday #GuitarCamp #AlexCuba #MusicEducation #Valdy #MidsummerMusicFestival #ArtBeat #ChrisHadfield #ConnorRoss #SusanAglukark #JordyWalker #MIPPowerTrio #TheRacket