The connection between a child's participation in music lessons and that child's academic success is heavily documented.
Learning music does something positive to the learning sectors of the brain.
A school in Prince George has been a longtime trailblazer through modern times. School districts across Canada, including local ones, have much less music instruction than past generations. Quinson elementary school, however, has maintained a strong music program and is home base to multiple choral singing programs.
The MusiCounts Band Aid Program recognized this extra effort by providing Quinson school with $10,000 in new musical instruments. The students got to open the boxes this week, under the delighted supervision of their conductor Carolyn Duerksen.
"The application process was a new one for Quinson and I received tremendous support from our fall vice-principal, Rob Larson," said Duerksen. "We registered, collected references from several sources like former principals, former parents of Quinson students, members of the P.G. music community, the director of the symphony, former Quinson students, school board administrators, and we took an instrument inventory, completed a wish list of desired instruments, and then I had to write a 'compelling needs' letter. Then we waited. About two months ago, I received a phone call to say that we had been one of the successful applicants."
The next step was to formally send in a comprehensive inventory of the instruments they already had, this had to be officially verified, and then the official school wish-list was handed in.
If it sounds onerous, the administrators of the program have standards to uphold. The MusiCounts Band Aid initiative is run by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences - the same people who run the Juno Awards and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The board of directors is a star-spangled list of record label CEOs and presidents of live entertainment companies.
The program lists its criteria as being a school's socio-economic need, the kind of instruments the school has, the condition of those instruments, the number of students impacted by the music program, dedication of the school staff, and the overall impact the grant will make within the school and community at large.
Seven schools in B.C. were given some amount of money, only one other besides Quinson was north of the Okanagan, that being Sk'aadgaa Naay Elementary on Haida Gwaii.
Duerksen made the most of the cash infusion, picking instruments that were foundational to music lessons, allowed for advanced students to still feel challenged and thrilled by their level of music, some that would last a long time with the wear and tear of a school setting, and a lot that were highly portable and could be easily replaced if lost or damaged.
The purchase included nine from the metallophone / xylophone family, 60 ukuleles, a number of more expensive percussion instruments, particularly a djembe Duerksen is fond of, several smaller items like mallets and triangle sticks, and about 170 Spirit Flutes.
"Our wish list was written with the future in mind," she said. "The instruments are to assist in continuing the strong legacy of music education at Quinson. Many of the instruments we have in the music room are probably from the first music teacher's career, some 52 years ago. I would like to contribute to the future of music at this school. The idea behind the purchase choices was also wanting more children to have 'hands on' experience with instruments. More instruments, more opportunities."
In addition to the direct school-based music instruction, Quinson is also home to the Sistema program that gives under-financed kids the chance to learn violin and have a snack after school, all for free. It is also where Duerksen bases her city-wide youth choir District 57 Tapestry Singers. These instruments will become part of that culture of song at the school, leading to a culture of community and better learning.
