Central Saanich music students hit all the right notes at a BC music festival last weekend.
Fifty-three Stelly’s Secondary students, along with their music teacher Norbert Ziegler, participated in the annual Con Brio Music Festival in Sun Peaks, BC from May 5 to 7. The festival is non-competitive; meaning, rather than competing against other schools for first, second or third place, performers are graded to a standard and given gold, silver or bronze.
The Stelly’s senior concert band (Grade 10 to 12) won gold, as well as the jazz band, and the junior concert band (Grade 9), along with the choir, won silver.
Although the music students have participated in other music festivals, this was the School’s first time at Con Brio in Sun Peaks.
In addition to the adjudicated performances, the students participated in day-long workshops specific to their instruments, with other music students from across the province.
“I think it’s a good experience to get out and perform, first of all, in general. It doesn’t matter if you go into a festival or not,” said Ziegler. “It’s a good way of finding out whether you’re doing the right things or not. Often we say things on how to improve playing and musicianship, but when (the students) hear it from somebody else at a festival like this – usually they’re highly educated university professors or high level performers working with the students – obviously it gives them a lot of feedback about what they’re doing right and what we need to work on.”
Other trip highlights for the Stelly’s students include winning a lip sync battle between the other schools in attendance and playing in a massed band with over 400 other performers.
Ziegler said the plaques of recognition the students took home will serve as a motivator to keep performing at high standards and as a reminder of all their accomplishments.