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High praise for band students

Band students from Trafalgar Middle School and L.V. Rogers High School played their way to gold and silver finishes at Canada’s national music competition.
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The Trafalgar jazz band took time out to see the sights in Vancouver.

Band students from Trafalgar Middle School and L.V. Rogers High School played their way to gold and silver finishes at Canada’s national music competition.

Both LVR’s senior and junior jazz bands were awarded gold rankings at MusicFest Canada, while the high school concert band picked up a silver — only narrowly missing a gold of its own. Trafalgar’s jazz ensemble also managed a silver, the top honour awarded to a band playing in the Grade 8 and under division.

Trafalgar director Keith Todd has taken bands to MusicFest several times, but this is the first time the ensemble has mainly been comprised of Grade 7 students.

“This is definitely the youngest group I’ve ever taken since we switched to the Grade 6, 7 and 8 format,” he says. “This is a big deal to take a group this young there.”

Held this year in Richmond, MusicFest features top choirs, concert bands and jazz ensembles from across the country, bringing together more than 10,000 musicians. Groups must be recommended after performing at regional festivals — in Trafalgar’s case, last year’s B.C. Interior Jazz Festival in Kelowna.

After winning their spot, students spent a year fundraising and practicing for the national stage.

“They were really excited, and the really amazing thing is most of them raised all of the money to go through different fundraising programs we did throughout the year,” says Todd.

At the festival each band performs for a panel of music professionals, then receives feedback and either a bronze, silver or gold ranking.

“They’re examining every aspect of your performance, whether it be the music or your decorum on stage,” says L.V. Rogers band director Tim Bullen. “They actually analyze how I conduct, the whole bit.”

While many bands perform, Bullen says few gold rankings are given out. Out of 27 concert bands in LVR’s division, only four earned the top honour.

For competing jazz bands, students must also play with the proper “groove” and pieces must include improvised solos. And, Todd points out, capturing the jazz style at Grade 7 “is quite a big deal.”

In addition to the group finishes, two LVR students picked up individual prizes. Alex Bullen (who spent the week playing in the festival’s national honour band) and junior jazz band member Sam Gerletz both received MusicFest Honours awards.