MOOSE JAW — Young musicians from across the city showcased their skills at the Junior Select Band concert, held recently at the A.E. Peacock Collegiate auditorium.
Hosted by the Moose Jaw Band and Choral Boosters, the free event drew a sizable crowd and featured Grade 7 and Grade 8 students selected by their band directors. The concert, which ran for less than an hour, was the culmination of several days’ worth of rehearsals.
Kurt Gillett, chair of the Moose Jaw Band and Choral Boosters, explained that the Junior Select program offers students a unique opportunity to develop their musical abilities and foster leadership in a collaborative setting.
“The group that’s performing this year is students from all over Moose Jaw who were nominated by their band directors,” Gillett said earlier. “It’s (meant) to help them develop a little bit more, get excited about being in band, and (then) bringing that excitement back to their groups.”
Unlike traditional audition-based honour bands, this program allows directors to nominate students who show strong musicianship and leadership. The program provides students with a rigorous yet rewarding musical experience.
“It’s a really intense time that they have together, and then they’re going to put this concert on, (which) puts the pressure on them a little bit,” he explained.
The students were led by Tom and Lauren Hearn, retired band teachers from the Yorkton-Melville area. The duo conducted full band and sectional rehearsals to help the students refine their performance over the limited three-day period leading up to the concert.
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