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WSD band teachers focus on inspiring students through music

February 8, 2021

Russian writer Leo Tolstoy said “Music is the shorthand of emotion.”

WSD held a band teacher professional development (PD) day on March 2 at Prince Charles Education Resource Centre. The event saw music educators Bill Kristjanson and Fraser Linklater sharing their ideas on how to encourage and inspire students to express themselves through music.

Program lead Sofia Costantini organized the event and believes music and the arts are imperative to a student’s educational experience.

“Creativity is essential in growing and learning,” Costantini said. “A lot of students have the opportunity to express themselves through the arts. It builds confidence and encourages students to be more open.”

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Attending the PD day were band teachers from Sisler, Kelvin, Gordon Bell, Elmwood, Tec Voc, Daniel McIntyre, River Heights, Cecil Rhodes, Shaughnessy, Sargent Park, Isaac Newton, George V and Andrew Mynarski schools.

A sessional music instructor at the University of Manitoba, Kristjanson talked to the teachers about inspiration, communication and community-building.

“Music lets students come into class and express their feelings in a safe and appropriate way,” Kristjanson said. “There aren’t nearly enough opportunities these days for students to be able to do that. To be able to express yourself through music is a powerful tool and that’s why music education is absolutely essential.”

When students participate in band, Kristjanson said they learned important lessons about teamwork that they can take into their everyday lives.

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“It’s really about the group music making effort,” he said. “They’re working together on a common goal, to create a musical experience for people. They share what they’re hearing and feeling and express that through their instrument, as well as listening to others to see what they’re hearing and feeling in the music.”

“Ultimately, by feeling the music together and listening to one another, we’re creating empathy. If we foster empathy, we’ll create a more compassionate society, that’s why music education is good.”

Linklater, who retired from the U of M Faculty of Music four years ago, says teaching band is a delicate balance between the individual and the group.

“You want to do things that work for the band or the choir, but you also want to do things that help Johnny and Suzie,” Linklater says. “You’re trying to get people to form a cohesive unit, like team sports, and there are a lot of life lessons to be learned in that. I say to students you need to be like geese. Geese travel in a flock, they help each other out, and that’s what we try to do in our ensemble.”

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Costantini said the event also gave band teachers a chance to discuss the instrument needs in WSD.

“We all understand that sharing those instruments are important,” Costantini said. “If there are five instruments sitting on your shelf and another school needs two, then we need to be aware of that.”

“It’s about giving every child the opportunity to play.”

 

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