The Vernon branch of the B.C. Registered Music Teachers Association is celebrating Canada Music Week with performances by a number of their students.
Canada Music Week starts this weekend and continues to Nov. 26. It kicks off locally with a recital taking place Sunday at All Saints Anglican Church in Vernon.
“This is a Registered Music Teacher event, with a wide variety of piano and vocal selections, including pieces composed by student performers. Awards will be presented during the recital to students with the highest exam marks in the Vernon RMT branch this year in piano, violin, voice, and theory,” said local RMT member Lisa Parsons. “There will be great performances on the piano, and lovely vocal numbers. It will be a relaxing evening, with beautiful music that you will not want to miss.”
Canada Music Week was initiated in 1960 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association.
Celebrated during the third week of November each year, musicians perform repertoire by Canadian composers, while music teachers educate students about the importance of supporting Canadian composers and performers. Students also learn that there are successful, well-known composers in their own communities.
Canada Music Week is a time for students to learn about contemporary music, with a focus on Canadian cultural content. Sometimes students are provided the opportunity to perform for the composer of their Canadian selection.
Media outlets, schools, universities, composers, symphony orchestras, concert societies, church choirs, and organists, together with music teachers, work to increase this appreciation and awareness of the quality of Canadian musicians, and people are learning to support artists who live in Canada, and to be proud of local talent.
To that end, local piano teacher Arne Sahlen has formed a Composers Club, which encourages Okanagan-based musicians of all ages and levels to create music.
Singers and various instrumentalists gather to share their love of music and discuss the composing process, with peer support.
Special projects such as Ragtime Revival are also planned.
“It’s a great way to meet other composers. It’s fun, and it’s music! What’s not to like?,” said Christopher Dlouhy, 12, who studies piano with Marjorie Close, and also plays the violin, recorder, and guitar.
For information about the Composers Club e-mail composersclub@live.ca.
Everyone is invited to attend the RMT Canada Music Week Recital Sunday at 7 p.m. All Saints Anglican Church. Admission is by donation.
