Mission accomplished. Big time.
A project in the works for eight months came to a enthusiastically successful conclusion last week.
After learning their parts and getting assistance from a popular, professional band, some 50 grade 4-5 kids from Ranchero and Salmon Arm West performed at three elementary schools.
Thirty-four of the students performed solo roles, playing bass, keyboard, percussion and/or the drums, as well as vocal solos. The rest of the students made up a vocal ensemble that accompanied every song.
Members of Fernie’s Shred Kelly, a high-voltage “stoke folk” band that performed in Malakwa on last year’s Routes and Blues trail, arrived at Ranchero School last Wednesday.
The band was in town at the invitation of music teacher Brook Roberts, who spent almost a year crafting and then rehearsing an “artist engagement program.”
“When Shred Kelly arrived after a seven-hour car trip, they came into the music room that was hot and stinky from rehearsing,” says Roberts, who had to work to sell the project to school district officials. “I looked over at the band and they were just grinning, and I knew right then that it was gonna fly. That was exciting.”
In his mission statement to the district, Roberts explained he wanted to give students the opportunity to interact and be mentored by professional musicians whose music has relevance and meaning to them.
He also hoped the experience would have lifelong meaning and impact and allow students to come together as individuals and produce a product that is “greater as a whole, than as any one person.”
And it paid off with the students, teachers, parents and the band.
“The band really valued that we were taking the time to explore their music and they were so awesome with the kids,” said an enthusiastic Roberts on Monday. “They didn’t try to take over; they were there to enhance, not to overtake what the kids were doing. All around it was a really good fit.”
Shred Kelly vocalist and keyboardist Sage McBride was singing from the same song sheet Monday.
“We were approached back in the fall and I thought it was such an awesome idea – and a huge task to take on learning the music to all our songs,” raved McBride. “The kids were amazing; the way they played our songs was as good as we sound.”
McBride says all the band members were thrilled to engage with the kids and mentor them in their music.
“I’m glad it was our music,” she said, laughing. “It was a great opportunity for us and nice to expose them to original Canadian music, which I never had as a kid.”
Shred Kelly members were also touched by the gifts the students gave them, including friendship bracelets.
The band also enjoyed a rousing round of dodgeball, with the Shred Kelly members and Roberts taking on the students, a concert at the Wicked Spoon Thursday night and playing for a teachers’ dance Friday night.
Roberts was equally grateful, noting the band put in long hours, particularly on Friday when they were on the road by 8 a.m. and ended their concert at midnight.
“Watching the kids tweeting members of the band, saying ‘thanks for coming,’ was great. There was an appreciation that it was something unique and special and it will stay with them for a long time,” said Roberts. “Can you imagine, 10 or 11 years old and hanging out with a band with quality music, with both boys and girls in the band, and singing?”
Asked if he would be willing to undertake another such empowering project, Roberts immediate response is, “If you’ve got the money, we can do it.”
While Shred Kelly gave the school district a break on their fee, Roberts notes there is still the matter of travel costs and hotel rooms.
“We’ll see if there’s dollars to do it again,” he said, satisfied that his plan to demonstrate the possibilities of creativity had met with such success.
