A group of talented young musicians who attend Brooks Secondary School were recently chosen from auditions across Canada to participate in a national music festival in Toronto.
Brooks students Duncan McDonald, Steve and Elijah Carson, and Hannah Schweitzer, along with Sarah Schweitzer, who currently attends Assumption School, will represent Powell River at The Nationals at MusicFest Canada from May 13 to 18 at University of Toronto.
“We’re super excited and so proud,” said Brooks principal Bill Rounis, adding that the effort that goes into achieving such a distinction comes down to hard work, and a lot of extracurricular practice.
“The number one thing they’re doing is working on their craft,” he said. “It hasn’t just been stuff they do within class, it’s the extra effort they’re putting in outside of school time.”
The students practice together twice a week and also perform regularly throughout the community and beyond. The Carsons were quick to acknowledge the effort and education their father, School District 47 music teacher Roy Carson, provides the group.
“It’s a big honour and we’d like to thank our dad,” said Elijah. “He facilitates our group and helps us,” added Steve.
Now in it’s 46th year, MusicFest brings thousands of students and educators from across the country together to celebrate excellence in musical performance.
Steve Carson and McDonald were accepted to the Conn-Selmer Centrestage Jazz Band, directed by Gordon Foote, an honour group for high school jazz players.
The Schweitzers were granted spots in the Ellison Canadian Honour Choir under the direction of Scott Leithead. The choir offers outstanding young vocal musicians the opportunity to rehearse, perform and study with world-renowned choral educators. This is Hannah’s second invitation to this select group of choristers.
Elijah Carson was chosen as the drummer for the National Youth Jazz Combo, earning one of only four spots in the ensemble, which provides opportunities for young jazz musicians to move their playing to a new level through rehearsal, performance and study with some of the finest professional jazz artists in the world.
The audition process was more competitive this year, which made receiving news she had been accepted again that much more exciting, said Hannah.
“It was such a fantastic experience last year,” she added. “We were really happy when we heard we get to do it again because this year there are even more applicants and it was more competitive to get in.”
All ensembles will perform on May 18.
