ETSB schools uniting to sing songs of change
Eastern Townships School Board teachers and students are tuning their instruments and warming up their voices for the eighth annual ETSB United in Music festival, will which will take place this coming Monday, April 16 at Massey-vanier High School at noon.
This year’s theme is ‘Songs of Change,’ and will feature close to 400 students from 13 ETSB schools.
“It’s about getting music out there and having fun,” said Sherbrooke Elementary School Music Specialist Tracey Rivette, founder and member of the festival’s organizing committee.
“It’s not a competition,” she added, explaining that the festival is about bringing students and schools together to share a passion for music.
This year’s concert will feature songs that have had a positive impact in the world. According to Rivette, the theme was inspired by the Musécole fundraising concert ‘Why we Sing’, held last fall at Centennial Theatre, which Rivette participated in with a choir of SES students.
Interestingly, the Musécole show was inspired by last year’s ETSB United in Music show where Massey-vanier student Ember Gendreau sang a powerful rendition of Sam Cooke’s Change is Gonna Come.
Gendreau accepted Musécole’s invitation and performed that same song at the fall Why we Sing concert, which raised $1,800 to purchase instruments for ETSB schools.
Since SES was the recipient of Musécole’s first fundraiser, Rivette and a group of her students also participated in the concert. One of the songs they performed was ‘Nobody Rules You,’ by Canadian singer songwriter Dany Michel.
The ‘be who you want to be’ motto of the song resonated so much with Rivette and her choir that they decided to perform it again at the upcoming ETSB United in Music concert.
Each of the participating schools will perform a song at the upcoming concert, followed by three group songs that all 400 students will sing and play together.
The programme will include powerful songs like Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan, Let it Be by the Beatles and the traditional hymn Amazing Grace.
Rivette credited the work of MVHS music teacher Bill Jarand, who gets the stage ready to host the 12 visiting schools for the festival.
“He does all of the set design and sets up everything for the show,” Rivette said. A few other music teachers will head to the school Sunday to help Jarand with finishing touches, Rivette said.
In previous years, musicians from MVHS formed the house band, entertaining the audience while the various groups set up for their songs. Rivette said this year MVHS will be joined by musicians from Galt.
Other new additions this year include a group coming from Farnham Elementary School, a gang of baritone ukulele players from Sutton, and close to 70 students from Lennoxville Elementary School, directed by local singer songwriter Jonathan Macaulay.
Macaulay began working with LES students last year to start a choir. This year, he is one of the teachers for the MAC class, and also has a singing club/choir with the students during lunch hour. When he heard about the festival from Galt music teacher Chris Obermeir, he decided to get involved.
“We jumped in,” Macaulay said. His MAC class and the LES choir will sing Blowin’ in the Wind. “It should be lots of fun,” he said, excited for his first ETSB United in Music festival.
Rivette pointed out that not all of the participating schools have a full music program. In some cases, there are teachers responsible for other subjects who work on music with students on the side.
Over the years Rivette has remarked that as the festival continues to grow, the different schools inspire and motivate each other to improve.
“This is giving music a place,” Rivette said.
The ETSB United in Music festival, performing Songs of Change, will take place Monday, April 16 in the MVHS auditorium. The event is free of charge and open to the public.