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Community Band sharing their expertise in Kitimat

The band will be traveling to teach young musicians in February
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The Terrace Community Band performing at the Canada Day pancake breakfast, July 1 2017. (Black Press file photo)

The Terrace Community Band will be making a trip out to Kitimat to give lessons to young musicians.

The trip is planned for Feb. 10, and the band will be giving lessons to students in grade six and seven. The instruction will be given in groups, based on students’ instruments of choice.

“There will be sort of a master class,” said Geoff Parr, director of the community band. “So all the alto saxophones will get together, and then the leader will go through some of their music, or just give pointers on how to play the instrument and play some things together.”

Instruments commonly played in school bands can vary in difficulty, with many woodwind and brass instruments being particularly difficult to learn. Direct instruction can be difficult for band teachers due to the size of their classes, so experts coming in to give direct guidance for their instruments of choice can make a big impact.

“It’s hard for the regular classroom teacher, the regular band instructor, because they’ve got them all in the room at the same time,” said Parr, who was previously the music director at Caledonia Senior Secondary School. “They have to sit patiently and not play while the teacher is dealing with the trumpets, or with the trombones, or the flutes.”

There’s some big differences between directing a school band of students and directing a band of adults, said Parr.

“The community band has an executive that takes on a lot of the organizational things, whereas the high school music teacher, or band teacher, or choir teacher is doing everything,” said Parr. “You’re selecting music, preparing it, and organizing the whole thing.”

“In the community band, they’re adults, so they should know what they’re doing.”

The band’s next big commitment is April 21 and 22 for the Pacific Northwest Music Festival, which will be held in Terrace.

Anyone looking to get involved with the band can email terracecommunityband@gmail.com. Practices are held Tuesday nights from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Caledonia Secondary School music room.