Sixty-two students from R. D. Parker Collegiate’s senior concert band, senior choir, and vocal jazz programs travelled to Minneapolis, Minnesota to perform at the Music in the Parks Festival, which took place on May 21.
The festival’s participants are both individually graded on a five-point scale (from poor to superior), as well as ranked among participants within their categories. RDPC students performed phenomenally, placing first in all three of the categories that they had competed in, and earning the festival’s “superior” grade.
Kathleen Downton, a Grade 12 student who played trombone with the school’s concert band, was excited but unsurprised: “The surprise was the superior ranking, but overall I thought we were prepared and ready.” The students had performed two pieces: White River Canyon, by John Higgins, and Scrimshaw Tales by Carl Strommen, and had practised each piece for three and five months, respectively.
The opportunity to mingle with American music students was also appreciated: the only Canadian school represented at the festival, RDPC students competed against students from North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. “It was interesting to compete with different people from America, because we’re so isolated up in Thompson and we rarely have the chance to do that,” said trombone student Nicole Dubuc. “It was a good learning experience.”
Band teacher Kevin Lewis, who travelled with the students, agreed: “It helps us gauge ourselves, and see how our program stacks up against other programs in Canada and the U.S.”
The Music in the Parks Festival was not the only attraction throughout the trip: on their way to Minneapolis, the students also took time for a more intimate playing session with Grade 10-12 students from Winnipeg’s Transcona Collegiate Institute. “It was really valuable,” said Dubuc. “They focus on different things, so you get to learn from their strengths, and they get to learn from your strengths.”
The students also had the opportunity to experience Minneapolis as a city, visiting the Mall of America, watching the Toronto Blue Jays play against the Minnesota Twins, and enjoying a live performance of Beauty and the Beast at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. “To see an actual live performance of a musical was really cool, especially for the choir students,” said Downton.
