VOL. 67 NO. 13
The Paper That ’s Going Places!
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014
35th Wendy Brook Music Festival filled with ingenious performers
Amber McKay’s fingers seem to be caressing the keys as she performs on the piano while she adds vocal pieces to Night Wishes by C. Kemp at the 35th Annual Wendy Brook Music Festival on March 17. (Rosanne Fortier/Photo)
Rosanne Fortier The Wendy Brook Music Festival is a means to strengthen peoples’ musical skills. The 35th Annual Wendy Brook Music Festival struck a high chord with a record number of 425 entries. March 17 opened with a brilliant soundscape of piano at the sanctuary where the players caressed the keys as they performed. There were also smooth violin performances that were full of rhythm at the auditorium of Vegreville United Church. Nancy Watt was the Adjudicator for the piano performances. Watt demonstrated
a passion for assisting young musicians in the progression of their musical skills while she kept her instructions interactive by asking the performers questions and showing them how to do the techniques. “You did very well with your music. I like the way you added vocals to your piano playing. You sat so nicely at the piano and were working on having a strong hand and fingers,” Watt informed the youngsters. “You know your music well and play confidently. I noticed you had good counting also.” “You are playing on a piano you’re not familiar with and you’re performing in front of an audience. You must remem-
ber to never rush, take time to be comfortable and know where you will start on the piano. “At the end of the performance, make sure to bow because that is stage manners. “For a big sound, we have to press a key quickly. Then we have to notice how we press the keys.” Ian Woodman was the Adjudicator for the strings and violin performances. “You did a very nice job playing your violins. You had good posture and poise. But you have to take a breath before performing to get ready for it,” Woodman told the performers. “You had a good bow and a clear sound
all the way through. I really liked the clear subdivision which showed you were counting.” March 19 had a wealth of Ukrainian language entries which included vocal and speech arts performances from the Ukrainian Bilingual Program at A.L. Horton School. These presentations impressed Natalie Kononenko who was the Adjudicator. She was pleased with all the presentations. According to Kononenko, the students had good voices, nice smiles, their gestures were nice and they had good timing when they presented, as well as excellent pronunciation, nice engage-
ment with the audience. “I really enjoyed when the whole school of bilingual students went up to perform together. I loved the props you used. You did well with the long and complicated parts. One thing I found cute was the imitation of the animals where everyone tried to do the right animal voice.” On March 20, St. Martin’s Big Drum Band energized a large audience who issued a continuous applause after each of their unrivaled performances. Bill Dimmer, Adjudicator stated, “It was a real pleasure to listen to you. You guys rock!” “Music is not just a leisure activity. There is an interesting study that says when kids practice or play music; they are using the left and right side of their brains at the same time,” Dimmer added. “Countless studies have proven that students involved in music achieve better in academics than kids who aren’t involved. Parents, this band is an educational experience for your kids.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 21
Making Miles See page 2 for story
Vegreville Ladies Bonspiel See page 5 for story
Wranglers Clinch Championship See page 19 for story