A student plays piano during the festival at La Ronge's Alliance Church. (Submitted photo/Melanie Mack)

By Derek Cornet

arts

Music festival showcasing student skill in La Ronge

Mar 19, 2024 | 4:57 PM

Forty-one students encompassing 108 performances are participating in the 2024 La Ronge and Area Music Festival.

That’s according to festival president Melanie Mack, who explained performances are being held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, which will be followed by a community showcase on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The showcase, to be held at La Ronge’s Alliance Church, will include scholarship winners, as well as the highlights from the week.

“Many of the students aren’t doing just one discipline, they are doing multiple things,” she noted. “There’s been a lot of hours put into their music and to preparing and working for this.”

This year’s adjudicators are Gillian Rice for voice, musical theatre, piano, and violin, along with Sandy Foster for arranged piano. Mack added in 2023 and this year part of the festival has included the adjudicators working one-on-one or with small groups of students to give them a deeper insight into their chosen field of music.

Weekend hockey

PAGC set to host largest Senator's Cup tournament to date

22h ago

Riderville

Riders Have Options Heading into Tuesday CFL Draft

Apr 26, 2024

health care

RBC Foundation gifts $7,500 to assist in training La Ronge nurses

Apr 24, 2024

There are four students who will also be performing at the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association’s Provincial Finals Competition in Saskatoon in June. They are Amelia Putz (classical voice), Peyton Bell (classical voice), and Serenity Mack (vocal and piano leader class, classical voice, musical theatre).

“The last couple of years we have had an increase in students going to provincials,” Mack said.

Another highlight Mack wanted to add is how there have been four high school students who are also currently music teachers. With a lack of music teachers in the community, she said their efforts have been important.

“These teachers have come and not only performed for themselves, but also encouraged and helped their own students,” Mack said.

Beginning in the fall, Mack is also hopeful to encourage more schools to participate in the music festival like they had done in the past. She would like to see participation increase in areas such as choir, band and speech arts.

–

derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com