Grade 5 students are welcome to join the Red Deer Royals at the Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School gym for ‘All In For Band’ on May 2nd from 5 – 7 p.m.

“We thought rather than each school going out to visit their feeder schools we would do one big thing and invite all of the Grade 5 students to come and hear a performance and enjoy the instrument zoo,” said Jennifer Mann, band director at LTCHS.

The Coalition for Music Education hosts Music Monday annually and encourages schools to get involved in school music education. On the first Monday of the month schools are to perform a commissioned song at 11 a.m.

“We decided rather than doing that particular idea we would do something to just draw attention to the value of music education,” said Mann.

Rob Goring, band director of the Red Deer Royals, said this event is to get students’ attention and put a positive spin on the idea of being a part of a school band.

“It’s important just for the tremendous experiences that kids can get with being with a band, from involvement in the arts and opportunities for travel and camps and performances,” said Goring.

Members of the Royals, some of which actually attend LTCHS, will run stations, or an instrument zoo for kids to handle and try the equipment.

Goring said in order to make the event a bit more user friendly for the younger children, the members of the Royals who are helping out will be in the youth category, so that it isn’t just an adult telling them what to try.

“Parents are encouraged to wander with their kids and see what their kids are trying and what they’re interested in, and I suppose if parents had the inclination they could try them out too,” said Mann.

When the students arrive they will receive a rating sheet for the instruments. As they try each one they can write down what they noticed, what they liked, and what they learned about it.

“They will leave with something that will help them decide what they want to do when they get into Grade 6,” said Mann.

Parents can also contact their elementary school band teachers for more information on the event, as some schools have included it in their monthly newsletters.

The hope for the event is to get Grade 5 students involved in band programs once they reach Grade 6.

“There is a lot of research that says the school of music makes you smarter; it rounds out a person in terms of life experiences,” said Goring.

If the event is a resounding success, Mann says she would like to see it become an annual event where the Grade 5 students are invited to give instruments a trial run before deciding.

For more information visit www.musicmonday.ca or phone Jennifer Mann at 403-347-1171 ext. 1704.

kpalardy@reddeerexpress.com