Could the valves and the buttons of Edwin Parr Composite School’s musical instruments be put to students fingers once again?
Aspen View Public Schools superintendent Mark Francis said yes, it is possible. Creating a new music program at Edwin Parr Composite School is “in the plans,” he said.
“We are building a fully equipped music room (in the new school) with the anticipation that we can grow that program back again,” Francis said.
How and when to do that will be part of the conversations that need to happen, he added.
Francis said EPC has been without a music program for a decade. According to Brian LeMessurier, Big River Arts Society (BRASS) president and former Aspen View Public Schools superintendent, EPC’s music program used to be quite strong.
“There were some amazing names came through that school as band directors,” he said, speaking about Hank DeMarco, Brian Appleby and Bill Jones. “(Jones) built the program to a level where he took concert bands to locations all over North America, to international festivals and competitions and they did very well.”
LeMessurier said he was a “proud band kid” during this time period.
He added he blames no one for the ultimate demise of the band program, that it was a trend in rural areas province-wide.
As numbers declined in rural areas, it became harder for smaller schools to maintain high-level arts programs, LeMessurier said.
“It’s harder in the smallest of our schools to attract specialists. Instead we have generalists come in,” he said.
He added at EPC students found it more and more difficult to find time in their timetables for a range of arts, and there was a decline in number of students that signed up for band.
As president of BRASS, LeMessurier there is a hope within BRASS to be a part of the “support network” to help rebuild a music program at EPC in the new school “that would parallel what we had there at one time.”
This past spring, BRASS put on a 10-week after-school rock band program at EPC for students, which was funded by local parent, Joann Marches.
Marches said she recognized a significant need for getting music in the community, and wanted to give a chance to kids that needed it.
“Every kid has a gift, and it may not be athletics, it may not be academics – but there’s no chance for someone to show their musical talent,” Marches said.
Her son was a drummer in the rock band program, and Marches said her son takes private drum lessons. Not everyone can afford music lessons or has the time to drive their kids around, she said.
“When we were kids, music was just mandatory and it was fun,” she said. “I think they’re putting way too much pressure on these kids regarding athletics and academics, and I feel music definitely needs to come back.”
BRASS executive director Gina Martel said she thinks it is really important to have a music program.
“For those kids who really found their niche and felt like they had great successes, it’s quite a big disappointment,” she said. “I’ve had quite a few parents approach me and ask if we could establish something there, but that can’t come from me.”
Francis said in addition to difficulty staffing the music program, the other issue with programming in smaller schools is “the success of one program is often at the expense of another.”
Students may only have one or two blocks for option courses, and Francis said students may end up choosing between EPC’s strong drama program and music.
Francis said the school division hopes to offer music at the new school, but the decision would be made at the school level, based on how many students and parents request the program be brought back.
“I would hope there’s unhappiness if you don’t have a fine arts program in a school. I believe in a perfect situation, you’d have an incredible fine arts program, you’d have an incredible athletics program, you would have access to job information,” he said. “I would hope the average person on the street would want music in our schools. I want music in our schools.”
