Elementary students take to the stage for the 6th annual Upper Grand Music Festival
March 22, 2019
GUELPH, Ontario – The Upper Grand Elementary Music Teachers’ Association Festival (UGEMTA) was in full swing this week at Harcourt United Church in Guelph.
This is the 6th year in a row that the festival has taken place and growing success of the program has seen a dramatic increase in student participation.
Primrose ES
Each year, UGEMTA is organized by the Upper Grand Teachers’ Association and is supported by the UGDSB. The festival brings together a showcase of the talented elementary musical groups in our board.
At this year’s event, student groups had the chance to perform for 15 minutes and then participate in a 15-minute adjudication. This year’s guest adjudicators were Dave Davidson and Joni NehRita.
Davidson has had a successful career as a music teacher, conductor, clinician and adjudicator. Currently he sits as conductor of the Kitchener Musical Society Band and has previously worked as the Music Director and conductor for many productions at Guelph’s River Run Centre and as a music teacher at Guelph CVI.
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- Primrose ES
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- Kortright Hills PS students with teacher Matty Cooper and the ‘Legendary’ Rick Cade
NehRita is a Jamaican-Canadian soul and jazz artist. She is a staple in the music scene in the Guelph and Tri-City area. She has released three albums and is currently recording her newest project.
This year the event ran for four days between March 19-22 and saw 36 musical acts from 20 UGDSB elementary schools hit the stage.
King George PS
A record-breaking number of 1,300 students participated in the festival this year. When discussing the success of the program, UGDSB Curriculum Leader Anneke McCabe said, “The individual school performance groups have grown tremendously in size, showing the growth of music in our schools. This also showcases the dedication of the teachers and parents, as many of the groups that attend the festival rehearse during instructional time but also as an extra-curricular activity in order to prepare for performances. Many groups will continue on next month and perform at the Kiwanis Festival [and] Dufferin schools will be performing in the Orangeville District Music Festival in April.”
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- Willow Road PS
Schools participating this year included:
- Brisbane PS
- Centennial Hylands ES
- Central PS
- Eramosa PS
- John Black PS
- John Galt PS
- John McCrae PS
- Ken Danby PS
- King George PS
- Kortright Hills PS
- Mitchell Woods PS
- Paisley Road PS
- Primrose ES
- Princess Elizabeth PS
- Rickson Ridge PS
- Rockwood Centennial PS
- R. MacKay PS
- Victoria Cross PS
- Waverley Drive PS
- Willow Road PS
The Upper Grand Elementary Music Teachers’ Association would like to thank the UGDSB for their continued support of the festival. They would also like the thank UGDSB music teachers, Ron Berti for helping coordinate sound and tech, Long and McQuade and Rhiannon Hill for loaning musical equipment, Charles Benyair and the SHSM program for their support of the Rock Band Program, school principals, parents and staff, guest adjudicators and the Harcourt United Church.
Willow Road PS
When talking about the Rock Band Program, McCabe said, “18 schools in the board have the program now! Adrian Jones and Derek Moore are local musicians and music teachers that support the students and teacher in a ‘mentoring music program’ approach, as they join in on the Rock Band club music rehearsals that happen at recess.”
John Black PS
The passion and dedication of students performing could be seen and heard when each group took to the stage. The audience could feel the hard work of students and staff as each song was performed.