Last week was the 2018 Atlantic Festival of Music, held at the gorgeously-situated Mount Saint Vincent University. The view from my workshop room was beautiful.
Having run the flute clinics at the sister-festival in Toronto, I had a good idea of what to expect: I could have 2 students or 60 in a group, and they could be absolute beginners or seasoned pros. Planning is always a challenge!
The students worked on embouchure, articulation, hand position, posture, support (support and more support!) and as a treat, we read through some pieces arranged for flute ensemble - with easy, medium and challenging lines so everyone found a part they could handle. The highlight of the week was when we ended up with a lost cellist in the group; nice to have some bass with all that treble!
It was really wonderful to meet so many flutists from all over the country - there were bands there from Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario and even Saskatchewan! Big thanks go out to their teachers for organizing their travels, the bus drivers who drove them all to the festival (can you imagine driving a bus of 50 students for 24 hours?!?), the Festival organizers and Long & McQuade and Yamaha Canada Music for their support.
Thanks to all the schools who sent their students:
George Street Middle School, NB - Greg Webber & Hilary Ready
Sussex Middle & High Schools, NB - Jeanette Fisher
Quispamsis Middle School, NB - Lorena Rattray
Harbour View High School, NB - Lisa Sanderson
École le Mascaret, NB - Monica Lang
Rothesay Park School, NB - Liv Power & Nick Ashfield
Park View Education Centre, NS - Adam McConnell
Bedford Academy, NS - Nick Gummeson
Citadel High School, NS - Kate Gillis
Centre scolaire de la Rive-Sud, NS - Alex Whitty
Memorial High School, NS - Steve MacInnis
EB Chandler School, NS - Kaitlin Conrad
Northside School, NS - Steve MacInnis
Second Chances Concert Band, NS - Chris Ward
Cobequid Educational Centre, NS - John MacLeod
Madeline Symonds Middle School, NS - Emily Cainen
Amherst Regional High School, NS - Stephanie Mizuik
Bayview Community School, NS - Gale Lohnes
Liverpool Regional High School, NS - Chantel Corkum
Bridgewater Junior High School, NS - Scott Leonard
Eastern Shore District High School, NS - Allison Penwell
Cantatrice Ensemble Girls' Honour Choir, NS - Karen Newhook-MacDonald
Vocala Honour Choir, NS - Karen Newhook-MacDonald
South Queens Middle School, NS - Alison Williams
Five Bridges Junior High School, NS - Jackie Crowell
Central Kings Rural High School, NS - Paul Hutten
Shore Vocalz, NS - Melissa Hartery
Pine Ridge Middle School, NS - Holly Merrett
Dartmouth High School, NS - Michael Diabo
Rocky Lake Junior High School, NS - Tobias Beale
Les Mardis Matins Concert Band, NS - Jennifer Wyatt
Gander Collegiate, NL - Jennifer Stanley
Assumption College High School, ON - Brian Zanier
Erindale Secondary School, ON - Laura Jack
Espanola High School, ON - Tracy Mark
Parry Sound High School, ON - Mark Robinson, Nikki Brown
Earl of March, ON - Andrea Lypchuk
Don Mills Collegiate, ON - Cathy Whiteside
Westdale Secondary School, ON - Jonathan Abell
Regiopolis-Notre Dame CHS, ON - Hugh Johnston & Justine Lord
St John's College, ON - Jamie Marriott
Ensemble à vents De La Salle, ON - Micheline Cuerrier-Legault
Thunder's Echo Chamber Choir, ON - Linda Ziemba
The C Flats, ON - Greg Crossett
Montague Intermediate School - Jonathan MacInnes & Christie Beck
Miscouche Consolidated School, PEI - Courtney Mullen
Athena Consolidated School, PEI - Jill Power
Birchwood Intermediate School, PEI - Brian Langille
Charlottetown Rural High School, PEI - Mark Parsons
Kensington Intermediate Senior High, PEI - Angela Profit
Queen Charlotte Intermediate School, PEI - Sylvia Andrew
Souris Regional High School, PEI - Darren Chaisson
Hernewood Intermediate School, PEI - Andrea Ellis
CLSF, PEI - Travis Boudreau
ME Callaghan, PEI - Rory O'Donnell
Kinkora Regional High School, PEI - Peter Wynne
Colonel Gray High School, PEI - Nicole Strum
Summerside Intermediate School, PEI - Carrie MacLellan
Stonepark Intermediate School, PEI - Alison Peters
Trafalgar School for Girls, QC - Kirsten Offer
Sheldon-Williams Collegiate, SK - Jodi Scott
Hope to see you all again next year!
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