Money used to buy Yamaha baby grand piano.

A15

Margaret Patricia Eaton

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

There's a new baby at Fredericton High School; a 5 foot, 3 inch Yamaha baby grand piano, that is. When Don Bossé, Fine Arts Department Head and Director of Music at FHS talks about it on the phone, you can almost hear the smile in his voice.

"It's an amazing gift," he says of the $10,000 grant from MusiCounts which made this possible. "We always want to provide our students with the best equipment and this is something we'd never be able to get for our students otherwise.

"We run 38 music classes," he continues, "with three full-time music teachers. We have a concert band, a jazz band and a string orchestra, as well as some keyboards and upright pianos. But this affords our piano students an opportunity to practice and perform on a high quality instrument within our mini-recording studio. It will be in use four to five hours a day, every day."

MusiCounts, Canada's music education charity associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), has a mission of keeping music alive in schools across Canada and ensuring that children have access to a comprehensive music program through their school. Since the program was established in 1997, they have donated over $3.5 Million and are supported by contributions from the music industry including CTVglobemedia, EMI Music Canada Inc.; Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc. and Warner Music Canada, Inc. Corporate sponsors include Astral Media, The Keg Spirit Foundation, Rogers Broadcasting and SIRIUS Canada Inc. This year, 60 schools, in every province and territory, received grants. There were only two given to schools in New Brunswick, with the other going to Harbour View High School in Saint John. While District 8 (Saint John) has been the recipient of these grants three times in the past, this is the first for District 18 (Fredericton area) and Bossé couldn't be more delighted.

"It's a way for professionals to give back to the schools," he says, "as this is where they had their beginnings as musicians."

Bossé has devoted his career to helping young musicians. He began his undergrad studies in jazz at Boston's Berklee College of Music, picked up an education degree at St. Thomas University and then a Master's in Music (Conducting) from Memorial University in St. John's, NL. After 26 years of teaching music, 15 at FHS, his enthusiasm hasn't waned. He still receives letters from former students telling him how much high school music meant to them.

It was some of those students, as well as a parent's support group, community groups, FHS principal and teachers who wrote letters to include with the grant application, that ensured its success.

Next on Bossé's agenda is an exchange trip of one week, organized through Student Exchange and Visitation in Canada (SEVEC), between 30 of his Grade 11 music students and 30 students from River Valley in northern Alberta. With a population of 1,100, the entire town is smaller than the student population of 1,800 at FHS. The FHS students may not be sure exactly what they will find in River Valley High School, but they know the Albertan students are in for a real treat at FHS where they'll have an opportunity to play on this wonderful baby grand piano.