LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Days after getting back to Fort Simpson from Yellowknife, nine students who participated in a special music and arts residency said they plan to pursue futures in the field.
More than 70 children from across the Northwest Territories travelled to Yellowknife last week to participate in a music and arts residency. - photo courtesy of NAAC
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They had been in Yellowknife for Listen Up!, a one-time-event that brought in more than 70 students across the territory to participate in a musical performance and art workshops.
Over the course of a few days, the children worked with 12 professional composers, artists, performers and writers, according to the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC).
That included Vancouver composer Jeffrey Ryan, New York composer Robert Kapilow and Yellowknife composer Carmen Braden.
"It was everything I hoped it would be - ten time better. I learned so much," said Delainea Anderson, a Grade 9 student from Thomas Simpson School.
Like many of the students who went, Anderson sings. She said the instruction she received in Yellowknife has already helped her to be a better singer.
"It was a great opportunity to work with people in the music and arts industry who are recognized nationally," she said.
"There should be much more of this kind of thing. I want to see everything in Fort Simpson - more music teachers of all types."
Grade 7 student Sage Fabre-Dimsdale sang and also took part in the art component of the residency.
"I wish it had been longer. We got way better at painting, and I want to get much better at drawing. I can doodle, but I can't draw - I suck," he laughed.
For Fabre-Dimsdale, the instruction was invaluable but one of the greatest parts was the food they were served.
"They made really good food. We had ham and cheese with English muffins for breakfast, and clam chowder stew with burritos for supper," he said.
Grade 8 student Angel-Rose Betthale said she would like to see organizations in the Northwest Territories put on more events like Listen Up!, even though the residency came with a hefty price tag.
"More things like this need to happen. I'm glad I took advantage of the opportunity to get involved with it," she said.
Performers learned the opening part of the music they would play before they went.
Betthale said they had to learn the rest when they arrived. But despite that, all the practice paid off.
"I didn't find the final performance nerve-wracking at all; I was just calm," she said.
"I just imagined it was the people here watching - as though, 'Oh, look, the kids are going to come watch us,' and that's it. I wasn't really thinking about how many people were coming and I didn't get nervous."
Listen Up! took the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre nine months to put together in total.
