TUKTOYAKTUK
A new pilot music program is opening a whole new world to Tuktoyaktuk students, thanks to the power of technology.

Mangilaluk School students Johanna Edwards and Irene Illasiak are taking voice training through Cooper Studios in Sherwood Park, Alta. The studio has partnered with the school to deliver vocal coaching via Face Time. - photo courtesy of Julie Donohue

"I bought a brand new iPad just for this," said Jack Cooper, a former teacher in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Cooper, who retired from teaching and lives in Sherwood Park, Alta., now runs Cooper Studios.

Earlier this month, Cooper began giving voice lessons to students at Mangilaluk School using FaceTime.

"I connected from the iPad to a television screen which makes it easier for me, too, and they use their Smart Boards," he said.

After spending time working out any potential glitches, classes officially began on March 17.

About 14 students in elementary and junior high school grades were expected to participate, said program support teacher Julie Donohue.

"We have quite a few talented singers," she said.

Donohue also organizes the school's choir, which performs during special events. Many students involved in the choir are expected to take part in the new music program.

Grade 8 student Johanna Edwards is one of them. After spending most of her childhood in Fort McPherson, Edwards' family moved to Sydney, N.S. for a few years where she was able to take advantage of vocal coaching.

"I took singing lessons for quite a while in the south," she said.

Now that she's living in Tuktoyaktuk, she said she's looking forward to having access to a music studio, even if it's thousands of kilometres away.

"I'd like to get back on track," she said.

Cooper said that's exactly what inspired him to start the program in NWT schools.

"To me, it opens a whole new world for a little community like Kakisa that has six kids, or Jean Marie River that has seven," he said. "We can give them something that the kids in the South have. Here, they've got all of that going for them."

While music is integrated into the classroom by individual teachers, Mangilaluk School doesn't have its own music teacher. Cooper's music class will provide an enrichment program for students who want to dedicate more time to music, said principal Agnes Cudmore.

"I think one of the things is having the opportunity for those kids that are interested in vocal music, being able to get some structured lessons from someone with expertise in that area," she said.

Cooper will spend 45 minutes every week giving vocal instruction to elementary school students, while his brother, Jan Cooper, a Vancouver-based vocal coach, will be teaching junior high students.

Jan is well-known in the music industry and has worked with Courtney Love and Lisa Brokop, as well as 1980s bands Loverboy and Whitesnake, according to his website.

For the past eight years, the brothers travelled throughout the NWT delivering pop music workshops to local schools. Cooper said the new Face Time program will allow students to build on skills every week.

"The problem before, when we went into communities, we were there for two days, we worked hard, but then we left. And if the teacher didn't follow it up, it was gone," he said. "So I thought, wouldn't it be something if we could teach several times a month in schools or the settlement or community, and keep it going as part of the curriculum?"

Hoping to expand

Cooper said he hopes Mangilaluk School's program is just the beginning and he aims to eventually expand to other schools in the territory.

He said music is a great way to build self-esteem.

"We know that music can teach confidence," he said. "We know that if we work music right, we can get the kids to understand that songs have stories, songs have emotions."

Grade 3 student Irene Illasiak said singing helps her to overcome shyness. She sang a solo during the school's Christmas concert in December.

"It's fun," she said.

Cooper said he's already begun teaching students proper breathing techniques and scales. He said the key to keeping kids interested is making sure lessons are fun and engaging.

"Even as a kid, when I had to go to piano lessons, I hated it," he said. "I loved it when I was just able to do what I wanted to do."

He said in the beginning, he plans to have students sing Disney classics and songs from musicals.

Eventually, Cooper said the program could expand to include instruments, such as the guitar. There is also the option for students to write their own lyrics and work with Cooper to create their own songs.

While she's looking forward to participating in the program, Illasiak said she still knows her favourite place to practice.

"In the shower," she said.