IKALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY
Kiilinik High School has a new single. The school's music theory class arranged a cover of Ontario artist Justine Hines' song Wish You Well, and recorded a music video to enter in the Canadian Music Class Challenge.

The contest, organized by CBC Music and MusiCounts, is open to school music classes across the country. Cambridge Bay's new youth rock band entered the high school instrumental category.

The class didn't win the challenge, but they learned a lot, said electric guitarist and Grade 12 student Zoey Ohokannoak.

"I learned to keep a rhythm through a song, and to listen to the people around me so I can stay more on track."

She has been playing guitar since childhood but usually plays solo.

"I'm proud of what we've done," said Ohokannoak. "It was rough at the start since we had never had a professional music teacher before."

Many of the students were playing instruments for the first time, following the summer arrival of a trained music teacher, Alison Corbett.

While theory and technique were a class challenge, creativity was not, especially when it came to the music video.

"I brought a panda head in to help bring uniqueness, and we used the school to our advantage to represent who we are in the community," said Ohokannoak.

The students used school music as background for their scenes. In some clips, the students were even standing on top of lockers and rolling along on library trolleys. One student took the opportunity to be a human piano stand.

One rule for the contest was that the song had to be a single-take recording. Students went to school on a Saturday to record while the building was quiet, but even then ran into noise problems when a snowmobile drove by outside near the end of an otherwise perfect recording.

"We had to start over, and then the same thing happened with the school bell," said Corbett.

Corbett, a professional violinist, started the class off with basic guitar skills. Then the students were able to branch off and choose other rhythm instruments they were interested in, such as piano, drums and bass guitar.

"Once we voted on the song, it was in their hands," she said. "It was nice to see the students gravitate towards their role."

While Corbett focused on instilling the importance of rehearsal in her pupils, the students shined by truly banding together.

"The students really took it on as a leadership project," she said. "One of the students took it on herself to make sure her classmates where there on time. They all wanted each other to succeed, because once you get together in a band, if one person doesn't know a song then it's going to mess everybody up. It's a teamwork thing."

Part of that teamwork led to good attendance.

"I have a consistent music class every day. Unless one of the kids is sick, they are there. It shows definite dedication."

On the arrangement side of things, Corbett said the project was very much student-driven.

"They were making informed musical decisions."

With some foundation skills established, the music program is looking to broaden its opportunities.

"Right now we have rock band (instruments), piano, drums, guitars and bass guitar. We don't have any clarinets, saxophones or trumpets."

The school has applied for a grant to purchase concert instruments and will be holding fundraisers in the new year.

Grade 10 student Dasha Erickson said she also noticed a major improvement in both personal musical ability and that of the class over the course of the fall.

"I've improved my guitar skills a lot," Erickson said. "I learned a lot of new chords and I also learned how to pick."

"I noticed from the beginning of the year until now just how much more together we are. We can actually play a song and make it not sound terrible and can play it all at the same time and have it all going well."

Last week the students were preparing to perform at a Christmas coffee house.

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