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IQALUIT - This year staff at Ummimak School brought a new musical tradition to their students in Grise Fiord: the guitar.

"I got used to it in like a week," said Daniel Flaherty.

Instructor Sheila White, centre, works with budding young guitarists. Seated clockwise from White: Ricky Pijamini, Joseph Atchealak, Rose Christensen and Selina Ipeelie. Standing from left: Jerry Pijamini, Jonathan Kiguktak, Josephie Ipeelie, Jimmy Qaapik, Jennifer Qaapik and Ricky Pijamini. - photo courtesy of Lee Wood

Flaherty is a success story when it comes to the school's new guitar program. He picked up the instrument for the first time last June when six guitars arrived in Grise Fiord by sealift. He played as much as he could until school ended, then endured a summer without his newfound interest until he purchased his own guitar in Iqaluit last September. He's been practising every day since then.

Flaherty's passion is for the complex heavy-metal riffs of Metallica, Slipknot and Godsmack.

Ummiimak School's new guitars have been put to use with lessons that have encompassed more than half the student body. Starting in September 2008, students from Grade 4 and up were offered an extracurricular activity of guitar lessons with teacher Sheila White. Almost every student eligible signed up.

"I was just trying to provide some kind of music program for the school," White said. "It's a very small school and we don't have a music teacher here. The Inuit students are very music-oriented and talented."

White divided up students into groups of five: one for each guitar and one guitar for her to use to demonstrate. Lessons were twice a week for three weeks. She taught how to hold a guitar, how to strum and a few basic chords.

Her aim was to enable students to play one simple but popular song by the end of the period. One such song was "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," which has been covered by so many musical acts over the years that it appeals to a wide variety of listeners. On his own, Flaherty went far beyond White's program, searching the Internet on how to play the chords of his beloved Metallica.

"It's a perfect example of how the student becomes the teacher," White said.

Flaherty was among the students who took their guitars and played back-up for a few songs by the community's choir in Grise Fiord's Christmas Concert.

It was his first time playing before an audience, and Flaherty admitted to a level of stage fright.

"It was in front of a lot of people, but I got used to it," he said. White was deeply proud.

"It took a lot of courage for the students to go up and do that much," she said.