Choir program a confidence builder
Teacher recognized for impact
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Monday, May 30, 2016
IQALUIT
Few could walk away from an Inuksuk Drum Dancers performance without being impressed, not just at the quality of the music but at the youths' confidence in front of a crowd.
Though the final show is the visible end result, teacher Mary Piercey-Lewis says the performance isn't what she's after most with her high-school choir group.
"My main job in this school is to build self-esteem, to help students become comfortable and to help them become strong and confident, not just on stage but in all aspects of their life," she said after a practice with the choir.
She believes strongly in only putting students on stage when they are ready.
"When students are ready, they get that wonderful sense of self-satisfaction in the performance and that rejuvenates them and gets them excited for the next one."
The group focuses on learning Inuktitut songs and songs from the North, many from famous artists such as Susan Aglukarq.
Those are the songs people want to hear when they come North, said Piercey-Lewis, and it's what other foreigners want to hear when the group travels, such as to the Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk, Greenland, recently.
Performers often blend the traditional drum dancing and throatsinging with innovative, choreographed performances.
"It's a nice way to take tradition and then be innovative and create a new contemporary style of doing things," said Piercey-Lewis.
Piercey-Lewis thinks celebrating northern culture also helps students' self-confidence.
"Not only is the self-confidence built from performing, but when you're singing in Inuktitut and recognizing and strengthening and honouring the culture we're living in, students also get a huge self-confidence boost from that."
She's watched many students grow through the program and become confident, public-speaking professionals.
At the start, younger students lean on the solidarity of the group to learn the ropes but they eventually become leaders themselves.
Natalie Maerzluft, a member of the choir, said she loves to sing.
"It's something I can turn to whenever I'm upset," she said. "I just kind of do it all the time, in my room by myself."
Peer Leanna Wilson said song lyrics often make her feel better.
Piercey-Lewis was recently recognized with an award for her role as instructor of the group by the Nunavut Teachers' Association.
"I was super excited to receive that award," she said, recalling when she started teaching in Arviat in 2001.
"Even without the award, I get reward daily from the students. I love my job. I love to see them performing and it gives me huge self-satisfaction to see them be successful, to see the smiles on their faces. That is reward enough, but to see my colleagues recognize the success of the program and for them to put forth this award, it felt wonderful."
The choir isn't the only great thing about the music program at Inuksuk High School. In all, Piercey-Lewis teaches about 300 students in her music classes, many on a range of instruments in her band group.
