Harmony Project Sooke has begun its fall session with both a strings class (violin, viola, cello) and a Drumline class (marching band-style drumming).
Modeled after the Harmony Project in Los Angelos, Harmony Project Sooke provides musical instruments and instruction to children and youth in the Sooke area.
The drumline class welcomes a new teacher this session. Chris Rivollier will take up the torch passed on by Jack Edwards who started the drumline in Sooke.
Rivollier teaches drumline and English at Belmont Secondary School and has taught at the Calgary Stampede Show Band since 2012.
He first marched with a drumline when he was 16 years old.
“It’s super exciting to see the revival of the drumline,” he said.
“It’s such a great activity for kids, instead of video games. It teaches them not only rhythm, but also that it takes teamwork and a real commitment to practice. The group has to sound together; you don’t want to let the other members down. The sky’s the limit if the kids want it.”
Drumline class invites students in Grade 7 and up to join. It meets at Journey Middle School on Tuesdays from 4:45 to 8 p.m. For more information or to register, please contact Lorna Bjorklund at sookeharmonyproject@shaw.ca or 250-642-6681.
The strings class is now full. It continues to be taught by HPS lead teacher Anne McDougall, the concert master of the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, and Maria Wang, who holds a master of music degree in cello performance from University of Victoria.
This season, the strings class is composed of students who have been with HPS since the first year or who have at least one year of studying violin, viola or cello.
HPS hopes to be able to mount a new beginner strings class in future when funding becomes available. It is accepting names for a wait list.
For more information, please go online to www.harmonyprojectsooke.ca.