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Aiden Kim

Sentinel Secondary's 2024 Whistler Tour

Music thrives in the Sentinel Secondary School community and this year the Grade 8 concert band and orchestra, both conducted by Mr. Virag, had the privilege of attending the Con Brio Whistler Music Festival. Founded in 2000 by Douglas Macaulay and Susan Magnan, the festival offers a plethora of exposure to professional musicians while also giving high school bands a platform to showcase their ability to play music.



Although not all members of the Grade 8 and orchestra have been playing together for long, their commitment and dedication to practicing hours a week have been remarkable and reflected by winning gold in both programs.


The festival, a non-competitive opportunity for students to learn and is not overly intense, takes place in the heart of Whistler Village. Both bands had the opportunity to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery and delicious food Whistler had to offer. The festival has a flexible schedule that allows students to do team-building activities: our fellow Spartans were able to visit the Audain Art Museum, get Cows Ice Cream, and even go swimming!



During the four days at the festival, Sentinel’s ensembles were able to perform for and be adjudicated by professionals as well as being taught by one of the adjudicators for 50 minutes. On Friday, Steven Capaldo, conductor of the University of Victoria Wind Symphony, evaluated the Grade 8 concert band. For 50 minutes after the performance, the Grade 8 band was vigorously mentored by him where he compressed weeks' worth of lessons in just under an hour. Huxley Yuan, a saxophone player from the Grade 8 concert band agrees, saying, "The festival was an incredible experience that gave us a chance to exhibit our hard work but also allowed us to receive feedback from professionals and learn from their expertise." The orchestra then performed under the guidance of Scott Macleannan, the director of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Wind Ensemble, and Charles A. Maguire, an assistant conductor of the University Wind Ensemble of the University of Alabama. Just like the Grade 8 band, the Orchestra was advised by Charles A. Maguire.



During these 50 minutes, both bands were able to take in and absorb valuable information given by professionals, allowing our talented Sentinel musicians to further grow and flourish.

The biggest takeaway from this festival was how music can bring us all together in many forms. For example, the festival allowed and gave the band opportunities to grow closer and get to know friends, classmates, and teachers. Another activity involved forming a mass band,where hundreds of passionate musicians gathered to play together. The setting of the Con Brio Whistler Festival was truly a magical way to bring people together and create lasting memories.

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