Music students at Kwalikum Senior Secondary have returned from MusicFest in Ottawa with plenty of pride in themselves and praise for their fellow students.
Three of four competing groups won gold - the Senior Jazz Band, Grade 11 Jazz Combo, and the Grade 12 Jazz Combo. The Grade 10 Jazz Combo placed silver. Students selected for honour awards were Matthew McDermand on trombone, Mateo Jaeckel on trombone, Nathan Zeweniuk on piano, and Lachlan Craven on trumpet.
READ MORE: KSS senior jazz band looks for financial support to go to MusicFest Canada
Additionally, Lachlan Craven and Blake Johansen (bass) were each awarded $1,000 scholarships.
MusicFest is an invitation-only event that bills itself as the “biggest educational music festival in North America.”
Many of the students expressed gratitude for the donations that helped fund their journey.
“It was a great privilege to share musical moments with some of the most talented musicians in the country, as well as getting to hear and play with all the fantastic groups from KSS,” said Lachlan.
“Many wonderful memories were made on our trip to Ottawa, and I am so extremely grateful that I was given the opportunity to partake in this.”
“This whole trip would not have been possible without the support from everyone involved, and I am very grateful for what our community did for us,” said Mateo.
This year’s MusicFest took place from May 13-18 at a variety of venues in Ottawa. Next year’s event will be hosted in Calgary.