Photo: Sask Rivers Photo (L to R) Darcy Sander, Bill Yeaman, Suzanne Gorman, Cher Bloom, and Jennifer Hingley following the presentation of the Saskatchewan Band Association’s Band Supporter Award of Merit during ExtravaBANDza at Carlton CPAC on May 26.
By: Michael Oleksyn
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Prince Albert Daily Herald
The Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division can lay claim to one of top band programs in the province after receiving the Band Supporter Award of Merit.
The school division received the award from Saskatchewan Band Association CEO Suzanne Gorman during the annual ExtravaBANDza concert held at the Carlton CPAC on May 26. The award recognizes the division’s longstanding commitment to music education and band programming throughout Prince Albert and surrounding communities.
Sask Rivers Board Chair Cher Bloom, trustees Darcy Sander and Bill Yeaman, and Superintendent Jennifer Hingley accepted the award on behalf of the division.
The award comes with a $500,000 prize that will be used to purchase new instruments.
“Our teachers have done a great job of being good stewards of our music instruments, but it was time to make an investment in purchasing new instruments for students,” Hingley explained.
According to the Saskatchewan Band Association, SRPSD was recognized for “consistently going above and beyond in its commitments to band programs in Prince Albert and the surrounding area.”
The division currently provides and maintains instruments for band students across 10 elementary schools, one comprehensive high school, and one K–12 rural school, helping ensure financial barriers do not prevent students from participating in band.
Hingley said providing the instruments is vital to strong music programming.
“Obviously, instruments that are not in the greatest of shape break the flow of learning for students because their instrument needs to be repaired and so they’re not able to participate in some of the practices,” she explained. “It’s really critical that students have really good equipment in their hands while they’re learning band and while they’re performing.”
Hingley said the goal is to continue the great work that band directors do in the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division.
The award citation highlighted the division’s support of eight full-time music specialists, as well as its recent commitment of $500,000 toward replenishing and maintaining the division’s band instrument inventory.
“Band music is such a big part of our community,” Hingley said. “When we think about the gift, when we make the investment in musicians, they give back their whole lives back to our community.”
ExtravaBANDza brought together student musicians from across the division in a celebration of music education, collaboration, and community support for the arts. Hingley said having the presentation at the event was a great touch.
“Our students that become musicians give back,” she said. “They play in community bands, they’re part of choirs, they’re a part of all the wonderful things in our community that are music-related.”