The Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival entry registration date deadline of Saturday, Feb. 6 is upon us. Entries are to be completed online this year, which also means online methods of payment for entry fees. If you need in-person assistance with this process, committee members will be available at EMBM Saturday, Feb. 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fees for solos, duets, trios and small ensembles are $13 per entry. We offer a family rate of a 50 per cent discount after 10 solo entries by individual participants. Band, choir and large ensemble entries are $25 per entry. Late entries will be accepted up until Feb. 13 with a $25 penalty. Our local area entry secretary, Melissa Hutchison, can be contacted by email at [email protected].
As an advocate of arts education as a powerful platform for the development of creative problem-solving skills, I appreciate the approach of pediatric psychologist and author Lynne Kenney. From her perspective, 鈥淚n an era where children are learning academic content earlier than in the past, the ability to creatively problem solve with cognitive flexibility, focused attention and self control has never been more important. We often tell children what to do without telling them how to do it, which results in children who become disorganized thinkers.
鈥淎fter interacting and playing with hundreds of children applying cognitive science, kinesiology and music research to make learning more interactive and fun, we observed over and over again, that when children were provided an opportunity to move not sit, asked to collaborate in the creation of better learning methods and introduced to tempo, rhythm and timing to enhance their executive functions, they learned better and were much happier.
鈥淥ver time, our approach became Musical Thinking, a cognitive empowerment strategy utilizing music, rhythm and movement that teaches children how they think and learn, helping them gain better control over their approach to daily tasks and activities related to learning.
鈥淢usical Thinking engages the brain in a manner that reduces anxiety and stress in children, making the children active collaborators in their learning process and using children鈥檚 natural creativity to enhance self-confidence and skill (mastery) through music, movement and play.鈥�
If you know a child or youth artist who is 18 years old or under, encourage them to create a music-themed image for considered use in the 2016 Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival program. The festival program cover contest deadline is March 1. Artwork should reflect musical themes. Pictures may be drawn in black ink, pencil, coloured pencil, marker, crayon or medium of choice, but should have a white background.聽 Artists must print their full name, phone number, school and grade on the back of their entry. Entries may be mailed to P.O. Box 1301, North Battleford, S9A 3L8 or submitted to Kelly Waters at North Battleford Comprehensive High School, Jan Michael Bourgeois at John Paul II Collegiate or Margaret Sigouin at EMBM. Selected pieces of artwork that are not chosen for the cover may also be featured within the pages of the program. Also look for festival venues to feature and display other entries. Although all musical-themed ideas are welcome, typically those reflecting the festival鈥檚 disciplines are chosen for use in the program (solo or group singing/speaking, piano, acoustic strings, band/orchestra).
Jobs for volunteers come in all shapes and sizes at the Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival. Any amount of time or talent you have to offer is welcome. If you have volunteered in the past and would like to volunteer again, please let a committee member know, so that your interest is not overlooked. Don鈥檛 be shy about your interest. If your time is not available, but you or your business would like to support the festival monetarily, consider sponsoring an award to be presented at the final gala event, or sponsoring a session for a music discipline of your choice, or being recognized as a patron or friend of the festival.
The current聽 schedule, pending final programming, for the 2016 Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival is: vocal April 16 to 18, band April 18 to 19; musical theatre - April 19; speech arts April 20 to 21, strings April聽22; and piano April 21 to 23.
聽鈥淣ever say that your life is to be a singer. You want to sing because it's a part of your life. But if you don't succeed as a singer, it doesn't mean you don't have a life and it's over.鈥� 鈥� Celine Dion
