John Monigomery
Contributing Writer

OWE of Japan's most accomplished high school
bands arrives in North Vancouver for a series of
<oncerts at the end of the month. Handsworth will
play host to Narashino High School as part of an
exchange program that

has grown in popularity

over the past couple of

years.

Music edusators in North
Vancouver School District
develuped a relationship with
music educators in Japan that
began when the district hosted
the All-Chiba Junior Bands in
the summer of 1997,

This band consisted of 119
musicians from Chiba
Prefecture who were selected
fo represent their region for
the internaticnal tour. The experience proved to have a positive
impact on both the touring musicians from Japan and the North
Vancouver music programs. Zo positive was the impact that this
became the first step of a relaticnship that has provided numer-
ous musical and cultural experiences for the students from both
sides of the Pacific Ocean.

Since those beginnings in 1997, North Vancouver has hosted
several other music groups. Matsuo High School visited North
Vancouver in the summer of 1998 and was hosted by the music
students and music parents of Carson Graham secondary school
plus their music talented teachers Steve Woodyard and janet
“Warren. Again the experience benefited the students from both
schools both musically and culturally and had resulted in connec-
tions for the students that continue today.

tn the spring of 1999 Crson Graham accepted an invitation
to perform in the Funabashi City Music Festival. After months of
preparation under the direction of Steve Woodyard and Janet
Warren the Carson Graham sndents performed brilliantly at the
festival. Their performance was broadcast on the Japanese nation-
af television news the evening of their performance.

Shoriiy after the Carson Graham tour to Japan, Sutherland
secondary school hosted an outstanding high school brass band
from Asahikawa which is located in the geographic centre of
Japan’s north island of Hokkaido. Again, the association between
Sutherland and Asahikawa created connections that continue to
be enjoyed by the students of both schools. Last November the
Asahikawa band qualified for the Japanese national band compe-
tition and received @ geld medal for their performance.
Appreciate the significance of this accomplishment: there are
approximately 30,000 high school bands in Japan and 40 of
them progress through regional competitions to eventually quali-
fy to perform at their national competition. The school attributes
its success to the preparation and development of the skill of the
musicians during its tour. .

"The impact on the music programs at Sutherland has been
equally as positive. The schooi, under the leadership of music
teachers Rhonda Smeds and Michelle Chen and their parent

up, is currently heavily involved in plans to host an orchestra

m Funabashi City this summer and are planning their own trip
to perform at the Funabuashi Festival in February of 2001.

In September 1999 the Handsworth Royal Strings and their
director, Peter Van Ooyen hosted the Astana Strings, an adult

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Friday, March 10, 2000 — North Shore News - 27

JAPAN’S Narashino High School band performs at Whistler Secondary (March 28), Suthertand Secondary
(Marc: 29) and, with the Handsworth Secondary Schoo} Senior Concert Band, at Capilano College (March
30). The Narashino enserable have qualified for Japan's national band competition for 18 consecutive years.

chamber orchestra. Among the highlights of that experience was
a two-day instructional workshop held at the North Vancouver
Outdoor School during which the Japanese musicians worked
with the Handsworth students in the development of their
stringed instrument techniques.

Currently, the Handsworth music department under the lead-
ership of Bob Rebagliati, Keith Woodward and the music parent
association are preparing to host Narashine high schoci, consid-
ered by many to be the most accomplished high school band in
Japan. This band has qualified for the Japan national competition
for 18 consecutive years. Again there is a sense of being part of
something special that accompanies this experience and
Handsworth itself is beginning to pian a Japan tour for 2002.

Many other educational benefits have derived from these pro-
grams. Each touring group, for example, visits Squamish
Nation’s Estha7an Learning Centre where Yeltsewit (Faye Halls)
and her staff share the richness of the Squamish culture and teach
the visitors to make dreamcatchers while they experience the
drumming, singing and dancing of the Squamish people icad by
Aaron Nelson-Moody. These Squamish youth, led by Chief Tan
Campbell and their cultural leaders, travelled to Japan last
November for the traditional raising of a Squamish wallboard.
Students from both Asahikawa and Matsuo warmly and enthusi-
astically greeted the Squamish youth during their tour.

The successful development of this program has involved a lot
of people from the community. Besides the music teachers and
the Squamish nation participants mentioned above, other com-
munity leaders have made notable contributions. Jack Loucks,

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while he was mayor, was an unfailing supporter of the program
who attended many receptions with the guests and the public
concerts. Mayor Barbara Sharp is currently an enthusiastic sup-
porter of the program and will be involved with the tour of the
Narashino students. Current school board chairperson Pat Heal
has participated in almost every activity of each group to visit.
The other schoo! trustees have similarly been much appreciated
advocates of and participants in the p . Dr. Robin Brayne,
North Vancouver's Superintendent of Schools, has been an active
supporter of the programs and has participated in a number of
the events associated with the cours. Clyde Mitchell, Associate
Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra has been an

See Contributions Page 26

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