Ladysmith Secondary School’s band class celebrated the end of their academic quarter with an outdoor class at the Transfer Beach amphitheatre on Jan. 19.
LSS band teacher Rod Alsop planned to take advantage of the sunshine and 10 degree temperature to give his students the opportunity to show their musical progression to their families.
“We’ve had full time band from the middle of November until the end of January,” Alsop said. “It was great to just get out and play. The culmination of experience in the arts is to perform.”
Family members of the LSS students sat around the amphitheatre in socially distanced bubbles. Grade 10 students Makena Smith and Luella Kaye said it was a great experience to show off their skills in a safe environment.
“It’s so nice to be able to show them how much we’ve improved,” Kaye said.
Ladysmith Secondary School’s band takes class to the Transfer Beach amphitheatre on a sunny January school day. pic.twitter.com/MSZJl2YuAx
— Cole Schisler (@SchislerCole) January 19, 2021
Smith said that the experience with the LSS band over the quarter has been a good one, and she feels her cohort has progressed in their skills since November.
“It’s been really good. We’ve been playing a lot, and focusing more on the songs than we would normally,” she said.
The biggest challenge of the outdoor performance was contending with colder temperatures. Students could be seen trying to warm their hands and their instruments throughout the performance.
“I feel accomplished. It was fun that we got to do this, we didn’t think we’d be able to,” Smith said.