Valleyview music students unbox new instruments after $19K grant

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MusiCounts is a national charity that aims to make music education accessible, sustainable and inclusive for children across Canada.

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“They do these grants every year and they are very popular,” Valleyview Secondary music director Jaymi Daniels told CFJC Today. “We bought flutes, clarinets, trumpets, saxophones both alto and tenor, a bass clarinet and some percussion equipment.”

“I was a little anxious to get to it… with excitement” Zoey added. “It was really, really cool to see everyone playing the instruments and unboxing them. It was really cool to see different instruments for future students and current students.”

“It took a while for me to open my box but once I got it open it just felt really fresh to see a new, shiny instrument,” added Grade 11 student Aria Wilds. “I opened a tenor saxophone and it was fun to look at all the things they put on it to make sure it doesn’t break when its being transferred over here.”

“I got to test it around and its really new and it looks like it’ll be great to play.”

(Image Credit: Kent Simmonds/CFJC Today)

(Image Credit: Kent Simmonds/CFJC Today)

Both Aria and Ilianna play the euphonium – a tuba but smaller, which sounds like a trombone. The school doesn’t currently own one and it’s why the two of them have rent their instruments from music stores in the city.

“It makes it much easier because you can get them from the school that you’re going to instead of going through the process of going across town to wherever the music rental place is,” Aria said. “It’s just nice to have it here because this is where we play music.”

“[Having instruments here] takes away barriers from kids who can’t afford to rent from the music store, which is you know, quite a few kids,” Daniels added.

Valleyview’s music program has grown exponentially from approximately six students in 2014 to just over 200 at the high school alone, along with several others from nearby elementary schools who come to the high school to learn music.

Daniels noted some of the instruments in the music room date back to Valleyview Secondary’s opening in the late 1960s.

“It’s really hard especially for beginners to play an instrument that’s not in great shape,” Daniels said. “It makes starting an instrument – which is already a big challenge – even more of a challenge, so I’m really excited and I know the kids are excited.”

“It’s everything,” Zoey, who primarily plays the trumpet, added. “The tone is better, the actual playing is better. Some instruments will get sticky and hard to play over time, so just overall it’s easier to play new instruments and it sounds better.”

After years of composing grant applications – seven or eight, as Daniels recalled – the Valleyview music program is ready to pick up these brand new, shiny instruments and hit all of the right notes.

“We’re so grateful to MusiCounts,” Daniels said. “Honestly, it’s a wonderful organization and I’m grateful that we were able to benefit from it this year.”