by Jo Barnes | photo by Tanya Murchie –
Remember those high school years? You felt a mix of emotions: embarrassment, awkwardness or confusion. But for most of us, there was one thing to help channel that teenage angst or dispel the blues: music!
At Stelly’s Secondary School, in Saanichton, students have the opportunity to learn, grow and find success through a smorgasbord of music education offerings. At the heart of it all is Music Director Norbert Ziegler, who knows that music has a powerful, positive impact on well-being.
“I think music has so many benefits for kids, particularly as a way to help them express themselves. Music education builds teamwork and responsibility and helps with confidence.”
When it comes to the music program at Stelly’s, not only is there a great variety of classes that students can take, but they are tailored to specific grade levels, abilities and interests. In this way, younger students are not competing with senior students with more knowledge and experience.
“We have Junior Band (grade nine) and Senior Band (grades 10, 11 and 12), Jazz Band, Pit Orchestra, and Guitar. We have Musical Theatre classes for grades nine to 10 and grades 11 to 12. We have two choirs, one covering classical, folk and musical theatre, the other, a Vocal Jazz Choir which covers jazz and pop.”
Whether students are playing in a band or singing in a choir, they are learning a piece of music together and working to produce a unified result.
Norbert shares that this collaborative and inclusive process has a positive impact.
“In a basketball game, not everyone can play at the same time. But with a concert band, there’s a place for everybody. They learn their parts, play together and support each other. They get excited about it; their faces just light up!”
It’s an experience that Norbert personally benefited from in his life and wants to pass along to his students.
“I was involved in band, and I have great memories of it all,” he says. “I want to bring this to students in the same way I enjoyed it.”
A music enthusiast since childhood, Norbert well understands how an introduction to music can prompt new interests and even change the direction of your life.
“I joined band in grade six. I tried different instruments and played the clarinet. Then in grade 8, I was introduced to the French horn,” says Norbert.
“I kept on with it and took private lessons. Years later, I auditioned for the UVic music program and was accepted, and ultimately my Master’s degree focused on the French horn.”
Norbert holds a Music Education degree as well as a Master’s degree in Music, both from the University of Victoria, and has also enjoyed performing for many years.
“I’m currently with the Meridiem Wind Orchestra,” he says. “I am a member of the wind quintet called Brasstastic and have played in the pit orchestra with many local groups including the Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA) and the Victoria Operatic Society.”
Norbert’s enthusiasm for music informs his teaching and his approach.
“I’m very energetic, often silly in my classes. I want the joy I have in music to be infectious,” he shares.
He enjoys the positive impact that music has on students and notes that it can even affect them long after they leave high school. One such example readily comes to Norbert’s mind.
“One year, there was a very skilled student who just wanted to quit. I encouraged him and tried to nurture his abilities. He ended up being in all my classes, and after high school, he chose to study music at UVic.”
In the classroom, students are immersed in the music which can take them away from other stresses they might be encountering.
“There is anxiety in high school, wanting to perform well or wanting to fit into the school setting,” notes Norbert. “In the music classroom, it’s a safe place. Students can let go of what’s happening outside and just make music.”
In addition to the in-school classes offered, students also have opportunities to learn outside of the school setting.
“We do band trips every year,” relates Norbert. “This past year students travelled to Seattle and Portland. They performed, attended workshops at Pacific University in Portland, and watched concerts.”
It is these kinds of experiences that allow students to grow and learn about music, deal with performance nerves, communicate with each other and watch other musicians perform.
“These kinds of opportunities to get involved in performing arts are exciting. It is fantastic to play music at different places,” shares Norbert.
With the arrival of September, the sound of band instruments and voices singing once again can be heard at Stelly’s. Students are learning notes and tempo and how to play music together, and along the way, they’re discovering ways to express themselves, connect with others, and make their way through their teenage years.
