Music benefits high school students

by Jolene Bulmer

Catholic Central High School has had a successful music program, but with the lack of new students coming in there may not be a program.

Grant Bergeron, head of the music department at CCH, stays after school – sometimes for three extra hours a day – to conduct multiple extracurricular activities so students will continue to take music.

Bergeron has been teaching music for 18 years and has been at CCH for 12. Teaching Grade 9 through12 along with after school extracurriculars, such as concert band, jazz ensemble and choir, he said one of the only ways kids will want to come back is if they are influenced by senior students who stick to music all four years of high school.

“It really goes in peaks and valleys,” said Bergeron. “Some years, I’ve had a very high percentage of grade nines (take music). Then of all the Grade 9s, I’d have 75 per cent of them come back and take Grade 10. Some years I’d have not even half (come back).”

Being the only music teacher at CCH, Bergeron stresses how important taking music is throughout high school.

“The research has shown that any early involvement in music in a kid’s education is going to benefit them in many academic ways, social ways, just general character development,” said Bergeron. “The benefits they provide are countless.”

He also said he finds that volunteering his time with the concert band, jazz ensemble and choir makes students want to take music more.

“I could walk out of (CCH) every day at 2:34 and show up every day at 8:15, and no one would say anything,” said Bergeron. “Now, I wouldn’t have many kids in the program. It’s all about sacrifice.”

Grade 9 CCH student Fabio Pellarin plays the clarinet and alto saxophone and plans to take music every year he can. He said he thinks that having music as an option to take in high school will benefit him.

“I find that when I’m in other classes, it keeps me focused. When I play music I’m focused, I read it clearly and when I do a test I relate it to that. I always read all the question clearly as if I was looking at sheet music,” said Pellarin “I always want to learn more about my instrument and the only way for me is high school.”

Another Grade 9 student, Solange Webster, feels the same way. Playing clarinet for five years, she said she looks forward to learning more and staying in music until Grade 12.

“I’ve always wanted to play the sax, maybe I will before I graduate,” said Webster. “I’m in concert band this year and choir. I’m going to see how it goes this year, and if I like it I want to take it for the four years.“