On Wednesday, more than 400 Limestone District School Board students gathered at Queen’s University to partake in the Limestone Music Celebration, an event aimed at fostering a deeper interest in music beyond the confines of high school education.
“Music teachers from across Limestone have gotten together to plan a day of collaboration, bringing students together and share the magic of music-making and all of the wonderful things that brings with it,” Kristen Martin from Sydenham High School said.
This event marks a significant milestone as the first of its kind, drawing inspiration from a similar event called Music Monday dating back to 2007. For some educators, the day represents a full-circle moment.
“As someone who experienced this as a student, I can tell you that it is a day of excitement where you get to make new friends and new connections where you get to feel like you are becoming that musician who’s working with professionals,” Martin added.
The day began with students separated into groups based on the instruments they play, covering a range from percussion to flute and beyond.
“It’s really exciting to get to talk to someone who’s specifically versed in the clarinet. I think Sammy here said she has a master’s in clarinet, which I think is really cool,” said Valerie Sun, a Grade 10 student from Kingston Secondary School.
“It seems really fun, and everyone seems really nice. I think the rest of the day is going to be a super fun experience,” added Fynnley Collins from Sydenham High School.
By day’s end, students were grouped into bands and treated their families and friends to a concert.
However, student involvement extended beyond musical performances, with one student from Napanee District Secondary School responsible for designing the event’s logo.
“I wanted to use a symbol from Limestone, so I thought why not just use the actual logo, and I just kind of drew and made it a music note,” Lily Nicholls said.
Despite the nearly 20 years since the last music celebration, organizers are determined not to wait another two decades to bring the city’s best and brightest musicians together under one roof.
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