Aden Addison was a little breathless. “You have to get 85 to get it, I got 86,” the Grade 6 student said, “So I was pretty surprised about that, and I got a gold.”
Addison was referring to his score following his snare drum performance onstage at the Salvation Army on Tuesday afternoon.
He’s one of hundreds of aspiring musicians who will grace small stages in churches and community halls throughout Peterborough during the next few weeks, as the Peterborough Kiwanis Music Festival gets underway.
Shortly after getting off stage — and getting his gold certificate — Addison said he’d done a few trial performances before the main event.
“I was actually more nervous about doing it here because there are more people,” he said, nodding toward the hall’s auditorium.
The Kiwanis Festival is celebrating its 72nd anniversary this year. While the event and the music have evolved, festival secretary Darlene Ewing said the essential elements remain the same — a short recital, followed by feedback and pointers from an adjudicator.
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That process, Ewing said, is what the festival is really all about.
“Then you go forth from there, hopefully using those little tidbits and gems of new knowledge,” she said.
Kiwanis performances are open to the public; Organizers just ask audience members to make a small donation at the door. Ewing said music fans won’t be disappointed, and she pointed out that a bigger audience can give musicians a little extra oomph.
“Music is a part of us and we can share ourselves in music,” Ewing said. “It’s great to just be able to stand up in front of a crowd, or a small crowd, it doesn’t matter, and just be able to perform.”
The Kiwanis Festival ends with a final concert on April 15.
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