For some Prince Albert public school students, playing music provides them an outlet from the rest of the world.
Rachel Bear, a Grade 8 student at John Diefenbaker Public School, started playing the saxophone three years ago. What drew her to playing music was how it allowed her to better cope with the world around her.
“You kind of let yourself go and just play along with it,” she said. “I really want to pursue music, and I want to go to university for it and make it my career.”
Kennedy Hobson, who is also in Grade 8 at Diefenbaker, started practicing as a percussionist roughly four or five years ago. She said her parents wanted her to try the instrument out. She’s been playing ever since.
For her, the best part of being in a band is the people surrounding her.
“I have some good friends in the back with me and Rachel is a very good friend too,” she said. “[Music] is pretty important [to me]. It’s got me through some tough times and it’s real helpful.”
Both Bear and Hobson will be playing along with nearly a thousand other students for the annual Sask. Rivers School Division mass band concert, which is being held at Carlton Comprehensive High School tonight at 7 p.m.
Roughly 12 elementary schools are also participating.
Hobson said she’s excited to be playing with so many students.
“It’s a lot of fun meeting all the other percussionist and hearing how good the music sounds with the other school talents,” she said.
Bear has performed in the concert before and said she wasn’t too worried about it unlike her first time playing, which she admitted made her a little nervous.
“I was so scared,” she said. “I played really quietly because I didn’t know [many] people. This year I have been out meeting people.”