Lexi Saldaña
Daily Herald
Band in the Park, run by the Saskatchewan Band Association, returned to Prince Albert Tuesday at the Kinsmen Park Amphitheatre. The free event is a casual drop-in music session for musicians of all ages and experiences.
Shannon Andreas, the Media and Events Coordinator of the Saskatchewan Band Association said that the recent session brought in 14 participants.
“It’s been growing and we got incredible feedback from our conductor saying it was so much fun, and she played along and the audience seemed like it was great,” she explained. “It was just a great turnout for that area.”
She added that the event is to bring in musicians, encouraging them to just have fun and connect with others.
“I would like to say that musicians are very big perfectionists,” said Andreas. “The point of it is to be a fun rehearsal so that people can’t complain if you make a mistake.”
She said that a major goal is to bring band instruments and band style of music to the general public through playing renditions of popular songs communities will recognize.
“Because of people not knowing about the band world, it’s not huge outside of the school program. And so for us, it’s just important to let people know that there are community bands around if they want to go watch them or if they ever want to join them,” she said.
Furthermore, she hopes they are able to expand throughout the entirety of Saskatchewan.
“We believe, as the Saskatchewan Band Association, that we should get music everywhere,” said Andreas. “On top of that, I know they have community bands, and I know that they have school bands. And so it’s important that people other than those selected few see it in the community so they can go to their community band concerts later on.”
In terms of consistency, she explained seeing new and different communities helps keep the organization motivated.
“We’re making into little local festivals, we’ve been in some Pride Parades, we’ve been in the Swift Current Kite festival, and things like that,” said Andreas. “It’s having new, cool places to play, having different opportunities is really fun.”
She hopes to encourage “musicians, and future musicians to remember that music doesn’t have to be so serious.”
The next Band In the Park events will be held in August in North Battleford, Regina, Yorkton, Moose Jaw, and Melfort.
“We always say that we want you to sing along, we want you to dance, we want you to,” said Andreas.
