Cadet Honour Band comes together in Winnipeg to learn, perform
Sea, army and air cadets from across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are gathered in Winnipeg to perform in the Northwest Region Cadet Honour Band
The high-school-age cadets come together for just one week to rehearse before giving a public performance, which will take place Friday at the Westminster United Church at 2 p.m.
The honour band is comprised of 53 cadets who play instruments ranging from horns, to flutes, to pipes and drums. The young musicians within the Northwest region of the cadet program had to submit a video audition tape, which was reviewed and selected by a committee here in Winnipeg. Many of the participants have never played together before.
"It's a bit of a challenge, but in a good way," said Flight Sgt. Evan Howgate, a French horn player from Winnipeg.
"It's pushing the boundaries of what I can do as a musician and making me a better musician. I have to adjust to a new sound, a new setting, new music that I've never played before."
The cadets have been camping out in the gymnasium at the HMCS Chippawa. This week includes professional development classes on conducting and corps management, as well as rehearsing with professional musicians to improve their skills.
Lt.-Cmdr. Mark Michalak is a training officer with the Cadet Honour Band. He says the opportunity helps the students grow as musicians and encourages them to pass along what they've learned once they return home.
"When they are with their local cadet bands, sometimes they don't have all of the guidance they need musically, but when they come here this is where all of the professional musicians are working together to give them those skills to take back to their unit," Michalak said.
Making new friends
"I thought it would be fun to travel to Manitoba. You meet a lot of people in the cadet program and make a lot of friends," said Flight Sgt. Jonathan Ouellette of Lethbridge, Alta., who plays the bagpipes,
This is Ouellette's second time taking part in the band.
Making new friends was also a highlight for Flight Sgt. Amanda Loeffen, a bass clarinet player from Prince Albert, Sask. She first got involved with Honour Band two years ago.
"I think Honour Band is amazing because it's all these people from all over the region who come together to make beautiful music." she said.
"It's really fun, but sad at the same time because we come together and we get so close … and at the end of it we go our own ways and hope to see each other next year."
The cadet program is a free program for youth age 12-18 that strives to teach young people leadership skills and volunteerism. The costs of travel to participate in the week-long event are covered by the Department of National Defence. The week also included a visit to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
