News
A Woodstock High School student who got her start as a violinist in a music program at Southern Carleton Elementary School is preparing for a European tour with the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra.
Lelia Fekete was one of the first children to go through the school’s violin program, which was started by former principal Joan Sheen.
During an interview with the Bugle-Observer, Fekete said she has been playing for eight years, starting when she was six years old.
She now plays viola with the Fredericton Youth Orchestra, and it was at the suggestion of her instructor that she auditioned for the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d get in,” said Fekete. “Then (on the) last day of school last year I found out I made it in. I’ve made a lot of friends — there are 83 of us. We are like one big family already.”
Fekete will go on the international tour next summer from July 1 to 13, with stops in Vienna, Prague, Liepzig and Munich. She said they will also be getting a musical piece composed for them to perform at a world debut in Vienna.
“It’s really exciting,” Fekete said of her opportunity. “I’ll be there for my 16th birthday so I’m pretty excited for that. When I’m there with everyone … we’re all in the same field and we all love it.”
Another aspect of the trip that excites Fekete is the opportunity to visit with family from Europe.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” she said. “My mom and sister will be going with me and I have family who live in Hungary and we are all going to be meeting. My cousin … plays in the London orchestra and I’m excited to meet that side of the family.”
Fekete said it can be intense performing with an orchestra.
“People don’t realize once you get up on the stage and with some of the pieces … it’s just a lot of work and time and effort put into it. I’m definitely excited for the experience.”
When discussing her future in music, Fekete said she thinks she will pursue a music career.
“I haven’t officially decided yet,” she said. “If I don’t then I will still definitely keep it as a side and I want to play in bigger orchestras and make it worth my time. It’s a part of my life now. You can ask me any time if I have any plans after school and (I’m) always involved with music. I always do everything centred around that. I practise two hours a day. When you put me with a group all of my problems or troubles with the music is fixed. It’s nice.”
Asked who has been her biggest influence, Fekete was quick to name Ypie Shaver, who has been playing with her for the last two years and is now teaching the violin program at SCES.
“I’ve only been with her two years now,” she said. “I started with the violin. Before that I was a fiddler so I needed a lot of help with my technique. Then she suggested the viola to be a better fit for me. She’s been a big help to me.”
Joan Sheen, a former principal at SCES and the founder of the violin program, said she has always been a strong believer in the power of music and it has always been a part of her life.
Sheen said she started the violin program came after she did research on such programs for children.
“Research shows (music) benefits children intellectually: they have higher IQs, they learn languages easier, and have better test scores,” Sheen explained. “We decided that we would see what we could do to get a violin program started in the school. There was no money provincially to do it, so we went to the community and there were different businesses and individuals who donated money to buy the violins.”
Sheen was then able to hire Krista Touesnard from Fredericton to teach violin and get the program started.
“We had the program going for kindergarten right up to Grade 5,” said Sheen. Children would come at 8 a.m. and it didn’t cost them anything. There are a lot of families who could never afford to give their children violin lessons.”
Sheen added that another important benefit of learning music is that it teaches discipline, and being involved in an activity such as music teaches an enjoyment for life. Having been retired for the last 12 years, she said it does her heart good to hear that the school revived the program two years ago.
“Music makes children happy and proud. It creates that self-confidence in children that is wonderful,” said Sheen.
Current SCES principal Tammy Dunbar said violin is a skill that they like students being able to participate in, and she believes they were lucky to have local violinist Ypie Shaver as an instructor.
“It has been a great program for the kids who have chosen to be involved,” said Dunbar when asked what it means to have the program running again.
“It is really important to give students another opportunity for a lifelong learning skill that they can take into next grade levels and out into life. Over the years we have had different people who have taught violin or fiddle. Ypie is an expert in violin so we have been lucky to have her expertise for the last two years. We have a great music teacher this year, it’s just that she doesn’t do violin so she has other expertise.”
Dunbar hopes having a former student go on an international tour with the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra will inspire current students.
“That is very exciting and inspirational to the other boys and girls,” she said. “Maybe that will generate more students who will want to take violin.”
The Bugle-Observer spoke with several of the nine students currently in the violin program following practice on Friday afternoon. Jillian Paul said she wanted to learn violin after seeing it on TV as a little girl.
“I felt that it was really special because my mom could play a lot of instruments and I thought it would mean a lot to her if I could play one,” said Paul.
Jessica Whittingham said it’s just really fun playing violin.
“I own a lot of instruments and I decided I wanted to play something I didn’t have,” said Whittingham.
Josh Lewis said he started in the program because of his sister.
“My sister plays guitar and I wanted to show her I could play a string instrument too so as soon as I heard there was (a violin program) I went into violin,” he said.
