The Music Dept. of the ALHCS is a powerhouse, led by an enthusiastic team of teachers, focused on positively developing Anguilla’s youths by honing their musical talents and providing them with a vehicle to express their creativity. The highly regarded year-round performances of the ALHCS Music Department and students, provide a platform for our youth to give back to the community through quality performances, thereby improving the quality of life for all. As Billy Joel expressed: “Music is an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by, no matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”
As part of its overall music education drive, six of Anguilla’s budding musicians from The ALHCS Concert Band, participated in a stimulating, intensive 6-week music camp in St Thomas hosted at the University of the Virgin Islands under the auspices of highly esteemed Professor Austin Venzen and his talented team of Counselors.
The musicians included:
• Kasem Thompson – Trombone
• Kyiv Edwards – Saxophone
• Casey Richardson – Saxophone
• Kamal Vanterpool – Trumpet
• Michael Christie – Trumpet
• Akili Rogers – Trumpet
The UVI Summer Music Band Camp combined a riveting mixture of concert band, jazz band group and individual sessions culminating in performances each week at churches and community venues around the island. This extraordinary experience has exposed the youth to a high caliber of musical training including a rich diversity of the practical and theoretical aspects of music. The camp’s aim is to shape the minds of young musicians so they can unlock their hidden talents for the upliftment of the human spirit and the community in general. They achieve this goal by strict, rigorous practice sessions and an active involvement in concerts.
They joined talented campers from the USVI in full day sessions for the camp period.
Anguilla’s Camp Coordinator for this year, Lennox Vanterpool, mobilized the biggest Anguilla student delegation to date, along with the requisite fundraising. Vanterpool stated: “That our students were able to participate and excel in this setting, speaks in reverberating concord to the success of the ALHCS music program as a whole. I am feeling even more hopeful upon seeing the results yet again that our education directorate will consider implementing performance ensemble curricula within the school day. With more emphasis on skill-based learning now en vogue and the absolute abundance of musical talent among our youth, we should undoubtedly be seriously nurturing the vast resource with which we are blessed.”
Head of ALHCS Music department, Mrs. Daphne Jacobs Richardson, extends heartfelt thanks on behalf of her colleagues to the various sponsors who willingly contributed to the development and successes experienced by Anguillan youths over the past 25 years including for this particular event. Mrs. Jacobs Richardson said, “Our most recent contributions allowed six budding musicians to travel to St, Thomas and participate in a six week band camp. Under the tutelage of Professor Venzen, these students not only enhanced their knowledge and skills on woodwind and brass instruments but made Anguilla proud with their stunning performances at the various performances around the island.
Mrs. Jacobs Richardson added that the unwavering commitment of our corporate citizens, allows the Department to fully embrace and act on leveraging the power of music in the lives of our youth.
Heartfelt thanks is extended to the generous cadre of sponsors who made Anguilla’s participation in the camp possible this year.
Rayme Lake of B&E Automotive
West Indies Concrete Co. Ltd.
Honourable Cora Richardson Hodge
The Department of Youth And Culture
Rt. Rev. L. Errol Brooks and The Anglican Church
The Anguilla Development Board
The Anguilla Community Foundation
The effort also attracted anonymous support for which we the Department is grateful.
This musical training and exposure for a core selection of the ALHCS Band members will have a ripple effect as these students will now “pay it forward” and assist the other members to enhance their skills, thereby raising the bar for the whole band. Kudos to the ALHCS Music Department and students.
– Contributed
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
