Students at Enderby’s A.L. Fortune Secondary shined bright at this year’s B.C. drumline championships.
Hosted by Sardis Secondary School in Chilliwack, it was the Canadian Drumline Association’s first championship event since 2019. As A.L. Fortune Music Director Michelle Reed explained, that meant it was the first big stage for almost all of her students — and they all rose to the occasion.
“We have worked for the last two and a half years without (provincials), and that is sort of what we work towards in this program every year,” Reed said.
A.L. Fortune’s Senior Drumline captured the top spot provincewide in the Concert Class Drumline category, the third straight year they’ve earned the achievement. The Junior Drumline also excelled, placing third out of seven ensembles in their first-ever competition.
The achievements are all the more impressive given that provincials were cancelled the past two years due to COVID-19 restrictions, said Reed.
“The kids were hungry for that experience,” she said.
In order to fortify her students against the pressure of playing in front of a large crowd, she designed some practice sessions with the help of colleagues and other students.
“We went and played in our own gym because acoustically, playing in a gym is different than playing in our theatre or music room,” Reed said. “Then one day I had all the staff, teachers, admin and CEAs come in and stare at them, just (providing) that experience of an audience that they’ve never had.”
The pressure test paid off.
“They knocked it out of the park.”
The school’s music program has seen success at all age levels this year. In April, A.L. Fortune’s Grade 8 band won their category at the Shuswap Music Festival.
“It’s just a reflection of how hard these kids work,” Reed said. “These are dedicated kids who are choosing to do this and choosing to push themselves.”
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