The KCS band won the Superior Band Award at the Alberta Band Association’s Provincial Festival of Bands in Red Deer during their trip.
Kevin McBain
of The Clarion
On the morning of Thursday, May 17, 2018, members of the KCS band, all 103 of them, along with 24 adults and three bus drivers began their Journey Through Music Tour – the Swan Song.
Their once-every-four-year journey took them through Red Deer, Golden, Kamloops, Seattle, Chilliwack, Penticton and Banff.
Band director, Colleen Oscar-Swan, said that it was another great tour.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of students,” she said. “Or a better team of chaperons for that matter. They were amazing.
“Each trip has a different vibe and this trip was a special one,” she added. “The students were great ambassadors for the school and our town.”
The tour this year included three playing stops. The first stop was at an Alberta Band Association Festival in Red Deer on their very first day.
They did well and won the prestigious Superior Band Award at the festival. They played three songs and were adjudicated.
“It was a great accomplishment. It was the highest rating in the festival. It was great to win – very rewarding,” said Oscar-Swan.
However, she felt they could have played even better.
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“Looking back I think that they felt that they could have played better,” said Oscar-Swan. “Sometimes you get a little nervous, maybe a little over-excited, and when you do that you tend to over-play. I think they knew that. They did settle down and I think they played much better later on.”
The next day, they played a concert at the Lady Grey Elementary School in Golden, B.C.
Their final concert was on the way back from Seattle, in Penticton, B.C. where they played at Parkway Elementary School.
Seeing her students play at these two schools were a highlight of the trip for Oscar-Swan.
“That was definitely a highlight. Just watching the kids interact with the school students was very cool,” she said. “Our students were treated like stars and at one of the stops, our kids were able to go out on the playground with some of the local kids and that was very cool to see.”
Along with the concerts, of course, the students were kept busy, visiting local attractions, once they arrived in Seattle.
This included a trip to the Pike Place market in Seattle. They were also treated to a Seattle Mariners baseball game and a tour of the Space Needle.
They were also able to explore the MoPop museum, a salute to American music; and a trip on the Duck Tour boat.
The students were also able to spend some time in Banff to stretch their legs during their long trip home that began at 5:30 a.m. May 23 and they did not arrive until around midnight that night.
A few of the students shared some of their highlights.
Josh Enns-Wind said that he really enjoyed the trip and especially enjoyed walking around the Pike Place Market, watching the street performers and visiting the first-ever Starbucks in Seattle.
Chelsea Martin said that she really enjoyed the MoPop Museum and checking out some of the displays that featured groups and musicians like Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix, which was of special interest to her because she is a big guitar fan.
Evan Pelletier really enjoyed the drive through British Columbia and touring Banff.
Jessie Hubenig’s highlights included interacting with the kids. “They were so happy that we spent some time with them.” She also enjoyed being a part of a dance battle on the duck tours and exploring the Space Needle.
Kathryn Sawatzky said she enjoyed walking on the pier in Seattle and going on the Great Wheel.
On behalf of all the students, they would like to thank the chaperones and Mrs. Oscar-Swan for organizing the trip and making it all happen.
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