Student bands from Shawnigan took the top two spots in the inaugural Battle of the Bands hosted by Red Arrow Brewing in Duncan last Saturday afternoon. The junior band, Good Lads (Max F., Daniel H., Yanson W., Edward W., Mixon S.) claimed first place, and the senior band, the Core Four (Ash B., Rosa O., Noel T., Sasha T.) placed second.

 

The competition was open to young musicians from across the Cowichan Valley. Each band submitted a video, and successful groups were invited to send in a second video, from which the five finalists were selected. Each band performed three songs on Saturday in front of a jury of five professional musicians. As winners, the Good Lads were interviewed live on Sun FM, and an onstage interview aired a few days later as well on affiliated stations across Vancouver Island.

 

Music teacher Mr.  Vince Hale has worked with the seniors for four years and juniors for two years, and was thrilled to see them get their big moment.

 

“I always knew how good they were,” he said. “It was good for them to get some recognition and play outside the Shawnigan bubble.”

 

 

Both 360 and curricular film students screened their work in front of a packed house in the Wilkinson Theatre last Saturday. The films by students in Grades 9-12 represented their work from the whole year, adding up to an hour and a half of short films: narratives, documentaries, PSAs, and small assignments. The crowd favourite was Held Back, a mockumentary by the Grade 10 film class about someone whose purpose in life is to hold doors. Another excellent piece was made by Kira R., who did all the work herself, recruiting several friends to dress in ’80s clothes and accessories and spend an afternoon filming on Canada Field.

 

“This was a celebration of everyone’s hard work,” said film teacher Mr. Aren Goodman. “We post things on Instagram, but a film really comes to life when you share it. When you’re writing a film, the first thing you ask is who is your audience.”

 

Mr. Goodman gave a special shout out to Chelsea W., who tied all the films together and created an intro for the festival.

 

 

The Night of Dance saw more than 30 student performers take the stage in front of packed houses for two shows on May 22.

 

“It was truly a celebration of the incredible work that the students have put in throughout the year,” dance teacher Mrs. Annie Gronsdahl said.

 

This year’s show featured a significant amount of student-led choreography, including a group dance by the senior dance class choreographed by Rosa O., and a finale choreographed and taught to the entire dance company by Sasha T.

 

“Sasha was super keen to take on this challenge, and I was incredibly impressed by her ability to choreograph a number for over 30 students and then teach it to them,” Mrs. Gronsdahl said. “The end product was fantastic!”

 

Other highlights included Grade 11 Ellie N. leading the charge as dance captain.

 

“She is not a leader who seeks the spotlight but one that you can rely on who will happily jump in and help anyone at any time,” Mrs. Gronsdahl said. “She also leads by doing.”

 

Other shout outs went to Grade 11 Sloane W. and Grade 9 Gigi B., who ran the lights and sound from the booth, entirely out of the goodness of their hearts.

“I am just so impressed and inspired by this group of students,” Mrs. Gronsdahl said. “They put so much energy, time, heart, and devotion into this show and it was evident through their performances. Moments like these make me truly grateful to work at Shawnigan.”

 

 

On Wednesday evening, students and staff were treated to a night of musical theatre, featuring songs from a wide range of musicals dating from the 1950s to the 2020s. It is an opportunity to explore musicals the School may not have performed in the past, or for students to gain lead-role experience with solos and duets. The senior students take leadership regarding song choices, choreography, and blocking in what teacher Mrs. Mandy Bryant calls a “lesson in independence.”

 

The students take it upon themselves to get everything right.

 

“They want to create something excellent, and if it’s not up to their standards, they weed it out themselves and fix it,” Mrs. Bryant said.

 

Most of the Cabaret students were also in the School musical, The Little Mermaid, but some used this term to explore musical theatre as an option for next year.

 

Highlights included the song “Wait for Me” from Hadestown that spotlighted Grade 10 Maddex K. along with the vocal abilities of the ensemble, and Grade 8 Lexi W. performing “Monster” from Epic.

 

“She really stepped out of her comfort zone to sing a solo, which she had never done before,” Mrs. Bryant said. “It was fun to watch her confidence grow the last few months.”

 

Mrs. Bryant also expressed thanks to seniors Penelope L., Yoon O., and Leo S., who all had big roles in The Little Mermaid and helped make the Cabaret possible.

 

“They’ve been with us in the musical for years,” she commented. “We’ve seen their growth from a young age. They’re leaders in class, and they absolutely rocked it.”