Student Life old
Jack Connolly '02, Music and Fine Art Instructor
"When I was a student at Shawnigan, I had a music teacher named Dave Gueulette. He was extremely supportive of me and everything that I did. He always supported me 100% in the music that I was writing and performing and in the different bands that I formed. He was adamant that I branch out to other instruments. I was never particularly interested in learning other instruments, but he was always pushing me that one step further because he knew it would make me a better musician. It was a wonderful balance of him pushing me to do things that I never would have thought to do, and giving me the opportunities to make the music that was in my heart.
I try to bring to my students a lot of the same things Dave taught me. The thing I keep in mind all the time is that I want my students to take their instruments and music with them to university and beyond. I want music to always be a part of their life.
I am here at Shawnigan because of the people – especially the students. The opportunity to work with students in this environment is such a fulfilling experience because we are together 24/7. We don’t just teach in the classroom. There are so many teaching opportunities, like when students are performing in Chapel, hooking up sound systems, or providing music for events.
It is very rewarding to see my students find their musical path. I feel so privileged to be part of a student's journey. I am here to guide my students, but I also let them make their own creative decisions because it's their music, not mine.
The recording studio is an amazing new opportunity for the students. When I was a student at the School, the music teacher lent me a 4 track cassette recorder to play with. The difference between that and what we have now with the recording studio is like the difference between a unicycle and a Tesla. Both will get the job done, but the students can now dream bigger with the resources that are available to them.
We have songwriting courses, vocal arts classes, bands, and recording classes. Shawnigan students have so many more opportunities in music than I ever did. There’s a lot more independent creativity happening because there are greater opportunities for students to express their individuality in music now than ever before.
This Spring Break I am going on a 17-day, 12-show tour in Northern BC to perform my new album. I am so excited to come back and tell the students about my experiences touring as a musician. They love to hear about what it is like to play music as a career. It is great to be able to share with them real world experiences as a musician. It is also great to share with them some of the advice professional musicians have given me over the years, and to share my thoughts on my own experiences and how they have shaped me.
I can relate to the students because I know what it was like to be a student here. I grew up at Shawnigan, went to school at Shawnigan and now I work at Shawnigan. As a child, my favourite thing to do was to roam the campus with my dog and my walkman and I would sing my heart out as I ventured through the woods. Growing up here has given me a better understanding of my responsibilities as a member of this community and has helped me to understand the idea that a class doesn’t end when the block ends. We are always teaching and learning together, both students and teachers.
I came to Shawnigan a few years ago when Mark and Beth Hall asked me to play music at their retirement chapel service. I reworked the school hymn into a punk rock song, and just feeling the kids and people respond to it, and the energy in the room as people filled the Chapel with the sound of their voices, told me that maybe there was a place for me back at Shawnigan. That’s when I decided I wanted to work here, and I am so glad I did.
As we move into the next decade at Shawnigan, I hope that the music we make here continues to find its way outside of our gates. I hope that the bands get to more festivals, and that students' original songs continue to be broadcasted and performed, and that our bands continue to rock. I am so lucky to work with such incredible and inspiring staff in the Fine Arts Department, who under the strong leadership and guidance of Morgan Mcleod, are making our students’ dreams a reality everyday."
Jack Connolly '02 (Shawnigan Lake)
Music and Fine Art Instructor
I am here at Shawnigan because of the people – especially the students. The opportunity to work with students in this environment is such a fulfilling experience because we are together 24/7. We don’t just teach in the classroom. There are so many teaching opportunities, like when students are performing in Chapel, hooking up sound systems, or providing music for events.
It is very rewarding to see my students find their musical path. I feel so privileged to be part of a student's journey. I am here to guide my students, but I also let them make their own creative decisions because it's their music, not mine.
The recording studio is an amazing new opportunity for the students. When I was a student at the School, the music teacher lent me a 4 track cassette recorder to play with. The difference between that and what we have now with the recording studio is like the difference between a unicycle and a Tesla. Both will get the job done, but the students can now dream bigger with the resources that are available to them.
We have songwriting courses, vocal arts classes, bands, and recording classes. Shawnigan students have so many more opportunities in music than I ever did. There’s a lot more independent creativity happening because there are greater opportunities for students to express their individuality in music now than ever before.
This Spring Break I am going on a 17-day, 12-show tour in Northern BC to perform my new album. I am so excited to come back and tell the students about my experiences touring as a musician. They love to hear about what it is like to play music as a career. It is great to be able to share with them real world experiences as a musician. It is also great to share with them some of the advice professional musicians have given me over the years, and to share my thoughts on my own experiences and how they have shaped me.
I can relate to the students because I know what it was like to be a student here. I grew up at Shawnigan, went to school at Shawnigan and now I work at Shawnigan. As a child, my favourite thing to do was to roam the campus with my dog and my walkman and I would sing my heart out as I ventured through the woods. Growing up here has given me a better understanding of my responsibilities as a member of this community and has helped me to understand the idea that a class doesn’t end when the block ends. We are always teaching and learning together, both students and teachers.
I came to Shawnigan a few years ago when Mark and Beth Hall asked me to play music at their retirement chapel service. I reworked the school hymn into a punk rock song, and just feeling the kids and people respond to it, and the energy in the room as people filled the Chapel with the sound of their voices, told me that maybe there was a place for me back at Shawnigan. That’s when I decided I wanted to work here, and I am so glad I did.
As we move into the next decade at Shawnigan, I hope that the music we make here continues to find its way outside of our gates. I hope that the bands get to more festivals, and that students' original songs continue to be broadcasted and performed, and that our bands continue to rock. I am so lucky to work with such incredible and inspiring staff in the Fine Arts Department, who under the strong leadership and guidance of Morgan Mcleod, are making our students’ dreams a reality everyday."
Jack Connolly '02 (Shawnigan Lake)
Music and Fine Art Instructor
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
