KnoxNews-Dec2021

THE GRADE 6 BAND
PRACTICES IN A CHURCH
SANCTUARY
By Arusha Vegt, Development Director
Intermediate music teacher Rosa
Ononeze has always loved music as
a way to worship God, contribute to
her community, and relieve stress. In
teaching students in Grade 4 through
6, she appreciates how excited
they are by the novelty of playing
instruments, and wants to build on
that excitement to give them the gift
of music that has been so vital in her
own life.
This year, Grade 6 students picked up
a band instrument for the first time.
Rosa noticed something unique to the
COVID-19 era that we are in, “Over
the past 18 months we’ve been taught
to keep our breath inside our bodies,
and so to go from that to taking a
big breath and releasing it has been
tough on the children. They have to
switch their mindset and know that
they are in an open and safe space to
do that.”
The band class has been especially
safe because of their unusually big
classroom: the sanctuary of the
church across the street! Rosa notes
that while there are some challenges
in using a non-classroom space for a
classroom (there are no whiteboards
in the sanctuary!), there are some
unexpected blessings. “The sound
is phenomenal!” Rosa explains.
“When they play and sing, the sound
reverberates around the room and
the students feel good about the
sound they are producing.”
The elementary Christmas concert
will be available as a video once
again this year, including musical
performances from all grades as well
as a special arts component.
Photos:
Grade 6 band having music class at New Westminster
Christian Reformed Church’s sanctuary