Date TBA Check back for news of an exciting benefit concert by a great band
Date TBA Wine Tasting Fundraiser
April 29 2017 Strings perform at Rotary Auction
April 22 2017 Strings perform at SeaParc’s Family Arts Fair
April 13 2017 HPS Drumline hosts Belmont Drumline for a drumline clinic sponsored by Tom Lee Music, 10:30 – 3:30pm at Journey Middle School
Instructors Dr. Jack Edwards and Mundart Chan will coach the drummers in skills such as Basic Four Strokes on drum pads, snares and tenors; stance, stick-heights and director signals; count-ins; and mechanics of reading the music while playing. The highlight of the clinic will be learning & performing a piece, first in sections, and then as an ensemble.
Friend and family are welcome to hear a wrap-up piece at approximately 2:30pm at Journey Middle School gyms.
February 18 2017 Happy 1st Birthday with teachers, parents and board members
January 17 2017 Drumline Performs for Lieutenant-Governor
Drumline performed for Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon during her visit to Journey Middle School, which was part of her commitment to visit 150 schools in BC during Canada’s 150th birthday year.
January 1 2017 Strings and Drumline at Mayor’s levee.
Both Strings and Drumline performed at the New Year’s Levee held at the Sooke District Municipal Hall by Mayor Maya Tait.
November-December Drumline in Parades
Drumline played at Santa Claus parades in Victoria and Sooke
December 14 2016 Awareness Film Night at EMCS Theatre
Showing of films about Harmony Project LA, and of the Sooke Philharmonic Society’s documentary “For the Love of Music.” Joint fund-raiser with Sooke Philharmonic Society.
October 30 2016 Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra Concert
Strings class plays before the concert and at intermission. Sooke Community Hall.
October 29 2016 Hot Dog sale at Home Hardware
8 September 2016 Classes back in session!
Drumline will accept new students in grades 6 and up. Strings class is full but will take names on a wait list.
20 August 2016 Bottle Drive, Sooke Elementary School parking lot, 9:30am – 2pm
Alternatively, take returnables to Sooke Bottle Depot (2032 Idlemore, Mon-Sat 9am – 4:30pm) and donate funds via Harmony Project Sooke treasurer Paul Martin (paulm44@telus.net)
16 July 2016 Fundraising concession by HPS parents (plus busking by the students!) at the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra’s Fling.
20 June 2016 Year-end Showcase at Journey Middle School, 7:30 pm
Drumline will perform, along with local school and adult concert bands.
17 June 2016 Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra concert, Sooke Community Hall, 7:30 pm
Strings students will perform before the concert. Drumline students will perform outside at intermission.
14 June 2016 Journey Middle School Concert, 7:30 pm
Strings class will perform, along with School District 62 Strings Orchestra.
27 May 2016 Cabaret Sooke Donates to Sooke Harmony Project
Cabaret Sooke has generously offered to donate one third of the proceeds from its show in May to support Sooke Harmony Project! Presented in collaboration with Sooke Harbour Players, the show “Tight Squeeze” will feature over 20 musicians, dancers and actors who have become recognized and much enjoyed by Sooke audiences. The event is described as a “1920’s speakeasy with a twist” which promises to be “mild to wild”. The audience is invited to a dance (in costume, if desired) with DJ music after the show. Prestige Oceanfront Resort Ballroom, Friday May 27 and Saturday May 28, 8pm. Tickets $25 at Sooke’s grooviest outlets.
16 April 2016 First Public Appearance
The fledgling orchestra of Harmony Project Sooke made its first public appearance at the SEAPARC Family Arts Fair on Saturday, April 16th. Under the leadership of teacher Anne McDougall, seven violin, four viola and two cello players provided a demonstration of what they’ve learned in just a few short weeks, including: proper rest and play positions, care and tuning of instruments, and playing open and fingered strings, with bow and pizzicato!
April 2016 Strings Class Receive Instruments
After showing their teacher that they know how to take care of instruments, students received an instrument of their own to use and take home for practice! They learned how to care for and tune their instruments, they learned the proper rest and play positions, the reading of music notation, and how to play simple tunes.
31 March 2016 First Drumline Class
Under the instruction of Dr. Jack Edwards, eleven students began learning how to play tenor drums on Thursday, March 31st. Dr. Edwards has extensive experience teaching drumline and marching bands in the U.S. and is a teacher in the Victoria School District and at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. The Drumline class currently consists of two groups of grade 5-8 students.
18 February 2016 First Beginning Strings Class
On Thursday, February 18th the first Beginning Strings Class convened at Journey Middle School Library. Eleven boys and girls from three elementary schools in Sooke gathered to begin the fun journey of learning the basic concepts of music. They thought and talked about: what is music, where is it found, what do you feel when you hear different tunes? And they played music and experimented with rhythm using things found on the beach and in their kitchens. Subsequent classes would take them into care and tuning of instruments, proper playing positions and techniques, the reading of music notation, and then receiving an instrument of their own to use and take home for practice.
First “Beginning Strings” class
3 February 2016 Recruitment Night
The first recruitment night took place at Journey Middle School. Interested parents and students gathered to watch a video which showed how “fireworks” take place in the brain of a person when playing a musical instrument. Sooke Harmony Project’s organizers described the program’s aims and schedule. As a number of curious and enthusiastic students signed up for the first classes, Norman Nelson, founder of Sooke Harmony Project and of the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, was heard to quote Winston Churchill: “This is the end of the beginning!”
Maestro Nelson at Recruitment Night: “This is the end of the beginning.”
30 January 2016 “New Harmonies”
On a rainy night at the end of January, the gymnasium at Journey Middle School reverberated with the music of great composers like Bach, Haydn, and Mozart.
About 70 lovers of music and supporters of music education sat under the gym’s basketball hoops to hear a star-studded lineup of performers. The concert raised over $1300 to help kick start the Harmony Project in Sooke.
Performers who donated their talents and time included the Strings of the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, soprano soloist Nancy Washeim, Sooke Harbour String Quartet, West Coast Chamber Players, and several top local student instrumentalists.