Using your words – Gladstone Music and Arts Festival season begins
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- Published on Sunday, March 13, 2016
Submitted Article
The Neepawa Banner
Nervousness, excitement and anticipation were some of the feelings buzzing around the Gladstone United Church and Elementary school during the first two days of March. Six of the Pine Creek Division schools participated in the Speech Arts program of the Gladstone Music and Arts Festival, totaling 176 students from K-12. The program consisted of three sessions filled with poetry, prose readings, speech choirs, public speaking and reader’s theater.
Our very qualified adjudicator, Brenda Gorlick from Winnipeg encouraged, entertained and coached students and teachers in the art of the spoken word. Ms. Gorlick has 35 years of experience as a director, choreographer, performer and instructor. Student performers and audience members alike enjoyed her positive feedback and how she could work with the students by helping them develop skills for the next level of performance. Ms. Gorlick, who has made a life of professional speaking, encouraged the participants to press forward in becoming accomplished speakers. On more than one occasion, she explained how speech festivals are important in attaining and honing necessary communication skills – skills that are advantageous to the students’ future.
This year, we will have three students represent the Gladstone Speech Arts Festival at the provincial level. These students will perform in two separate disciplines and the event will be held on May 28 in Brandon. Madison Teichroeb has been recommended in Poetry and Prose and Public Speaking for Grade 4-6. Sydney Strocen has also been recommended for both categories in the Grade 7-9 level. And Sonya Strocen, Grade 10-12 level, was recommended for her performance in the Poetry and Prose Category. All three students will do a wonderful job of representing our festival.
Each session of the Gladstone Festival bore witness to the fact that real homegrown talent resides in our district. Having to choose which students won their categories was often a difficult task for the adjudicator, and each who participated should be very proud of their performances.
Trophy Winners:
Dorothy Blair Trophy – MacGregor Elementary School, Gr. 1-2 (Speech Choir).
Laura Wood Trophy – MacGregor Elementary School, Gr. 5-6 (Speech Choir).
R.K. Reid Trophy – Regan Teichroeb, Solo Poetry, K-3.
W.J Macgregor Trophy – Austin Teichrib (Gr. 12), Speaking top mark.
Lorelle Reid Trophy – Lauren Armstrong and Taylor Kennedy, Poetry Duet.
Fleck Family Trophy – Jewell Thompson, Solo Poetry, Gr. 4-6.
Woodside Baseball Trophy – Madison Teichroeb , Prose Reading top mark.
Hammond Cup – Sonya Strocen, Solo Spoken Poetry, Gr. 10-12.
Albert Watson Family Trophy – Taia Campbell, Original Story top mark.
Gladstone Chamber of Commerce Trophy – Fanaye Humes and Allie Ferguson, Original Poem top mark.
We had several speech classes in which medallions were presented:
Quinton and Madisen Trites, Poetry Duet, K-4.
Regan Teichroeb, Prose Reading, Gr. 1-3.
Sonya Strocen, Prose Reading, Gr. 10-12.
Sydney Strocen, Prose Reading, Gr. 7-9.
Sydney Strocen, Public Speaking, Gr. 6-8.
Regan Teichroeb, Public Speaking, Gr. 1-3.
Conner Duclos, Original Story, Gr. 10-12.
Kailey Klippenstein, Quinn Knelsen, Jewelle Thompson, Reader’s Theater.
The two speech festival days in March were just the beginning of the festival season in Gladstone. With Speech arts done, it will soon be time to focus on the musical aspect of the Festival. Conductors and band students will be participating in Band Festival Day on Wednesday, April 13. The following week, April 19 and 20, vocal musicians will perform and be adjudicated. Then, on April 26 and27, the Festival will focus on piano, guitar, and violin.
Being able to confidently speak in public is a powerful skill. The Gladstone Music and Speech Arts Festival is a fantastic opportunity for young people to develop and grow in their ability to creatively communicate in a safe, encouraging and enjoyable venue.
