Competing against school bands from across the country at MusicFest Canada from May 14 to 19 in Niagara Falls, Powell River jazz band Take 5 took home the top prize.
“We won a gold medal at the nationals for our age category,” said drummer Eli Carson. “It was an honour. It was pretty awesome.”
A part of Brooks Secondary School’s music program, Take 5 participated in the grade nine to 11 jazz band division at the 45th annual event that brings thousands of youth and educators together to showcase the top musical talent in Canada from elementary, high school, colleges and universities.
Carson said that while the band did not know what to expect when it arrived at the competition, he was confident because each Take 5 member practises and rehearses a lot.
“For any instrument in jazz, if you want to be good you have to practice a lot,” he said.
Pianist and vocalist Hannah Schweitzer was less certain about the band's chances.
“The fact that we got nationals is mind-blowing,” said Schweitzer.
Schools from across the country competed at the invitation-only event in musical disciplines such as stage-band jazz, choral/vocal jazz, concert band and percussion.
In addition to the award he shared with his bandmates, Carson was also awarded individual prizes.
“I won a professional set of cymbals for Outstanding Big Band Drummer, and then I won a Humber College scholarship,” he said.
Accolades did not stop with the band’s gold medal and Carson’s individual awards. Schweitzer was selected to sing in the Ellison Canadian Honour Choir.
“People from all over Canada auditioned and if you get accepted you get to sing in the choir and perform for everyone at the end,” said Schweitzer. “That was one of my favourite parts of the festival. It was so cool seeing everyone who was so passionate about music and this choir. It was like nothing I’d ever seen.”
Take 5 is well known around Powell River for their many performances, but its future will be in question when three of its members graduate, according to Carson. The group also includes Duncan McDonald on trombone, Steve Carson on saxophone and Cullen Buholzer on guitar.
“We haven’t really thought that far ahead,” said Carson. “Steve and Hannah will be the only ones here because Duncan, Cullen and I will be off.”
