FIDDLESTICKS!: December 2013

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Music Festival Help Needed Soon!

Anyone interested in volunteering as strings coordinator for the P.A. Kiwanis Music Festival, please contact Sheila Holash for more information. (she is in the phone book.) This is a position for an adult, not a student and Sheila can give you an idea of the commitment of time involved. The position is currently unfilled and the strings portion of the music festival cannot go ahead without a coordinator!

Things you may not know about Mr. Bernier:

He began playing fiddle at the age of eleven and after earning his Bachelor of Music in Music Education at the University of Saskatchewan he went on to become the 1990 Grand Master Fiddler. Mr. Bernier began teaching full time as a private music teacher and also went on to teach students at music camps across Canada and the United States.

His dedication to music education, particularly in Saskatchewan, is evident in his lifetime of accomplishments which are really too numerous to fit into this sidebar – you’ll have to google him to find out (he even won the 2003 SCMA Humanitarian Award !)

Did you know that Mr. Bernier actually writes and arranges music in addition to teaching here at Rivier? Very cool.

His students have also gone on to accomplish great things such as: Winning the Royal Conservatory Silver Medal Award for the highest exam marks in the province; Touring with the National Youth Orchestra; and recording their own CDs. So pay attention in class!

Most important of all, Mr. Bernier has set up the ONLY strings program in Saskatchewan available to middle and high school students – and you can get academic credit for it. Wow!