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‘Carnival’ combined music, poetry and visual arts

Elementary school students' contribution rounded out concert experience for all

Editor: I want to express my appreciation to all the partners who helped produce the recent Carnival of the Animals concert at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

The Carnival of the Animals presented by the Kwantlen Polytechnic Orchestra in Residence on Nov. 25, partnered with students from local elementary schools, who produced large art pieces for the show —  some of them three feet by four feet in size.

Seventeen of these works provided the back-drop on stage for the production which also featured student poetry —  read by the students themselves — several dances performed by local students from the elementary schools and also 11 student pianists.

The students worked in collaboration with professional musicians from the university under the direction of Dr. Wayne Jeffery and Dr. Calvin Dyck.

There were three performances at Kwantlen Polytechnic University with hundreds of students attending and participating.

I strongly believe that this is the future of the arts, and that it is a wonderful model of collaboration to involve not only the university students, but also students from the local music academies and the local elementary schools.

Thanks to all the teachers who worked with the students on the collaborative project, to the Langley Times for helping to promote the event, and to the university which provided funding for the project.

Dr. Calvin Dyck,

Kwantlen Polytechnic University Music Dept.