Jeff Heuchert
Staff Reporter
Confined by only their own artistic creativity, and guided by professional composers, musicians and recording engineers, a number of area youth have produced a collection of original music and film that explores the very best of Perth County.
Offered to all Grades 7-12 students across the county, the “Back Home” initiative – delivered by Hermione Presents, a collective of professional performing and creative artists, in partnership with the Perth County Visitors Association – invited students to create, through collaboration with professionals, either a song or documentary that explored the spirit and value of community, the environment and local heroes.
Organizers visited schools across the county and hosted workshops to assist students develop their ideas and work through the song writing process.
The six winners in the song competition (with song name in parenthesis), judged by David Prosser, director of communications for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival; Rick Fox, the Festival’s director of music; and local musician Barry Payne, were:
• Poppy Kipfer, Grade 8, Stratford Montessori: (A Place Called Home)
• Jennifer Oesch, Grade 11, Northwestern Secondary School (Back Home)
• Luc Fisher, Tyler Zybura, Amy Schell, Grade 11, Northwestern Secondary School (Remember Me Forever)
• Sam Kochany, Grade 12, Central Secondary School (Magic of Youth)
• Abigail Winter-Culliford, Sadie Culliford, Gary Winter (family entry), Grade 8, Downie Public School (Havin’ an Avon Kinda Day)
• Kirstie Carter, Grade 10, Central Secondary School (Home on Your Side)
Each of the winners received $200 and an opportunity to work closely with professional composer/arranger Paul Shilton. From there they got to experience the recording process, laying down their tracks with the help of Jim Neil, a sound designer with the Festival, at his recording studio in Stratford. Festival regulars George Meanwell, Dave Campion, Scott Matthews and Kevin Ramessar were just a few of the musicians who worked with the students’ material. The students were also engaged in the final mixing process, setting levels and learning modern production techniques.
The winning songs were officially released at the Perth County Visitors Association annual general meeting June 30, where two of the winners, Abigail Winter-Culliford and Kirstie Carter, performed their songs. Each song is now available through the websites for the Visitors Association Hermione Presents and Perth Arts Connect.
“The way these songs have grown has been amazing,” says competition organizer and Hermione Presents producer Eileen Smith, who notes many of the students had never stepped foot in a recoding studio prior to this. “The musicians donated their time at a cut-rate. They were very supportive of the idea that these students are our future and we need to support them and give them opportunities.
“We have a passion for the arts and think that live humans doing things is important. If we don’t give youth this opportunity where will they get it?”
Winners in the documentary competition were:
• First, Tanner Trachsel, Tavistock (Right to Play)
• Second, Kenny Edwards, RR5 Stratford (Canadian Heroes: Sir Isaac Brock)
• Third, Cody Romphf, Stratford (Gentle Rain)
Honourable mentions were given to:
• Emelie Rowe, Stratford (A New Kind of Kewl)
• Carl Farrell, Sebastian Russell, Stratford (It’s Just Home)
• Natalie Blacklock, Embro, Max Martin, Stratford (Off the Wall)
The judging panel for the documentaries consisted of broadcaster Ted Boniface, founding member of the Writers Guild of Canada; Chuck Scott, award winning producer/director; and Christine St. Lawrence, an accomplished director, writer and part of the development team of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra.
Winners received prizes of $300, $200 and $100, and the documentaries will be featured at Hermione Presents Culture Days at Factory 163 in Stratford and the Perth Arts Connect Culture Days tent at the Savour Stratford Festival, Sept. 25-26. All six documentaries will also be presented at the 2010 Stratford DocFest.
Though being selected a “winner” was definitely an added bonus, Smith says all of the students who entered a submission benefited from the experience of looking at Perth County through the lens of the environment, entrepreneurship and role models.
“The discussions in class, and the people that donated their time and expertise all had impacts on the future of these students. The transfer of communications skills and the empowerment of youth are invaluable investments in our future,” she adds.
Based on the positive response the competition received this year, Smith says organizers are hoping, if funding comes through, to offer it again next year to students in both Perth and Huron counties. Part of its appeal, she believes, is anyone, from any community and background, could participate and express themselves and share their stories.
A documentary chronically the process is expected to be released this week through the Foundation for Education Huron Perth and posted on the websites of the various participating organizations, and Smith adds that eventually all of the pieces will be posted on YouTube.
