Sometimes when we travel, there are often cute moments to share, and occasionally we run into some serious surprises, like being awarded double-gold standing at the national level! This is a great spot to check out what we have been up to.

SKSS Music Director, Michelle McRae, Wins National Award! 

The Tommy Banks/NAC Orchestra Outstanding Jazz Director Award is presented annually to a secondary school jazz director in Canada. The award recognizes the recipient's outstanding contributions to jazz education and is given in memory of the late Tommy Banks, a renowned Canadian musician, educator, and Senator, who passed away in 2018. It aims to acknowledge and celebrate the exceptional work of jazz educators in Canada, highlighting their dedication and impact on young musicians. MusicFest Canada and the NAC Orchestra collaborate to present this prestigious award. The 2025 recipient is Ms. Michelle McRae, who expresses that she feels honoured to receive the Tommy Banks/NAC Outstanding Jazz Director's Award and is thankful for all that MusicFest Canada and the award sponsors do to help enrich the lives of student musicians. (from 13:30-14:33)

Our Winter Showcase featured selections from our semester one Band 8, Band 9, Intermediate Jazz, High-Performance Jazz, and Intermediate and Senior Jazz Combo ensembles. Highlights included grade twelve student, Leo Moore, directing their Capstone composition (written for our Band 8's), the Band 9 ensemble performing "Big Raven," which was inspired by an Emily Carr's "Raven" painting, and our Intermediate Jazz Band's big debut as a newly-formed ensemble. The HP Jazz crew finished the show with "Jazz Waltz of the Sugar Plum Fairy," and fun was had by all.   

Our June Showcase featured a semester full of music from our Band 8 and Senior Concert Bands, as well as our SKSS Choir, Intermediate Jazz Combo, and of course, our award winning Senior Jazz Combo and Jazz Band ensembles. The spotlight was also on two of our graduating students who showcased their Sr. Band Capstone composition projects and conducted the band themselves. Several other graduating students also stole the show with feature pieces, which highlighted their incredible talents. What a semester to celebrate!

In May, 2024, our SKSS Senior Jazz Combo and Jazz Band ensembles made the trek across the country, earning Gold standing at MusicFest Canada Nationals in Toronto, Ontario. Congratulations to all nineteen talented musicians for this huge musical achievement! Special recognition goes to two grade twelve students, Keenan Brulotte (tenor saxophone) and Xavier Wallace (trumpet), who both earned top player awards. Xavier also earned one of four spots in the National Youth Jazz Band and had a feature piece. Well done! We are so proud of our SKSS crew!

Three cheers go out to our Senior Concert Band, as they received Gold standing and an invitation to MusicFest Canada National (2025) in the Kelowna Windscapes (regional) Festival. As well, they shared the top Windscapes Concert Band Award with HJ Cambie Secondary School from Richmond, BC. We are incredibly proud of our SKSS Senior Concert Band crew! Well done!

Our "Jazz Night in the City” event showcased a Valentine’s-themed evening out. It included a classy dining experience along with incredible entertainment. Our guests were serenaded by professional jazz musicians, such as three time Juno award winner, Campbell Ryga, professional trumpeter, Nicholas Dyson, and our favourite a capella singers, Slow No Tempo. Our wonderful audience of 250 guests also heard The Kris Ruston Trio, and none other than our SKSS Jazz Band. We raised more than $14,000 towards our Jazz Band's trip to MusicFest Canada Nationals, 2024. Many thanks to everyone who made this event an absolute success!

Twenty-one musical selections, six performing ensembles, one student composer/conductor, and an incredible number of talented musicians made for an impressive musical evening at our 'Onward' Showcase Concert in the Sagebrush Theatre in June of 2023. Our showcase concerts are the highlight of each semester!

130 SD 73 music students, four music teachers, countless volunteers, and four days of solid music fun and recreational activities made for an amazing district-wide music retreat. Our adventures included: jazz/concert band/choir workshops, team-games, zip-lining, swimming, kayaking, hiking, high-ropes adventures, concerts, excellent food, and amazing company! RockRidge 2023 definitely rocked!

There are always exciting things happening in our SKSS Music Department! The SKSS Jazz Band and Senior Jazz Combo attended the 45th annual BC Interior Jazz Festival in Kelowna and earned GOLD standing, as well as invitations to MusicFest Canada Nationals in Toronto, 2024. Our group was beyond thrilled with the outcome! 

In January, our SKSS Music Department hit the road playing! Travelling from school to school, we performed for our district's elementary students to give them a taste of what to expect in our a high school music program. There are opportunities for student conductors, the occasional Star Wars light sabre fight, and a little dancing. What fun!

Our SKSS Showcase Concerts are the highlight of the semester and take place in the beautiful Sagebrush Theatre in December and again in June, showcasing each semester's talented musicians!

Our SKSS Jazz Band placed Silver in the 44th annual BC Interior Jazz Festival in April, 2022 after not having performed for an audience for nearly three years due to Covid restrictions, which were lifted just days before our performance. 

What a crazy experience it was to run a music program through a pandemic! Our performances were either recorded or outside, with more than a few sprinkles of rain on one occasion; however, it did not stop our young musicians! We held parking lot and courtyard performances for staff and students, and instrument sectionals took place outside on the grass. There were no trips and there was no fund raising, but again, it did not stop our eager SKSS musicians! In fact, SKSS Music thrived, and unbelievably, the program grew through the pandemic. Wow!