Dear Editor:
My heart sank when I recently learned that the choral program at the Yorkton Regional High School (YRHS) had been cut for the upcoming 2016-17 school year.
I was always heavily involved in the music program at YRHS. I only knew a handful of other students when I started there, having just switched school systems. But the friends I met there, many who I still regard as my closest, weren’t introduced to me through science class or during my spare — I met them in choir and band.
YRHS has held a long, proud history of musical excellence. Anyone who has walked down the ‘music hall’ knows that the walls are covered with photos and awards, marking the achievement of students and teachers. These accomplishments are now being dissolved with this cancellation.
Choral singing has exceptional benefits to student wellness both mentally and socially. Not only does singing in a choir teach musical skills, but it also teaches commitment, teamwork, responsibility, and leadership. Music allows everyone to participate and contribute to the overall product — no one ‘sits on the bench’.
Singing in a choir promotes academic achievement and student engagement, provides a sense of belonging, and builds community. There is abundant research supporting these claims, but perhaps far more meaningful than statistics and studies are the accounts of students who experienced belonging to a choir in school such as myself.
To the parents, I want you to know that having your child participate in the arts is one of the best things you can do for them. Furthermore, the survival of high school music programs starts with elementary programs. If you want your child to have music opportunities in high school, enrol them in elementary band and choir now.
To the high school students, the choir program was cut because of low enrolments. Apparently, at least 16 students are required to have choir continue as a credit program. Show the administrators it matters to you and rally a group of 16 or more students together. If you have this number of interested singers, but scheduling is an issue, then discuss this with the administration.
Finally, to the administration, I implore you to consider the long term repercussions of this decision. Yorkton is a musical community and since the inception of the program, many individuals have continued careers in music or are still participating in singing as a hobby.
I don’t currently reside in Yorkton, but I’m not ready to say goodbye to the YRHS choir program yet. My hope is that this is only a temporary goodbye, and that there will be enough demand for its return in the near future.
To those of you whose lives have been enriched by the choral program at the YRHS, please show your concern by contacting the school board, local MLA, local MP, and/or Minister of Education.
By Emily Coupal (nee Tatarniuk), YRHS Alumnus ‘07,
Saskatoon, SK
Emily now resides in Saskatoon where she completed her Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education. She is actively involved in the choral community locally and provincially. She sang with the U of S Greystone Singers and now sings with the Saskatoon Chamber Singers; she will be the new conductor for a local children’s choir; and, she serves as Secretary for the Saskatchewan Choral Federation.
