Local, performance-focused music school demonstrates young talent
For me, and most people my age, high school seems like ages away. Still in a certainly tangible past, they are formative years whether we like them or not, and whether our memories are fond or otherwise. Regardless, it’s a time when you start really doing things, no matter what those things are.
The biggest hurdle is always simply getting started, especially when learning an instrument. That’s why JamSchool, located on Alice St. in Guelph, takes in children interested in music, and teaches them early on to be comfortable onstage, while offering invaluable and practical live performance experience. On Saturday, Oct. 18, Van Gogh’s Ear hosted a showcase for 12 young bands to perform what they’ve been working on, to an attentive and supportive audience of family and friends.
With all the stories we hear about teenagers raising hell and being generally unpleasant, it was refreshing to see so many enthusiastic young musicians performing honestly learned rock-and-roll. The afternoon’s music was traditional rock fare – covers of Blink-182, Joan Jett, and Foghat, all performed with a particular rawness that, more often than not, only learning musicians can achieve.
I spoke briefly with the aptly named Robert Leader, the program’s director. Leader has run JamSchool since 1989. “In 1989, I started up a company in Guelph called JamSpots. […] We have 20 rehearsal rooms that we rent out to bands to practice. We’ve been doing that for 25 years, so this is our anniversary year. Part of the building became available, and a friend of mine and I were talking about starting a music school. […] We decided to make a company that wasn’t just music lessons, but focused on performance-based education. So yeah, we do traditional private lessons, but our whole focus is on performance. […] Because once you get [comfortable] with the stage, you have it for life, right? And it’s much more fun.”
One Day on Earth, coming out of a performance more comfortable than their years would suggest, had a moment to share their thoughts on the program and their most memorable experiences. Singer Emilee Hillis recalled playing Hillside 2014. “I think our most memorable one was probably Hillside, which was kind of weird because we didn’t have Charles [Linton, guitar] and Mitch [Kotic, bass] there. It was just me, Owen [LeBlanc, guitar], and our drummer, Logan [Gray], and we had a filler bassist. But we were all together at the JamSchool Jamboree, which was pretty good, that’s the big concert put on by the program.”
It’s a special program not only for the players, but for their parents as well. Callie Dantin, mother of Gabrielle Dantin (singer/guitarist), who performed solo that afternoon, spoke of the parental involvement in the program. “The great thing about the parents is that we all support each other’s kids. If the kids are out of tune, or not quite up to par that day, it doesn’t matter. Because we’re there to build confidence and just enjoy the music. It’s a great support system all around.”