Sarah McLachlan School of Music celebrates more than 10 years of meeting students where they are

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When asked which of her own school’s programs she would have appreciated as a music student, Sarah McLachlan responds with a smile.

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“Which one wouldn’t I have?”

The Vancouver singer grew up in Halifax, where she attended the Maritime Conservatory of Music. Today, he oversees the Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM), which recently celebrated its 10th year of providing education to students at its Mount Pleasant location.

The school offers a wide range of programs, from traditional skills like playing an instrument and composing, to turntablism, composing rhythms, and stage production.

“We look at what the students enjoy, listen to, and aspire to,” McLachlan said. “We have worked a lot asking children what attracts them and what they want to get out of it. Through your responses, we’ve been able to create something really powerful. “

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SoM Vancouver began as an outreach program in association with Arts Umbrella in April 2002. In 2011, McLachlan opened its first physical location with the support of the Wolverton Foundation, which is dedicated to helping give British Columbia children access to the arts, and City of Vancouver.

Since 2016, SoM has offered programming in Surrey, outside of Forsyth Elementary and in Edmonton, outside of Eastglen High School. A new SoM location is expected to open at City Center Mall in Alberta’s capital this fall. Each year the school welcomes more than 750 children, youth and adults 55 and over (usually on a ukulele program). More than 70 percent of those students continue postsecondary studies.

McLachlan was inspired to open the school following the success of Lilith Fair’s three concert tours that he helped organize in the late 1990s.

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“It’s a very insular strange job that we have as active musicians,” he said. “We live and work in a microcosm. There is seldom a chance to meet all these other people who are doing similar things. So creating that community and being able to give back to the communities that we entered were very valuable experiences for me, and they confirmed my desire to create something that continues after that. “

Along with the courses, the school’s teaching methods are designed to find students where they are.

“To keep kids interested, you have to go to them and find out what they need and how to access them, reach them and keep them engaged,” McLachlan said. “That’s a big part of what I think is innovative in our program. We tailor the classes around you, where your skill sets are, what your wishes are, and how you learn. “

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In terms of approaches to learning, program director Andrea Unrau says this could mean introducing a “music discovery program” for younger or developmentally challenged students.

“There, they are just testing a lot of things,” Unrau said.

Teacher and administrator, Unrau has a background in developmental neuroscience and musical cognition.

“They’re going to do something we call ‘drag,’ which is basically where the beat is so strong that you have to dance, sing, play the drums and you’re not working on the cognitive part, thinking about thinking. That won’t be online until I’m 11 or 12. If you are younger or facing some learning challenges, we have programs that are a little more exploratory. “

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The school also emphasizes the importance of acquiring skills that go beyond composition and musicality.

“When you are learning music, what you are really learning are the life skills you need to exist in the world in any capacity, like learning to be creative and curious, work towards your goals and be flexible,” Unrau said.

These are the kinds of lessons that McLachlan might have appreciated during his years at the Maritime Conservatory.

“I later found out that music is meant to be shared. Playing with each other, playing instruments together, singing together, there’s great power and community in that. “

Fourteen-year-old Nathan Nowak has been learning to write and produce with his classmates at Global Hip Hop. Once finished, students upload the songs to the school’s YouTube channel.

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Before coming to SoM four years ago, Nowak says he had no ability to play music. “Now, I would like to say that I am not bad.” He can play “a little piano, a little guitar. I’ve rapped. “

A student in Burnaby South takes music school classes one day a week.

“There are so many different things you can do in SoM,” Nowak said. “There are so many computers and there is a lot of different and up-to-date technology. At my current school, they have computers from the 1950s. “

Nowak, who would like to be a rapper, may or may not pursue a career in music. But that is not the point.

“We are not really looking to create career musicians,” Unrau said. “We are working so that people find their voice and can share their message.

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“That said, with our help and support it is easier than ever for them to share their music with the world. They may be entering a totally different career, but they have the opportunity to get their creative message out to the world. “

Local arts education

• LeBlanc School of Acting. Specializing in workshops, camps and online courses for young people, LeBlanc School of Acting has placed various teen and pre-teen artists in television and movie roles. (leblancschool.com)

• Umbrellas of arts. The long-standing local group offers art and design, dance and theater, music and film programs for students ages two to 22 at four locations. (artsumbrella.com)

• Realwheels Acting Academy. On September 20, Realwheels Theater launched its own professional training program. The program is designed for those who self-identify with the disabled community and / or who are D / Deaf, including but not limited to people with disabilities, people with disabilities, people with hidden disabilities, and neurodiverse individuals. (realwheels.ca/academy)