THUNDER BAY – Subjects like science, math and English form the backbone of a well-rounded education, but students from across the country have learned during their stay in Thunder Bay that music also has an important role to play.
Visiting teens, taking part in the annual Shad Canada program for exceptional youth at Lakehead University, on Tuesday afternoon put on a musical ensemble, delivering a set list that included everything from the classics to pop to the traditional hit made famous in the 1960s by The Animals, The House of the Rising Sun.
Amber Proudfoot, from Quesnel, B.C., said music speaks to everyone.
“It really helps us with creativity. It really lets you step out of your comfort zone and really helps you appreciate a whole bunch of different things,” the Grade 12 student said.
“I feel it’s a lot about culture, too. You can really understand a lot about how people think. I think that it’s really a universal language, because anywhere you go, if you can’t speak the same language as someone, you really can play instruments with them.”
Classmate Ishaan Anand, a 16-year-old from Saskatoon, agreed that music is an important part of an overall education.
“Music can be for everyone,” he said. “There are all kinds of music and all kinds of people and I think music can get you calm. It can make you excited. I like listening to music when you run and when we’re doing sports activities at Shad, I like to listen to music as well.”
Sultan Siddiqui, the program director for Shad at Lakehead, said students taking part in the annual program don’t just excel in academics, but in many other areas too.
“They’re very well-rounded. They’re involved in the community and doing lots of things, and they’re also very talented. They’re a whole bunch of people who are at the highest levels of their musical genre that they’re in,” Siddiqui said.
“Music brings out the best in everybody, so it’s really great to have these talented musicians on our campus.”
This year’s one-month Shad program wraps up on Thursday.
