Fine Arts program students from Lac La Biche's J.A. Williams High School are still talking about their recent visit to the Juno Awards night in Edmonton.
The night heralded Canadian musical artists from all genres and regions. It was a great way to show local students the diversity of Canadian talent, the spectacle of a major awards show — and thanks to a topless environmental activist wearing only bright pink sweat pants and a bandana, the realities of unscripted live TV.
"Being there for a live TV broadcast is totally different than going to a concert," said JAWS Fine Arts teacher Aimee Berland, one of three adult chaperones who took 20 students to the March 17 Juno Awards night at Edmonton's Roger's Place.
JAWS officials booked 20 seats for the show and sold them to the first 20 takers. Berland said she asked her current Music and Drama students and some past students if they'd be interested in going to the show as a group. They got 20 takers in less than two days.
While the trip had a lot of connections to the Fine Arts curriculum, with music appreciation, Canadian content, performance, design and stage production, it wasn't technically a class trip, she said, explaining that there was no test given for the trip or class credits.
"It wasn't for fundraising, not part of their marks. It was just providing an opportunity ... just an experience," Berland said.
With Canadian actor and Marvel's Chang-Chi superhero character Simu Liu as the night's emcee, and performances by Avril Lavigne, Nickleback Jessie Reyez, and Northern Cree with Aysanabee — and yes, the protester — it was an experience they won't soon forget ... even if they didn't know all the performers or their songs.
"They said they didn't know all of them, but it didn't matter, they were cheering and just being part of it. That was the cool part," said their teacher. "It was interesting for the students to see the behind the scenes, how the cameras moved, their angles or how they'd stop for commercial breaks, all the extra things — and of course some things don't always go exactly as planned."
What went better than planned, was the reaction to the whole night by the students.
"My experience was so much better just watching them, their excitement," Berland said. "I kept looking over and they are cheering and smiling ... talking about the show. It was a whole experience for all of us."
Students on stage
Students in the JAWS Drama class may be using some of the production skills they saw at the Junos this week as the school hosts the annual One-Act-Play performances. The student-performed shows will be on the McGrane Theatre stage at Portage College Wednesday, March 29.
Tickets for the event are $10 and available here.
Content in the high-school productions is geared to an audience over the age of 12. Funds raised from Wednesday's show will go towards more trips for the class this year. JAWS students will be taking their One-Act-Shows on the road to Fort McMurray from April 19-21 for a regional festival. Berland also hopes to take students to Red Deer later in the year for a major provincial arts festival.
