Blown-away panmoment at Point

THE EDITOR: In my profession (musician) there are always special moments. It comes with the territory but this moment came through my students as a music educator.

On May 8, St Thomas Primary School decided to honour the students for their accomplishments in the recently held Junior Panorama competition in Point Fortin. The children, who do not have a pan culture in the school, only started with me last term and were invited to compete.

The invitation came the day school closed for the two-week Easter holidays. The first week they stayed home and came out on the Tuesday on the second week. The competition was the Wednesday of the following week.

We had the chorus of the old song, Matilda, sung by the deceased Lord Radio. For the next seven days we had to make it into a Panorama piece.

At the beginning of the venture, I told the children and their parents that I was not expecting to win due to the fact that the other bands had their songs prepared two months prior. However, we would be preparing like we are winners.

The band came fourth and, what was more important, they sounded great.

At the ceremony honouring the participants, one of the bigger students, also big-boned as well, walked up to me after he collected his medal and said, "I’ve worn a medal before but this is the first time I am wearing a medal I earned." Wow! No words.

AQUIL ARRINDELL

music educator