SUBMITTED BY SALISH SEA BASSOON COLLECTIVE
The Salish Sea Bassoon Collective is excited to announce the launch of its Bassoon Incubator — a unique initiative aimed at nurturing and growing the next generation of young bassoonists on Salt Spring Island.
Led by the collective’s founders, professional bassoonists Kerry Graham and Tracie Whitelaw, this novel program will offer low-cost instruction, mentorship and instruments for young island musicians wanting to learn this complicated and important double-reed. In collaboration with local music groups and regional bassoonists, the collective is working to raise funds to purchase bassoons, with the goal of starting at least two students by September.
To get the Bassoon Incubator rolling, Whitelaw and Graham are collaborating with local school music teachers Brandon Bronson, Michelle Footz and Ben McConchie, as well as island music organizations such as Bandemonium Music Society and Salt Spring Baroque. All of the groups would benefit greatly from the addition of bassoonists.
“We are incredibly lucky to have some excellent musicians willing to teach and support the next generation,” said McConchie, a local educator and Bandemonium’s artistic director. “The bassoon often plays some of the most important supportive musical parts, adding a harmonic and rhythmic aesthetic that fills out the entire sound of the ensemble. Having students learn and play bassoon will not only improve the quality and sound aesthetic of the young bands but will also allow students to eventually be able to play some of the most rewarding and pedagogically interesting music in the world.”
Both Graham and Whitelaw have noticed a definite interest in the bassoon. Frequent performers at island music events, both are often approached by fascinated young people wanting to learn more about the instrument. While playing at this year’s Christmas with Scrooge play, Whitelaw recalls a young boy coming up to her exclaiming, “That is the most amazing instrument I’ve ever heard, and I’d love to play it!”
Learning to play the bassoon, however, can be challenging: it’s expensive — with even entry-level instruments costing thousands of dollars — and there are few teachers. Because of these barriers it is often underrepresented in schools, and bassoonists are in big demand everywhere. With two professional bassoonists on Salt Spring, it’s the ideal time and place for a project like this. Salt Spring has the teachers, now it needs the bassoons.
The project’s first goal is to acquire two bassoons and to start two students this next school year. One bassoon has already been donated, and plans are underway to purchase a second instrument. A fundraising concert will be held Thursday, July 10 at 7 p.m. to generate funds to pay for this.
Organizers hope that islanders will come together to help “manifest” a bassoon at this humorously titled “Bassoon Seance” concert. Eight West Coast bassoonists will gather at All Saints by-the-Sea to play a diverse repertoire ranging from the Beatles to Mozart. People will also get the chance to meet the whole bassoon family, including dulcians, baroque bassoons and even the contrabassoon. This may be the only time to see and hear eight bassoonists playing at once on Salt Spring.
This is a not-to-be-missed concert and a great opportunity to support local music and young island musicians.