Southern musicians wow Nunavik students

ODILE NELSON

Kangiqsualujjuaq’s school principal is pressing for the return of a southern troupe of musicians who recently wowed students across Nunavik.

Jean Leduc, principal of Ulluriaq school, was so pleased with the presentation of George Zukerman, André Savoie, Isabelle Lapierre and Jack Glazter that he wrote to their major funder, the Music Performance Trust Funds in New York City.

Leduc said he wrote the funding proposal in the hope that the troupe, which toured Nunavik, Sanikiluaq and Nunavut’s High Arctic communities of Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay and Arctic Bay between April 29 and May 16, could find money to return in future school years.

The musicians, who spent two hours at Ulluriaq school on May 5, made an enormous impression on students with their inventive and informal presentation, Leduc said.

“Near the end of the performance, the musicians asked, “Is there anyone who wants to conduct the group? So one of the secondary students went to the front and the musicians did everything the student wanted. It was horrible. It was so comical. But that’s the beauty of their presentation.”

The Music Performance Trust Funds is an organization devoted to re-stimulating music in schools and it funds professional tours of remote communities.

Zukerman, who played bassoon during the tour, said he has participated in 17 similar projects across Canada since 1998. The tours, made up of different musical lineups, have visited many regions in Northern Canada, including the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon.

On this tour, Savoie brought his professional talents to piano and keyboards, Glatzer the violin, and Lapierre sang and played the saxophone.

Zukerman said the performances were a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange.

“Music truly is a link between our cultures. In some of the villages, we played duets with Inuit drummers; we tried a trio with throat singers,” Zukerman said.

The musician admits that touring remote communities is difficult and expensive but is well worth it.

And Leduc remains hopeful that the musicians’ visit will happen again.

“Obviously, there are not many ways to bring music to schools in the North,” Leduc said. “I hope they come back. They told me they want to come back and I hope it will happen.”

Other funders of the tour include the Canada Council and various provincial and territorial governments. Air Inuit also helped with transportation.