Military men show softer side in music

Our coverage thus far of the annual Tradewinds exercise has focussed on things like crowd control, hand to hand combat, and emergencies at sea. But tonight, the military men show their softer side through music.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
In collaboration with the Governor General’s Music in Schools Programme, for the past week high school students from the Belize, Orange Walk, Corozal, and Cayo districts have been sharpening their skills under the tutelage of two members of the Royal Bahamian Defence Force Band.

Esrum Lewis, Member, Royal Bahamian Defence Force Band
“This initiative is bold and it is direct and very specific. It explains the identity of woodwind and brass instruments to your communities.”

Two months ago, the students at Wesley College started playing wind instruments, but according to Music Director Chris Bradshaw, the students’ strong musical background have made the course a breeze.

Chris Bradshaw, Music Director, Wesley College
“Because they have been doing music from first form, most of them are in third right now. … In fact we have students from Wesley College here and from A.C.C. who are in the programme and the teachers from other schools and some of the band members from the various marching bands around the country.”

Bahamian Leading Seaman and co-facilitator Esrum Lewis says he has been impressed with the students’ performances however he would like to see more cultural tunes integrated in each school’s band programme instead of only North American influences.

Esrum Lewis
“The write up that I have done is specifically that these cultures that you have must be harnessed and kept. That means the elderly people must teach the younger people about the culture and introduce it to the music and the systems that are coming in, but do not allow the American system to infiltrate and destroy your culture.”

This is the first time Lewis has travelled abroad to teach, but he has seen the positive changes music can make in the life of a child.

Esrum Lewis
“It is important that we reach to our urban development and try to foster this kind of initiative and bring about some growth and development in music which will prevent in the long run. It will prevent those unsightly things that we don’t want in our communities.”
The countrywide music workshops conclude on May seventeenth. Jacqueline Godwin for News Five.