Sona Music recently held its winter music recitals at Star Lake Community Centre, giving the public a chance to see the students show off their musical talents.
Instructor Brenden Benoit said the event was a success, with a lot of new faces in the crowd as well as students who had the chance to perform for the first time.
“Overall, it was a lot of fun. A lot of them got to experience their first performance, so it’s a little easier after that,” he said, noting that the more seasoned performers are also getting increasingly adept with their instruments.
“(The others) are definitely advancing. I’ve been working with some since I first got here and they have come so far.”
This is the second recital Benoit has held with his music company, Sona Music, which offers live sound services, recording, and instrument repair aside from private, semi-private and group lessons.
The students at the recital played a vast range of different styles from Hank Williams, Queen, and Neil Young to Bob Dylan, Beethoven and pretty much any other style one could think of.
Read More: Showcasing Clearwater’s local talent
Benoit said exposing his students to different styles and sounds has been one of the biggest factors in keeping them moving forward, helping them learn that anything can be done with music if one just spends enough time on it.
“It’s starting to seem like they’re realizing that music they may have thought was impossible is very much possible, especially when it’s coming down to a favourite artist,” he said.
“Somebody might think if it’s a certain genre then it’s just not possible, because maybe it’s too electronic or what have you, but really a lot of students are discovering that the possibilities for what they want to learn are endless.”
So far Sona Music has been fairly successful in drumming up interest in music lessons locally, with Benoit saying his wait-list is “skyrocketing out of control” and he’s having trouble at keeping it at just 30 students a week.
He’s also working at trying to get a storefront to sell music equipment and studio space, though there’s no timeline for when it might open.
“It’s really cool to see how many people who hadn’t previously known the services were available and having conversations with them,” he said.
“There’s a lot of hidden talent, whether it’s people just looking for someone to jam with, expand their horizons or try a new instrument altogether.”
Benoit added there’s another recital schedule for June, though a specific date hasn’t been firmed up yet, and anyone interested in lessons, instrument repair, or other services offered by Sona Music can check it out at www.sonamusic.ca
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