Atlantic Festivals of Music brings musicians from across the country to Halifax

The Atlantic Festivals of Music took place in Halifax this week, giving musicians from all across the country a chance to learn and show off their skills.

Going into its 30th year, the festival lets choirs and bands perform and attend concerts at the Mount Saint Vincent University. Musicians got to meet like-minded individuals, as well as get some professional insight.

“The value of a festival like this is the opportunity for students to not only perform but learn from an incredible roster of adjudicators that we have, so when they come to the festival they have a performance opportunity, and we have two adjudicators that listen to them and make comments during the performance and after the performance,” said the director of Atlantic Festivals of Music, Steve Hartland.

“The real value comes from when they leave the stage and they go to a clinic room and they have a half-hour session with one of those adjudicators, who share their tremendous wisdom and knowledge.”

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“It’s been great, it’s put into perspective the lengths we’re willing to go to for this, especially coming all the way across Canada and everything, we got up and 3 a.m. to get to the airport and everything,” said Trysten Nott with the Westmount Charter School Symphonic Band out of Calgary.

“Just the value we’re willing to put on the music, especially to just get better and do something we love.”

Hartland says he hopes that every musician comes out of the festival better than how they came.

“The goal being for every group that comes here to leave with their experience and knowledge enhanced so that their next performance can be even greater than today.”

With files from CTV's Paul Dewitt. 

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