Music partnership brings new sound to Glace Bay youth centre
A new musical collaboration aims to give young people in Glace Bay, N.S., increased access to instruments and technology, with the goal of expanding the program to other communities across Cape Breton.
The partnership, between the Cape Breton Music Industry Cooperative and the Undercurrent Youth Centre in Glace Bay, aims to use funds raised through the Cape Breton Music Hall of Fame to bring new instruments and sound equipment to the facility in order to improve access to musical arts.
Over the past several weeks, members of the co-operative have been at the youth centre upgrading the dated sound equipment. Staff are beginning the process of refitting the facility with proper new sound gear so they can program concerts for those who attend the centre.
"Then Phase 2 will be to help augment the instruments that they have so that anyone interested in, you know, learning a little bit about guitars or drums or fiddles or whatever they happen to be interested in, they'll have access to that type of equipment," said Duane Nardocchio, the co-op's executive director.
He said access to equipment is often a barrier for people looking to learn an instrument or other parts of the trade. Funding will also be provided to bring in instruments and offer lessons from members of the musical co-operative.
Nardocchio said young people often have a harder time getting involved in music than they do in sports.
"And I think it's just a different interest level and probably less people involved with the music side than there certainly would be with sports," he said. "But these are sort of things that we're trying to help sort of, you know, elevate a little bit and sort of give that opportunity on the music side."
Undercurrent will be the first group to benefit from the program, but the musical co-operative hopes to bring similar opportunities to other areas of Cape Breton.
"We're pretty excited about this and we really hope that it is adaptable and being able to be done again and again whether it's with other Undercurrent sites or other organizations," said Trevor DenHartogh, executive director of Undercurrent. "It'll be a real bonus for youth all over the [Cape Breton Regional Municipality]."
He said the sound equipment at the youth centre was very old and was being "held together with duct tape." New speakers and a soundboard will open up opportunities for concerts at the centre, which was not possible with the old gear, he said.
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