By Chloe Mee
The course selection process in grade five brings a new decision for all of the students at Wentworth. They are given the choice of either pursuing further choral endeavours or delving into the world of instrumentalists, taking on the challenge of learning an instrument. These first few formative years on an instrument take discipline and careful guidance. We are fortunate to have Ms Prichard guiding these students at the beginning of their instrumental journey. I was in her band classes in Wentworth, and I remember Ms Prichard best for her sense of humour and evident passion for music we played. One anecdote I remember distinctly was when Ms Prichard inadvertently launched her trombone slide into an audience whilst performing. Some of my fondest memories most definitely come from my times spent in the band room.
Born in Vancouver, Ms Prichard has also lived in both Kamloops and White Rock. She began her teaching journey in 1995 at Mt Sentinel School in South Slocan, British Columbia. She then moved on to teach at South Delta Secondary in Tsawwassen and then took a few years off to be a substitute teacher. Her journey at Collingwood began in 2008, “and the rest is history. Collingwood is, hands down, the best place I’ve ever worked.”
Her musical journey began when she took up playing the flute throughout elementary and secondary school. In grade ten, she started playing the trombone in jazz ensembles. “My teacher, David Proznick, was an amazing jazz educator at Semiahmoo Secondary… influenced my decision to make music at the post-secondary level.” Currently, she teaches grades five, six, and seven at Wentworth.
Outside of the musical realm, Ms Prichard is “passionate about horror movies” and “enjoy[s] great photography.” Her hobbies include outdoor activities such as skiing, biking, snow-shoeing, gardening, and running; as well as watching horror movies, disputing with people on Twitter, and evading her housework. When cleaning the house or driving around, she enjoys listening to classic rock, and at other times can be found listening to jazz. If a family member or friend were to choose three adjectives to describe her, they would be “honest, funny and loyal.”
Her parents were not particularly musically inclined, but it was courtesy of their influence that Ms Prichard was exposed to music ranging from Broadway musicals from the 1930s and 1940s, the Beach Boys, David Bowie, the Cure, Benny Goodman, and Michael Jackson. Her favourite band is Rush. Her penchant for jazz was spurred by one of her grandfathers, as she would “hang out with him on his houseboat and listen to big band music.” Additionally, her Nan was a big band singer and church organist, while her other Grandfather played the harmonica. Within her immediate family, her wife Claire is a soprano in the North Shore Mom Choir, and their daughter Lucy plays the percussion in Ms Prichard’s grade six band.
Ms Prichard looks up to David Bowie. If given a chance to ask him a question, she would ask “how much time he spent playing around with sound and what was the most interesting sound he ever used in his music.” Ms Prichard is an inspiration herself, continually striving to refine her musical abilities. She plays lead trombone in several jazz bands, “which puts the pressure on me to continually improve my performance and solo abilities… it’s really important for music teachers to be involved in community music in order to keep their skills sharp.” She has developed as a musician and teacher by advocating for girls and women to play brass and percussion instruments since they are “areas that have traditionally been dominated by men. It’s only recently that Vancouver [started] its very own all-female jazz band, Sister Jazz. We really need to support these organisations and get more girls involved in jazz.”
At the age of eighteen, “I joined the military as a reservist musician with the Royal Westminster Regiment. Later I was transferred to the 15th Field Artillery band in Vancouver where we toured many places in the world.” The highlight in her career was when she played at the 50th Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France at Juno Beach. In 2012, she retired as a Warrant Officer. Ms Prichard, your service to our country is appreciated by us all.
As a teacher, she has come to learn that her “personal connection with students is the most important aspect of teaching.” Previously, she found that she was absorbed in the importance of the content and “forgot to create true connections with the students. When I take the time to really know and show students how much I care and am passionate about music, the individual learning and the whole performance of the group as a whole improves dramatically. Personal connection is very important to me.”
When asked about the importance of music to her, Ms Prichard explained that though it was cliché to say so, “music is my life. I teach and play all day, I go home and listen or practise, and I go to rehearsals. Music, especially instrumental music, is my personal means of expression; a way I can express myself non-verbally.” Since music has been an integral part of her life for “around 41 years,” she says that music is a part of her identity. Over the years, her interpretations of music have evolved, therefore improving her conducting and playing. “It’s really important to be curious about what you play in order to present the music in the most authentic way possible.”
During her twenty-five years of teaching band, she has taken her choral and instrumental ensembles to numerous festivals to gain insight about their playing as a group. In fact, this year, she “will be taking 50 grade six [and] seven students to Seattle to participate in the Heritage Music Festival.” She has not competed as an instrumentalist for a while since she “had enough pressure doing that in university.” In her community bands, however, she has participated in various festivals such as the North Shore Band Festival and the West Coast Big Band Festival.
Her advice for aspiring musicians is to, above all else, listen. To play with others who are better than you and learn from their expertise by asking questions. She also encourages them to “try the weird stuff,” explaining that she once took Tai-Chi so that she could improve her skills as a conductor. When she retires, she plans to continue playing in community bands. On behalf of the Collingwood community, I would like to thank Ms Prichard for her dedication to the music program and wish her well for the future.
The course selection process in grade five brings a new decision for all of the students at Wentworth. They are given the choice of either pursuing further choral endeavours or delving into the world of instrumentalists, taking on the challenge of learning an instrument. These first few formative years on an instrument take discipline and careful guidance. We are fortunate to have Ms Prichard guiding these students at the beginning of their instrumental journey. I was in her band classes in Wentworth, and I remember Ms Prichard best for her sense of humour and evident passion for music we played. One anecdote I remember distinctly was when Ms Prichard inadvertently launched her trombone slide into an audience whilst performing. Some of my fondest memories most definitely come from my times spent in the band room.
Born in Vancouver, Ms Prichard has also lived in both Kamloops and White Rock. She began her teaching journey in 1995 at Mt Sentinel School in South Slocan, British Columbia. She then moved on to teach at South Delta Secondary in Tsawwassen and then took a few years off to be a substitute teacher. Her journey at Collingwood began in 2008, “and the rest is history. Collingwood is, hands down, the best place I’ve ever worked.”
Her musical journey began when she took up playing the flute throughout elementary and secondary school. In grade ten, she started playing the trombone in jazz ensembles. “My teacher, David Proznick, was an amazing jazz educator at Semiahmoo Secondary… influenced my decision to make music at the post-secondary level.” Currently, she teaches grades five, six, and seven at Wentworth.
Outside of the musical realm, Ms Prichard is “passionate about horror movies” and “enjoy[s] great photography.” Her hobbies include outdoor activities such as skiing, biking, snow-shoeing, gardening, and running; as well as watching horror movies, disputing with people on Twitter, and evading her housework. When cleaning the house or driving around, she enjoys listening to classic rock, and at other times can be found listening to jazz. If a family member or friend were to choose three adjectives to describe her, they would be “honest, funny and loyal.”
Her parents were not particularly musically inclined, but it was courtesy of their influence that Ms Prichard was exposed to music ranging from Broadway musicals from the 1930s and 1940s, the Beach Boys, David Bowie, the Cure, Benny Goodman, and Michael Jackson. Her favourite band is Rush. Her penchant for jazz was spurred by one of her grandfathers, as she would “hang out with him on his houseboat and listen to big band music.” Additionally, her Nan was a big band singer and church organist, while her other Grandfather played the harmonica. Within her immediate family, her wife Claire is a soprano in the North Shore Mom Choir, and their daughter Lucy plays the percussion in Ms Prichard’s grade six band.
Ms Prichard looks up to David Bowie. If given a chance to ask him a question, she would ask “how much time he spent playing around with sound and what was the most interesting sound he ever used in his music.” Ms Prichard is an inspiration herself, continually striving to refine her musical abilities. She plays lead trombone in several jazz bands, “which puts the pressure on me to continually improve my performance and solo abilities… it’s really important for music teachers to be involved in community music in order to keep their skills sharp.” She has developed as a musician and teacher by advocating for girls and women to play brass and percussion instruments since they are “areas that have traditionally been dominated by men. It’s only recently that Vancouver [started] its very own all-female jazz band, Sister Jazz. We really need to support these organisations and get more girls involved in jazz.”
At the age of eighteen, “I joined the military as a reservist musician with the Royal Westminster Regiment. Later I was transferred to the 15th Field Artillery band in Vancouver where we toured many places in the world.” The highlight in her career was when she played at the 50th Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France at Juno Beach. In 2012, she retired as a Warrant Officer. Ms Prichard, your service to our country is appreciated by us all.
As a teacher, she has come to learn that her “personal connection with students is the most important aspect of teaching.” Previously, she found that she was absorbed in the importance of the content and “forgot to create true connections with the students. When I take the time to really know and show students how much I care and am passionate about music, the individual learning and the whole performance of the group as a whole improves dramatically. Personal connection is very important to me.”
When asked about the importance of music to her, Ms Prichard explained that though it was cliché to say so, “music is my life. I teach and play all day, I go home and listen or practise, and I go to rehearsals. Music, especially instrumental music, is my personal means of expression; a way I can express myself non-verbally.” Since music has been an integral part of her life for “around 41 years,” she says that music is a part of her identity. Over the years, her interpretations of music have evolved, therefore improving her conducting and playing. “It’s really important to be curious about what you play in order to present the music in the most authentic way possible.”
During her twenty-five years of teaching band, she has taken her choral and instrumental ensembles to numerous festivals to gain insight about their playing as a group. In fact, this year, she “will be taking 50 grade six [and] seven students to Seattle to participate in the Heritage Music Festival.” She has not competed as an instrumentalist for a while since she “had enough pressure doing that in university.” In her community bands, however, she has participated in various festivals such as the North Shore Band Festival and the West Coast Big Band Festival.
Her advice for aspiring musicians is to, above all else, listen. To play with others who are better than you and learn from their expertise by asking questions. She also encourages them to “try the weird stuff,” explaining that she once took Tai-Chi so that she could improve her skills as a conductor. When she retires, she plans to continue playing in community bands. On behalf of the Collingwood community, I would like to thank Ms Prichard for her dedication to the music program and wish her well for the future.