On a recent sunny Thursday morning, the sound of trumpet notes climbing against a tuba backbeat filters out across Woodland Park in East Van. A disparate clutch of musicians, ranging from children to teens, under the direction of band leader Tim Sars, are warming up for an open-air concert under a tree. An audience begins to gather on the grass, drawn in by the rhythmic melodies.
The musicians are a part of the Greenhorn Project's Open Air Orchestra, a free, after-school program at the nearby Britannia Secondary School. Every Monday afternoon from 3:30 to 5 p.m., musicians of all ages meet up and play music games, New Orleans jazz and original music under Sars' direction. "It's a super fun bunch of folks, often intergenerational. We always play a game of tag halfway through the workshop," he says.
This is music at its most relaxed and loose, a place for young performers to develop confidence and spread their wings alongside more experienced elders. The Greenhorn Project is the brainchild of the Carnival Band, which Sars has been directing for over 10 years. And it runs in the family: along with his father, Ross Barrett, Sars has been closely involved with the grassroots band community scene on Commercial Drive for years.
The Greenhorn Project aims to encourage intergenerational, creative collaboration, ideally removing barriers for young or amateur musicians. At a time when many schools are cutting music programs, Greenhorn is working to foster collaboration and pass on learned skills from generation to generation,
Sars just finished a week-long summer camp for the Greenhorn teens, ranging from 12 to 15 years old, but, during the school year, he notes, "ages can range from one to 65” with most Greenhorns falling between 10 and 15 years old.
For Sars, the most rewarding part of his involvement is "hanging out with these amazing youth and hearing them develop. [However], if you ask the kids what the best part of Greenhorn is,” he adds, “they will tell you ‘tag.’"
Greenhorn will be starting up again this September and following the school-year calendar (check Britannia Community Centre for dates). Donations in the form of instruments or money are always gratefully accepted.
Back at the park, a young man leaps up from the audience, trumpet in hand, and proceeds to captivate the audience with a New Orleans-inflected melody. By the time he starts singing, the savvy crew of teens has joined in, through voice and instrument. Kids of all ages are in full swing as the park fills with music.
These bands are "a huge part of our community, bringing people of so many different ages backgrounds and income levels together," Sars says. He points out that Vancouver "needs this more than ever right now.
“With so many people with kids trying to make ends meet, it's so wonderful to offer a free space to bring people together and play music."
• Amy Logan is a Vancouver writer, editor and English instructor with an ear for trends in the arts, community and environment. She is a regular contributor to Metro News, and joins the Westender for the summer to explore the artists, creatives, environmentalists and adventurers who make Vancouver tick.
