Kids get a lesson in boomwhackers, euphoniums and glockenspiels at Kitchener band camp
Bandology has kicked off their summer camp series in Kitchener.
All week long, kids will learn to play, perform and create their own songs.
The event is run by Bandology, a not-for-profit organization focused on music education and development.
'We have kids from Grade 1 to Grade 12,' explained executive director Lisa Michaels. 'The younger kids do a whole variety of music activities.'
'You can play all the instruments you want,' said camper Athena Antonoff-Carter.
While the younger participants learn the basics, teens can form a band.
'They're bringing the instrument,' Michaels said. 'They've played this past year at school. But the little kids, they can come in with no experience whatsoever.'
Felix Fang is one of the returning participants. The 9-year-old's instrument of choice is the euphonium.
'It's like a tuba, but a bit smaller,' he explained.
The euphonium is just one of the unique instruments played by campers.
Rafaela Deabreu-Silva typically plays the piano, but this time she decided to try the glockenspiel.
'It's really similar because they're both keys,' she explained. 'So, you're hitting the keys.'
At the end of the week, a concert is held to show off what the kids have learned.
'We'll have a couple of different types of performances,' Michaels said. 'Our teenage band is working on four or five different pieces. In fact, one of them is a brand new composition.'
The program has gotten rave reviews from participants, both old and new.
'It's really fun and you should really come,' urged Fang.
'Go for it,' added Deabreu-Silva. 'Just be prepared to play a lot of music.'
Bandology brings their summer camp symphony to Halton Region next week, then to Guelph for the last week of July.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Elianna Lev
Journalist Elianna Lev joined the CTV News Toronto digital team in July 2025. She is a multimedia journalist and storyteller based in Toronto. Her extensive and varied writing career has primarily been grounded in journalism, where she's covered many beats. Over the past five years, that's included COVID-19, cost of living, and Canadian wildlife. Experienced in all mediums, Elianna has worked for outlets like The Canadian Press, MSN and Yahoo Canada, where she's been a regular contributor for a decade. She's also worked as a professional writer for the cannabis and psychedelic therapy sectors, and as a documentarian for World Vision, where she helped craft stories on child labour and child poverty in the Philippines. Elianna is a published poet and has written a course curriculum on the literary references made on the Real Housewives reality TV franchise. She speaks English and comprehends French, Spanish and Hebrew.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Handcrafted card game ‘Hop ON It' promotes Ontario breweries
A game of "Hop ON It" was spread out on a counter on July 8, 2025. (Alexandra Holyk/CTV News) An artist from Conestogo, Ont., is encouraging people to explore Ontario – one brewski at a time. 'Hop ON It' is a card game featuring sketches of more than 100 breweries across the province. Designed by Della vanDokkumburg, the game aims to promote local businesses and encourage players to try out hop spots they've never been to. 'I really would like to encourage people to explore all over Ontario,' said vanDokkumburg. 'How can I encourage people to explore?' the artist recalled asking herself. 'And I thought, make it fun, turn it into a card game.' vanDokkumburg started sketching in 2018, delving into local architecture at the start of the pandemic. Her taste in taverns developed shortly after – initially sketching Block Three Brewing Company in St. Jacob's Ont. 'And then I just thought there's a lot more breweries throughout the province, and they're all in interesting buildings,' she said. Aside from highlighting the architecture, the game also aims to bring business to local beer joints. 'The game itself is incredible,' said Block Three's general manager, Scott Williard. 'It helps support a local artist,' he added. 'We're a small independent business, like many of these breweries, so I think it's just a chance to get new people in the door and try new places and new beers.' How to play According to vanDokkumburg, Hop ON It can be played in many ways. The cards are colour-coded for each region of Ontario: Central West is blue, Southwest is red, Central East is orange, East is green, while Toronto breweries are on turquoise cards. One way to play is by turning the subsets into a road trip. 'You would take that subset of cards, fan that out, pick a card, there's a road trip. Go visit that brewery,' vanDokkumburg said. Another option is to flip the cards individually from the deck, and see who's been to each brewery. Whoever has the most cards wins the game. 'That way, if there's a card that shows up that nobody has been to that brewery, you put that on the discard pile,' vanDokkumburg said. 'And at the end of the game, you pick a card from the discard pile and you pay a little visit to a new brewery.' While vanDokkumburg estimated there are around 300 breweries across Ontario, she said she doesn't expect to sketch all of them.' 'I think I've got at least one more expansion pack in me,' she said. 'I'd like to do another 50 (cards).' Those looking to try their hand at Hop ON It can try it out at several breweries across Waterloo Region, including Block Three. The full game can be purchased on vanDokkumburg's website.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Seeing people that look like us': Amazing Race Canada features most Indigenous contestants in show's history
Best friends and roommates, Rebecca Merasty and Rebecca Watt, are competing on Season 11 of the Amazing Race Canada. The Amazing Race Canada is making history this season with the highest number of Indigenous contestants the show has ever seen. Season 11 premieres Tuesday night with six Indigenous participants — including Rebecca Merasty, from Saskatchewan's Flying Dust First Nation. Merasty is teamed up with her best friend and roommate, Rebecca Watt, who is from the Pehdzeh Kí First Nation in the Northwest Territories. 'We didn't grow up seeing people that look like us, other than Pocahontas ... which obviously isn't the greatest representation,' Merasty told CTV News from Vancouver, where she now lives. Merasty said she was first contacted by a casting producer. A few weeks later, Watt was also individually contacted. 'They had no idea we were besties and roommates,' Merasty said, taking the two separate messages as a sign. 'We were just like, 'Okay, I guess we're doing this. This is creator telling us that it is time for us to go on The Amazing Race.'' Now known as 'The Rebeccas,' the duo said representation was a driving force behind joining the race. 'That was such a big motivating factor for us. You know, having those little eyes look up at us and be like, 'Hey, they kind of look like us. We can do that, too!' And just like encouraging youth to really go for it, go for what they want,' Merasty said. Teams are competing for two 2025 Chevrolet Blazers, a trip around the world, and a $250,000 cash prize. The new season kicks off in Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium.
