Editor’s note: This article was written by Ryan van der Horst, a Grade 5 student at Mamquam Elementary School.
The Barred Owl hosted Mamquam Elementary School’s Battle of the Gar-baj Bands on Thursday, and the manager closed the venue to accommodate the school’s event. “Gar-baj” bands were formed approximately three weeks ago, and students have been working on their performances up until Monday when the semifinals occurred. These bands created their instruments entirely out of otherwise garbage and dust collectors in the classroom, and many of the “Gar-baj” bands truly captured a broad spectrum of creative ingenuity.
Creating instruments is the first step in the process.
A firm boundary of the “Gar-baj” bands was that no student was allowed to purchase anything for their band. This was the main obstacle for most because it was a struggle to create an instrument out of items that they perceived as trash. Students would collaborate with their peers in their band to create something that made a pleasant noise.
By the end of instrument production, many, if not all, thought of their instruments as instruments, not garbage.
The second part of creating a “Gar-baj” band is to practice with your band, with working together well also being essential to this piece. Bands were given class time to coordinate their musical abilities with their fellow classmates.
Vocals were also relevant, with bands incorporating words into their performance. Some bands even created parodies of existing songs.
“I think it’s a good learning experience,” Jodh, a Mamquam student, said. “We make instruments out of garbage!”
The final step is to perform at the semi-finals and the finals. The semifinals on Monday had 18 bands perform on-stage.
“After I went on stage, my fears evaporated,” said Rowan, a Mamquam student. Many students were nervous about going up in front of the school, but all of the bands managed to perform, and the semifinals went off without a hitch.
“It’s a really fun way to connect with friends, and it’s something new to try,” said Kamryn, a student at the school.
The “Gar-baj” bands are a brilliant way to bring out student creativity, as well as help bring recognition to Zero Waste and other reducing, reusing, and recycling processes.
The fight against garbage is an ongoing struggle, as one-time use items play an integral role in many people’s lives. As landfills fill up, school projects like these are an amazing way to spread awareness for solid waste issues.
