The school year of the students of the Magdeleine high school located in La Prairie continues on a good note since the evenko foundation has just offered them musical instruments worth $35,000. These instruments include transverse flutes, clarinets, alto saxophones, tenor saxophones, a baritone saxophone, trumpets, trombones, a euphonium, electric basses and a marimba.  

 

In addition, a second surprise awaited the students as the author, composer and performer, Émile Bilodeau, who is very much appreciated by the students, visited them to discuss and perform a song for them. For the occasion, the meeting was hosted by Anne-Marie Withenshaw, ambassador and member of the Board of Directors of the evenko foundation.  

 

The donation from the evenko foundation is important because the cost of replacing the outdated instruments, which are more than twenty years old, could not be covered by the school's current budget. With this donation, the high school hopes not only to renew its fleet of instruments but also to be able to open a second music class and allow more students to grow through music!  

 

The instruments will also be used to expand enrollment in after-school music activities now!  

 

"The evenko foundation will allow more youth to enter the music profile. It will also allow students who are currently enrolled to have instruments that will allow them to go further, that won't hold them back in their abilities. Currently, some of the instruments are so old that it is sometimes difficult to get sounds out or even more difficult to play in tune! reveals Maïté Touchette, music teacher at La Magdeleine.  

 

"Maïté is the kind of very dedicated music teacher that the foundation particularly likes to support! We really hope to help her to be able to open a 2nd class in music profile next year so that about 30 more students can have access to music education and this, every year for the next 20 years at least!" confides Nathalie Roberge, general manager of the evenko foundation.