A top music teacher wants the TT Music Festival boosted by even more participation by pupils, supporters and the private sector. Lorraine Granderson, retired music teacher at Bishop Anstey High School, who still trains pupils and helps run the festival, told this to Newsday at Tuesday's session at Queen's Hall, St Ann's.
She began by reflecting happily on the earlier performance of the choir of Moulton Hall Methodist (Primary) School, which she had coached and had just been adjudged the country's second-best primary school choir after the larger 30-strong Maria Regina Grade School.
"I was happy for the most part that the children did what they had practised. They worked very hard and I was really generally very pleased with them.
"They didn't always look at me on stage – it's their first time – and that discipline has not yet been ingrained in them, but on the whole, I was really pleased with their performance."
Two of her pupils earlier on Tuesday had succeeded in getting into the next round of the girls 11-12 solo vocals.
Newsday asked how the pupils benefited by participating in the Music Festival.
Granderson said, "Music is absolutely important."
She lamented that some schools do not allow pupils to participate due to fears over their time commitments for preparing for the SEA exam.
"As a country, we really need to understand where our priorities are. I think, generally, we do not understand the importance of the creative arts like music and singing."
She said all her life she had dealt with children and singing, including teaching at Bishops and taking children all over the world.
"Not that they necessarily become world famous or anything, but it does something to the human psyche. Singing, singing together, community singing.
"Presenting yourself to an audience, you develop that sense of confidence, that sense of 'I am', 'I can'. Those things are so important."
[caption id="attachment_1066080" align="alignnone" width="962"] Deneisha Dempster and Cydnee Cooper sang their way to first place at the TT Music Festival, in the Girls Vocal Duet 13-15 years category on Wednesday. - Photo by Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
Newsday suggested that over the years, more people should have attended the festival.
Granderson hoped that public awareness of the festival could be ramped up towards boosting attendance.
"We have to find ways to advertise, although it costs money.
"Traditionally, the festival never has enough money because you have to pay adjudicators, you have to pay Queen's Hall, so it is a lot of expense.
"We really need to get corporate TT more involved."
Granderson also hoped more schools could be encouraged to participate, although unsure how that might happen.
"There was a time in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and up to the 1980s when, for example, at primary school you would find 50 or 60 choirs."
She contrasted that with just four choirs competing on Tuesday, the others being Dunross Preparatory School and St David’s RC Primary.
"I know covid19 is partially responsible, peo
