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For a trio of B.C. high school band students, the idea came to them, clear as a bell: if no one else would step in to save their school\u2019s music programs \u2014 they would.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When faced with a proposed $250,000 budget cut from their middle school music programs for the 2026-27 school year, students Mudita Shikhare, Jeff Zhang and Zak Kyriacou decided to launched a fundraising campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe point of the fundraiser is that we can take these matters into our own hands to at least keep music alive in middle schools for next year,\u201d Zhang, a Grade 10 student at Mount Douglas Secondary in Victoria, told As It Happens<\/em> host Nil K\u04e7ksal.\u00a0<\/p>\nTo address a $1.6-million deficit, the Greater Victoria School District’s budget <\/strong>proposal includes cuts to career guidance, counselling services \u2014 and middle-school music ensembles such as choir and jazz band.<\/p>\nIn a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for the board says \u201cthere are very few areas we are able to make reductions,\u201d noting that music is not an area protected by collective agreements or contracts.<\/p>\n
The proposed cuts\u00a0 struck a chord for the students.<\/p>\n
They say their music programs are more than just electives \u2014 they are lifelines that open doors for young people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really a chance for kids to explore and expand their possibilities,\u201d said Shikhare, a Grade 11 student who sings in the choir and plays clarinet and tenor sax in different ensembles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“By reducing the amount of possibilities they have, they won\u2019t have enough exposure to all the music things they could join in secondary school.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nMudita Shikhare, middle, singing in her school’s choir. (Submitted by Jeff Zhang)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nKyriacou \u2014a Grade 11 student who plays trombone, bass and violin \u2014 says joining the school band was transformative.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always a very nervous person when I was younger,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cSo I think being able to have these opportunities, especially to play on stages \u2026 it\u2019s really helped me gain confidence in myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zhang, who attended a public budget meeting last week alongside Shikhare and Kyriacou, says he understands the difficult position trustees are in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve talked to people working there and we believe that \u2026 they\u2019ve been put in this position where they feel like they have to cut music because they\u2019re underfunded at a provincial level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherri Bell, the district’s official trustee, says she read “every single piece of feedback” from the March 30 meeting where the budget was first presented. But ultimately, she says, the board’s hands were tied.<\/p>\n
“It’s heartbreaking to think that we have to make any reductions to any program or department because this district has faced similar constraints year over year,” Bell said. <\/p>\n
“No board of education wants to pass a budget that ultimately affects students and staff, but it’s the reality that we are facing with a structural deficit.”<\/p>\n
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\nKyriacou, left, and Zhang, centre left, playing in Universal Jazz Advocates and Mentors Society Young All Stars ensemble on March 15. (Submitted by Jeff Zhang)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThe students are hoping their last-minute effort can make a difference.<\/p>\n
Zhang says they\u2019ve rallied support within their school community, knocked on the doors of local music stores, put up posters and even caught the attention of rock guitarist Brett Smith-Daniels, who shared the fundraiser on his social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The students were hoping to hit their goal ahead of the Greater Victoria School District\u2019s budget meeting on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
However, as of Thursday, the campaign \u2014 called “Save Our Music SD61” and hosted on chuffed.org \u2014 has raised $31,000. <\/p>\n
The students knew raising a quarter of a million dollars in a week is a high note to hit. But still, they say, it’s a start.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a possibility that if we raise enough money, the district can find the funds to take from other places to fill the gap,\u201d Zhang said.<\/p>\n
Shikhare says their efforts could also have a long-term impact. <\/p>\n
\u201cWith the amount of attention we\u2019ve gained \u2026 I think we can certainly make a difference and somehow influence the school board to think about their budget decisions for next year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
No matter the outcome, the students say the experience has already taught them an important lesson.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s taught us that we really shouldn\u2019t give up on the things that we love,\u201d Shikhare said. \u201cIt\u2019s really taught us just to believe that we can still make change.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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