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When I reached junior high (YJHS), my choir days were over, but now I had the opportunity to play a band instrument. I signed up for the saxophone and I got to play tenor sax, right from the start. Andrea Cosman Comeau was the band director, and a very keen one at that. In grade seven, I played in the Santa Clause parade. We would also have concerts (we wore yellow band sweaters, and I couldn't find the picture, I know you're all broken up about it!).
The above picture is of the 1997/98 jazz band at East Side Mario's in downtown Halifax. On this two night trip, we went to see clinicians at Queen Elizabeth High, who are trained jazz musicians. We also went to a real recording studio and made a real demo tape of Chameleon, Wipe Out, Rockin' the Blues, and Basic Basie. On top of all this, we went to the malls and played neon bowling.
I the 1998/99 school year, we began with a combined band concert with Breakfast Television's (ASN/ATV(CTV) television networks) Liz Rigney. Liz and former Moosehead's trumpeter Mike Cowie got together with others and released an album called Red Petticoat. They also performed with many Maritime schools in order to raise money for local music programs from ticket sales.
Download One-Minute MP3 Sample of Her Album!
Click Here!Immediately after the concert, Mrs. Cosman Comeau went on maternity leave, and her husband got a job transfer to the Halifax/Dartmouth area. The teacher for the remainder of the school year at YJHS was Scott Markal (and the 1999-2000 school year). For the 2000-2001 year, the teacher was Mr. Darren Dewolfe.