Wickwire seeks guitar donations

Karla Swansburg, with fellow teacher Kory Wade, has started a guitar club at Dr. John C. Wickwire School for students in Grades 4-6. Already they have about 30 students interested.

Most that show an interest don’t have a guitar of their own. That’s why the teachers are asking for guitar donations.

The idea for the club came from Wade, who had run a similar club in the Annapolis Valley during his teaching practicum. “I thought you know, that’s something that we could do because we both really enjoy guitar,” says Swansburg.

Swansburg mentioned that some of the students interested haven’t shown interest in other activities at the school in the past. “It’s a place kids can go if they’re not into sports. It’s a new skill they can learn.”

While substituting at Wickwire last year, she says she brought out her guitar one day and students were really interested in how she learned to play, so she knew there would be an interest from students.

So for one day a week during lunch hour, Swansburg and Wade will run a guitar jam session. “We want to teach how to tune the guitar and how to play a couple of chords,” says Swansburg. “We’re hoping that once we teach them a few chords, that they will bring in ideas for songs to learn.”

After they get the basics down, the pair would like to turn it into a student led club.

Already the school would like them to perform in the school’s Christmas concert. “Hopefully we can get a few chords under our belts so we can play jingle bells,” she says with a laugh.

If anyone has a guitar they would like to donate, contact Karla Swansburg at 354-7660 or swansbk@staff.ednet.ns.ca.