NEWS LOCAL

Learning to make music

By Johnna Ruocco, The Graphic

Wednesday, March 4, 2015 12:27:24 CST PM

Image: 1 of 3

Dallas Kasto and Riley Thompson work on building guitars as past of a project at Ecole Arthur Meighen School on March 3. The guitar
class students received kits through the middle years experiential learning grant and spent two days making their guitars, which they
get to keep. (Johnna Ruocco/THE GRAPHIC/QMI AGENCY)
Students in the guitar class at Ecole Arthur Meighen School are not only learning to make music by playing, but also by building.
On March 2 and 3, one of Ed Goetzens guitar classes spent the days building their own guitars.

Made possible after Donna Mestdagh, strategic initiatives learning co-ordinator for the Portage la Prairie School Division, provided
funds from a Middle Years Life/Work Exploration (MYL/WE) Grant, which provides support for new and existing programming directed
at career development and career exploration activities for middle years students.
But its something Ive been wanting to do for awhile. I just thought itd be cool, this is one of my guitar classes, we learn how to play
guitars, but the grant is for them to explore a trade so the guitar building trade I guess, Goetzen said. But also just helping them to
understand the instrument a little bit more like how the mechanics of it work.
With the grant, they were able to buy guitar building kits, which come with all the necessary parts.
(On Monday) we did all the paint and decals, some airbrushing with the art teacher, a bunch of sanding and they got to cut out the end,
the head stock. (Tuesday) is all the wiring and screwing screws together.
With the grant, Goertzen said they were able to do the project fairly inexpensively for the students, and they get to keep the guitars
afterwards.
You never know somebody might actually get into the mechanics of it too, building, repairing, theres a whole other aspect to jobs that
are out there, not just playing.
The project, naturally, went over well with the students.
I think its really cool, I was really excited that wed get to do this, said Riley Thompson, a student in the class. Its pretty cool learning
to play guitar.
johnna.ruocco@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @PDGJohnna