It has been my privilege to serve as the Music Director at Ballenas Secondary for the past 25 years. For 10 of those years, the music room was a portable (with considerable ant and mold problems as I recall) and the program included a small but dedicated group of students who welcomed me to the school. Together we have put on 50 school concerts, attended and hosted many Concert Band and Stage Band festivals, brought home the hardware, and gone on some wonderful trips. We have brought our music from Parksville BC to Hawaii, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Disneyland, San Francisco, Banff, Seattle, Calgary and even Hinton, Alberta where I grew up!

The highlight of my teaching career at Ballenas is being on stage in concert with my amazing students playing/singing great music after having rehearsed and worked hard to produce a fine performance. That and seeing the look of pride and accomplishment on my students’ faces. It was always very special!

I leave Ballenas with so many great memories and hope that you too will look back on your music experiences here as being time well spent. And with the music program now in the very capable hands of Mr. Brent Kellas, I can leave with no regrets knowing the band will indeed play on!

— Rick Robson

I “passed the baton” to Brent Kellas at my final concert on Thursday, June 8, 2017. I had a wonderful time at the concert and felt the love from students aged 13-40 and their parents! Thank you to all who were able to attend! Brent is our new Ballenas Music director! He is a fine young music teacher and I know my students and music parents will embrace and support his musical leadership going forward.

Ballenas Handbook

If you would like more information about the Ballenas Music program, open the link above. Come by for a visit in the musicroom. We’d love to meet you.

Ballenas Music Program courses

Open the link above to read about the many Music courses offered at Ballenas Secondary.                                                                                 

 ….in New Orleans with students at Batiste Cultural Arts Academy holding our gift of books for their school library- May 2013