ASD-N Music Wellness Mentor Terry Whalen is already seeing the benefits of the new Music Wellness initiative that has been introduced in Anglophone North School District.

Terry currently works with students in the Miramichi area, helping to cultivate their love of music and offering opportunities within their school day to develop their skills.

Some students just haven't found that special connection in their school experience, and the School District is hoping that the introduction of this music program will help fill that void for many of those students. 

Communicating through music has already proven popular among many Miramichi students. Working with Terry, some have picked up instruments for the first time while others have been honing abilities they've already discovered.  Terry, a popular local musician, has been overwhelmed by the response from the community since making a request for support for the new music program. The community has responded with donations of musical instruments and cash donations, like the one pictured above from The Medicine Shoppe. The District now plans to build up a lending repository of instruments for students in need.

One other aspect that students have been enjoying is the chance to try their hand at songwriting with Terry.  In a partnership with local Miramichi radio station Rewind 95.9, some music program students will have their songs featured next week as part of the station's daily operations.

The schedule and list of songs to be played starting next Monday morning on Rewind 95.9 is listed below.  Each song is expected to air between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. 

Schedule

Monday, June 13 - Four Wheeled Romance – Written by Written by Hunter Burke- McClary, Jensen MacDonald, Derek Manual, Alex, James Butt and Terry Whalen

Tuesday, June 14 - Isolating – Written by Carly Stewart, Riley Lynch, Sidney Jardine, Tyler Dawson and Terry Whalen

Wednesday, June 15 - My Summer Day – Written by Megan L’Huillier, Cruez Arseneault, Ethan Colepaugh and Terry Whalen

Thursday, June 16 - Here There and Anywhere – Dylan Peterson, Zack Rupke, Jack Worrell, Sam MacLean, Keith Comeau and Terry Whalen

Friday, June 17 - Pushing Back Written by River Stewart, Rudy Colford, Kole Wetmore, Landon Underhill, Marco Arseneault, Terry Whalen

Saturday, June 20 - The Vacation Song - Written by Mya Hodgson, Anna Brigdon and Terry Whalen

Plans are in the works to expand the Music Wellness initiative into other areas of the District, in the Rexton and Bathurst/Dalhousie/Campbellton areas.