Milton District High School Hosts Third Annual HDSB Rock Band Festival
Students and staff from across the Halton District School Board gathered at Milton District High School on April 8 and 9 for the third annual HDSB Rock Band Festival, a two-day celebration of student music that brought together 31 bands from elementary and secondary schools across Halton.
Each band prepares three songs for the event: two covers and one original composition. Bands perform their sets before a live audience of fellow students and a panel of three professional musician judges.
Following each performance, one of the judges conducts a dedicated workshop with the band, offering hands-on feedback and helping students refine their craft for future performances. This year's panel featured three accomplished figures from the music industry: Billianne Lowry, a former Milton District High School graduate who is set to open for Blue Rodeo this summer; Mark Underdown, a music producer whose credits include work on the television series ‘The Traitors’; and Andre Bisson, an original blues artist preparing to embark on his summer tour.
Christopher Carson-Foster, Music and American Sign Language Teacher at Milton District High School and the organizer behind the festival, described the event as a unique opportunity to celebrate music across the school board.
"We have bands from all around Halton that have come and prepared three songs for performance today," said Carson-Foster. "They perform for an audience of school-age kids, and they're also performing to judges.”
“My favourite part is that the judges then do a workshop with each band. One judge pulls the band aside, does a 30-minute workshop with them, and tries to tweak some of the things they could fix from their performance for their next performance."
Carson-Foster also noted that the festival speaks directly to the Halton District School Board's 2024-2028 Multi-Year Strategic Plan, particularly the commitment to community connection.
"This brings all different arts-focused kids from different schools to one place where they get to see each other do great things," he said. "It is a huge community building of the arts and of kids in Halton, and how we can celebrate music in different ways and get better at it."
For students like Sania Ali, a Grade 12 student at Milton District High School who has participated in the festival for two consecutive years, the experience has been transformative.
"What's so great about the rock band festival is giving young students the opportunity to perform and learn on stage, because I think a big part of music is the actual experience," said Ali. "You can sit and practice together, but getting used to the nerves on stage, seeing the audience and having stage presence, that's a big part of music. It's such an awesome opportunity for students to get that experience in a safe, controlled space. And then the workshop afterwards is excellent, because they get feedback from professionals who can help them work through it and improve."
The HDSB Rock Band Festival reflects the Board's ongoing commitment to student well-being, engagement and belonging through the arts. By creating a supportive environment where young musicians can perform, receive mentorship and connect with peers who share their passion, the HDSB continues to foster inclusive learning opportunities that celebrate the diverse strengths and talents of students across Halton.
Transcribed Quotes
Quote from Student
Sania Ali - Grade 12 Student at MDHS
Yeah. So, um, I am seeing through the rock band festival the past 2 years, and I also play in it, and I think what's so great about the rock band festival is getting young students voicing out there to be able to perform and learn on stage, because I think a big part of music is the actual experience. Like, you can sit and practice together, but actually, like, you know, getting used to the nerds on stage, getting to see the audience and have, like, stage presents. It's a big part of music, and I just think it's such an awesome opportunity for students to get the experience in, like, a safe controlled space, and then the workshop afterwards is excellent, because they get to have feedback from professionals, who can help them work through it and help them improve.
Quote from Chris Carson-Foster
Teacher at MDHS
So today's the Holton district, school board, rock band festival. It's our 3rd year running it. We have 31 bands from all around Halton that have come and prepared 3 songs for performance today. The 1st 2 of their songs are covers that they've been working on and the last one is an original. Yeah! Um, so they come from either secondary or elementary schools, um, and they are between 4 people and 10 people, um, rock bands. And, uh, yeah, so they perform for an audience of school, uh, age kids, and they're also performing to judges. There are three judges who are professional musicians, and they are listening to the band's play. And my favourite part is that they then do a workshop with each band. So one judge calls the band, does a 30 minute workshop with them, and tries to tweak some of the things that they could fix. from their performance, for their next performance.
I would say that the community connection is the easiest for me to think about because this brings all different arts focussed kids from different schools. to one place where they get to see each other, do great things. They're also doing great things themselves on stage, and it is a huge community building of the arts and of kids in Halton, and how we can, yeah, celebrate music in different ways and get better at it.
