By: Simon Proulx One of the views I am looking forward to seeing in the fall. While it is easy to blanket my first year of university with negatives, I have treated each issue as a learning experience. As previously mentioned, one of the most overwhelming issues I encountered at university was burnout. At the

By: Simon Proulx A forest trail near my home in Winnipeg Despite my initial resistance, the upsides to living at home quickly made themselves apparent. I was living in a larger area rather than a cramped dorm room, I had access to delicious and nutritious meals that I did not have to pay for, and

By: Simon Proulx Before flying to Vancouver, I was already preparing for my transition to university. During the summer, I was offered a few free online classes to help me acclimate to the post-secondary environment. I took advantage of the mental health and writing courses and got to learn about other students through discussion posts.

By: Simon Proulx My happy place - performing a concerto in Grade 11 with the Winnipeg Youth Symphony Orchestra, February 2019 I knew I wanted to enter a career in music by the end of my 10th grade year. By then, I had participated in numerous ensembles around Winnipeg, taken private lessons on piano and

By: Simon Proulx On a hike with my friends down to Wreck Beach near UBC, November 2020 Things are looking up across Canada these days. With vaccinations getting into the arms of more and more individuals, and with society gradually opening up again, it seems like we are nearing a world that might resemble the

The Jazz Jumpers have only existed as a group for about two years, but they’ve already got several notable accomplishments under their belt. They’ve been invited to perform at the Manitoba Music Conference and other community events, and they were the first ensemble to be nominated as a group for the NUFSICISUM Youth Leadership Award.

Being named a 2020 NUFSICISUM Youth Leadership Award winner came as a complete surprise to Hannah Hinz, 18, of Enderby, BC. “To me, being a 2020 NUFSICISUM youth award winner feels like a surreal accomplishment,” she told us in an interview last summer. “I really did not know that my music teacher Michelle Honcoop-Reed was

We know that applying and auditioning for post-secondary music programs is no easy feat. There’s a lot that goes into this process, like researching different programs, filling out application forms, and preparing for auditions. In order to help students who are currently applying to music programs (or thinking about it for the future), we spoke

When James Suknundun, 17, found out he was one of six 2020 NUFSICISUM Youth Leadership Award winners he was completely shocked. “I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry,” he told us in an interview earlier this year.  Though the win came as a shock to James, it certainly didn’t surprise anyone who’d been

According to 11-year-old Lily Hefford, leadership is all about taking charge and getting involved to help others. This is at the heart of who Lily is, and one of the reasons her music teacher chose to nominate her for the 2020 NUFSICISUM Youth Leadership Award.  Lily’s musical education began in kindergarten, and according to her