Students and staff at H.D. Stafford Middle School are whistling a happy tune this week, after the school鈥檚 Grade 7 and 8 concert band earned a big win in CBC Radio鈥檚 Music Class Challenge.

After learning last week that they鈥檇 been named among the top 10 in their category in the nationwide contest, the band 鈥� led by teacher Brock Foerster 鈥� found out Wednesday morning that they had won it all, with their rendition of Neil Young鈥檚 鈥淗eart of Gold.鈥�

They edged out more than 30 other entries.

鈥淭his means a lot to us. This is a huge accomplishment,鈥� Foerster said.

鈥淛ust to get the confirmation that we performed better than those other schools, it just means a lot to myself and the kids. It just shows that what we鈥檙e doing here is worthwhile.鈥�

Foerster said that band members gathered together before school to find out if they had won.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 just want to be at home and just check my phone to see the results, so I told the kids we were going to meet in the band room at 8 a.m. that morning and we were going to watch the video together,鈥� he explained.

鈥淪o, we came in here, put on the video and as soon as we saw our faces up there on the screen, we just lost it.

鈥淚鈥檒l never forget that celebration.鈥�

For the challenge, CBC provides bands a list of 20 Canadian songs they could choose, Foerster explained. He chose 鈥淗eart of Gold,鈥� and spent the summer arranging it for his band, with some help from his wife, Jynelle Grigg, who is also a music teacher in the district.

鈥淭here are three harmonica solos in the song, and I gave each of those solos to a different instrument section of the band,鈥� Foerster explained.

鈥淭hese solos were very challenging, especially for Grade 7 and 8s. So, the fact that these kids were able to pull off such a technically difficult arrangement is just very impressive to me, and the fact that we got first place on top of that, I just couldn鈥檛 be feeling any better right now.鈥�

The first-place finish also means the school wins $3,000 for the band room.

鈥淭he money鈥檚 going to get put to good use around the room here, buying some things we鈥檝e really needed,鈥� Foerster said.

The victory will be a huge boost for his students too, he said, adding that on his band website, the mission statement is that 鈥渟ome of the achievements we earn in band will serve as a springboard towards greater achievements in the future.鈥�

鈥淭his is definitely building confidence. If you鈥檙e told you鈥檙e the best in Canada, I don鈥檛 know how that doesn鈥檛 build a little bit of confidence in you,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e did put a lot of work into this project and just to see it pay off like this, is just so fulfilling and so gratifying. I think the kids will remember this for the rest of their lives.鈥�

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