'I've been practising for a long time': Mother-son duo perform at Yukon Music Festival

Brayden Marston and his motherChelsea Hamiltonbegan taking violin lessons together eight months ago.

Hamilton said they were inspired to learn the instrument after watching a local bandplay live at the bakery in Haines Junction, Yukon, where they used to live before moving to Whitehorse.

"Brayden grew up around live music and he saw the Treble Makers play live at the bakery a few times in the summer and he said he wanted to learn how to play so we decided to do that," said Hamilton.

"It sounded fun," addedMarston.

This weekend, for the first time since they started taking lessons, the mother-son duoperformed the Twinkle Theme at the Yukon Music Festival.

"I've been practising for a long time and it's so easy to play this now," said the six-year-old. "I'mproud of myself."

An opportunity to perform

The three-day festival featured130 music students in eight different concerts spread between the Whitehorse United Church and the Riverdale Baptist Church.

Andrea McColemanis part of the organizing team and a member of the Yukon Registered MusicTeacher Association.

She said the association wanted to give students an opportunity to perform since they haven't been able to since the pandemic started two years ago.

"It's a chance for the students to showcase what they've been working on all year," said McColeman.

Usually at this time of the year, there was a similar festival called theRotary Music Festival,a week-long concert for music students.

"It was more of a adjudicated event," saidMcColeman. "This one is just fun,just play your favourite piece and everyone claps and you get to hear all the other people playing."

McColeman said participants were from all kinds of music expertise and there was no fee to watch or participate.

Original performance

Studentperformances covered four centuries of music genres. From the classic pieces of Mozart toWe Don't Talk About Brunoby Lin-Manuel Miranda and an original piece by 10-year-old Rose Judy Preto.

Preto performed her own songnamedSpiralon piano.

"It's about a river," she said."I made it at home. At first it was kind of chunky and then I put it together."

Preto saidthe song is inspired by one of the paintings at her house.

"At first there was this waterfall and then there was a rocky part, then mini waterfalls, then another rocky part, and then the waterfall."