Yorkton’s Larry Pearen is the recipient of the 2020 Saskatchewan Band Association (SBA) Lifetime Member Award.
The award signifies long-term, outstanding contribution to the development of band in the province.
When asked about the award Pearen told Yorkton This Week “it’s very humbling,” adding “there are lots of people who have done lots of things,” that would make them worthy recipients of the honour.
Making the award more special is that the SBA is Pearen’s professional organization, so it’s recognition from peers “doing similar things.”
Pearen, who was the first president of the SBA back in 1982, as one of the original volunteers who formed the Association, also noted it is gratifying a new generation of SBA members remembers what early association members did.
Pearen was later elected President of the Canadian Band Association where he presented at provincial band conferences. During his term, CBA provincial memberships grew, Canadian Band Week was introduced, and the National Youth Band of Canada flourished with performances at Musicfest Canada concerts.
“It feels pretty good,” he concluded.
Then Pearen turned back into the humble man he is, spreading the award around to all those who helped him through the years, starting with his wife Sonia and family, then adding all the students who were in band through his years as an educator, their families, and the school board members who supported band activities.
According to the SBA announcement, Pearen was almost born to be a band instructor.
“Larry is the perfect recipient of this award considering the outstanding band presence he has in Saskatchewan,” stared the release. “Growing up in a musical family, Larry began his journey playing trumpet in Grade 5 in the Indian Head school band program. Throughout high school, he helped with trumpet lessons and enjoyed band trips to the Kinsmen International Band Festival in Moose Jaw.”
Pearen attended the University of Saskatchewan and graduated in 1973 and then spent nine years teaching band in the Eston-Elrose School Division.
“Just a few of his accomplishments include introducing ‘Opportunity For All’, a beginner Grade 5 band program which provided a free band instrument for the first year, allowing all students to participate,” noted the SBA. “The Eston band also represented Saskatchewan at the 1976 Grey Cup Parade in Toronto and performing in the Pre-Game and Half Time Show.”
In 1984, Pearen moved to Yorkton, and for the next 19 years he taught band in elementary, junior high, and high school band programs.
“He co-directed ‘Canada’s Largest Marching Band with more than two hundred members,” stated the SBA. “The band became known for doing the ‘scramble’ - a creative move where members broke marching formation, ran to shake hands with spectators and returned to formation before marching off. This ‘scramble’ was first performed at a nationally-televised Calgary Stampede Parade, garnering a lot of attention and the nickname ‘Canada’s Friendliest Band’.”
When asked what his career highlights were, Pearen told YTW he had three, starting with a trip to Pasadena with 225 band members and 22 chaperones to perform in the Rose Bowl Parade.
“There was only two non-American bands invited,” he noted, adding it was essentially a three-year journey for the band, from getting the invitation, through two-years of fundraising, and then the trip itself.
“It’s the premier marching band experience in North America. It’s kind of on the top of the performance list,” he said.
Number two on Pearen’s list came shortly after the Rose Bowl experience.
“The same year the band opened Telemiracle,” he said, adding it was a performance accompanying rock star Lawrence Cowan.
“It was really emotional for the students,” he said, noting they could look off the stage and see many who were being helped by the funds raised.
“It was pretty special to be there,” he said, adding many of the band members had tears in their eyes that day.
The third memory on Pearen’s list was a trip to Eastern Canada that included performances in Winnipeg, on Parliament Hill, on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec, and Montreal. He said in creating an itinerary he focused stops on a range of high school subjects, like history on the Plains, and French in Montreal.
Pearen added that with each trip, there were hours and hours of work by students before climbing on a bus, or plane.
“The journey was as important as the destination,” he said.
Since 1991, Pearen has also been the director of the Yorkton Community Concert Band and the ALL THAT JAZZ big band. He continues to be involved with these community bands and has an ongoing role in band development as an adjudicator, active guest director and clinician throughout the province.
