EMSB students record to launch 18-month musical project

“The Adventures of Eva the Louse” is a musical project that is weaving together the talents of over 150 students from across the English Montreal School Board. The multi-level educational and artistic initiative is led by co-conductors Dimitris Ilias and Kerry Roebuck. Friday was the second of two recording days at Oscar Peterson Concert Hall.

“For the actual recording of the book, we used an orchestra in Sofia, Bulgaria,” Ilias says, adding “[the orchestra] recorded there, and then the kids recorded here with their headphones.”

The collaboration with the 40-piece orchestra will culminate in an album and book, with the goal of providing students with insight into the music industry.

“Many of these kids don’t have musical experience or choir experience. We basically audition them. We choose the kids that can really, really get together fast their music and then they sing,” the musical director told CityNews.

Having been involved in producing 11 such albums and books, Concordia University music professor and project engineer Mark Corwin encourages students to embrace the behind-the-scenes in the studio too.

“Now, they will know that when they sang for this book that they’ll have on their shelf, they were in recording studios. Some people may be thinking about the recording studio’s impact on them when they are looking at a job. […] Their education should be as full and as rounded as possible,” Professor Corwin explained.

“The Adventures of Eva the Louse” recounts the tale of a village of lice located on the head of a boy named Paul.

“When he comes home, the parents ambush Paul and they put him under and they start to de-louse him and cut his hair.” Ilias adds as a result, “there is an ecological disaster at the Village of the Lice, so these rivers of shampoo wash away their homes.”

The narrative springs from author Mihalis Makropoulos, with illustrations by Philippe Béha and composition by Giannis Georgantelis.

“The music that Giannis wrote has very many different elements,” the musical director says. For example, “he has a tarantella, which is a very happy Italian sound piece. When they’re walking in the grueling desert of Grandpa’s bald head, it reminds you of Conan the Barbarian, a very, very slow march. […] It keeps it interesting for the kids.”

“My favorite part of the songs is really just being able to put in my emotions. I love the songs where you’re just able to feel the tension and the joy,” Noah Roth, a grade 6 student at Royal Vale School says.

Marley Tapia, a Grade 4 at Willingdon Elementary School shared “My favorite one of the songs is the Village of the Lice. […] We did a part for sound effects for the book and we had to clap.”

Although recording can be a grueling process, Ilias says he’s pleased to have a group of little professionals.

“These kids, when the book comes out, it has their names inside. [It] will be launched in October and they have a big red carpet event. They’re going to come by limousines. They’re going to sign the books next to the composer, the author and the illustrator. So we’re making a big, big event and they’re going to get to sing with a live symphony orchestra,” he told CityNews.