It is beauty seeking to entwine itself with life, art striving to bloom, yet it is also innocence disappearing, fears coming true. It is the complexity of childhood, of art, of life, as experienced at a small school on Gillespie Street in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Childhood is a crucial period, when the foundation, the framework, the distinctive features of personality are established. During these years, the individual develops a sensibility, an outlook, knowledge and memories that shape the mind, the conscience, even the unconscious. At this school, music is just as important as math, French and the other compulsory subjects.
I believe that the teaching of the arts is fundamental to full human development. Music is an inexhaustible source of beauty, comfort and pleasure. It is a fabulous outlet that promotes communication, relaxation, openness and the expression of suppressed feelings. Playing music helps inculcate discipline, effort, rigour and perseverance. I began learning music at École Sacré-Cœur when I was 6. That was my introduction to the wondrous world of the arts. But that's not what matters. I know many people who were at elementary school with me, and only a few of them became artists or musicians. Yet all those graduates of École Sacré-Cœur – whether they are now pharmacists, engineers, social workers or something else – have retained a very strong artistic sensibility. I wanted to retrace the steps of my childhood and film what marked me the most: my musical apprenticeship. Still, making myself the star of the show was not what I had in mind. I wanted to look at my old school from an adult's perspective, capture what the new generation is experiencing and show the abiding power of education.
This documentary is not a scientific research project into the effects of music on child development. It is a film about childhood and music, about boys and girls who begin their lives learning to count, read and write, playing ball, making friends and exploring the world of music. Although the film follows three main characters, it essentially focuses on two phases: "beginnings" and "ends." In a way, the three children represent a child's entire experience at École Sacré-Cœur. Each of them embodies a time in this experience. And each of these moments is both a beginning and an end: the beginning of lessons and the end of a carefree existence; the beginning of high school and the end of elementary school.
The beginning of art and the end of childhood.
Michel Lam
