New manager takes helm for Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts Festival

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on August 23, 2022.

Jaimee Jarvie is the new general manager for the Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts Festival. Submitted photo

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts Festival has named a new general manager who brings many years of management and musical experience to the organization.

Jaimee Jarvie has a bachelor of music and vocal performance from the University of Lethbridge and has been singing since she was a young child.

“I have been singing and performing in the city since I was in grade school, and I actually participated in the music and speech arts festival,” said Jarvie.

She said becoming the general manager of the Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts Festival is very special to her.

“I’ve been a part of this organization in one way or another since I was a child, so the position hits really close to home for me, since this is the festival that kind of helped shape me into the musician and the artist that I am today,” said Jarvie.

She said that in terms of the business side of things, she has experience from managing a local retail store for over a decade.

“This position was a really great way for me to combine my love of management and business and my love of music and speech arts and dance and just everything that this community really has going on in it,” said Jarvie.

She said it has been nice to reach out to school teachers and some private teachers, to get feedback about the festival.

“It’s a great community position and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Jarvie.

She said she is excited to see more people come back to the festival next year after having to offer it in a different format for the last couple of years.

“We received a community initiatives program grant that will allow us to offer busing to the public school participants this year, because I know that sometimes it can be a real challenge to get an entire choir, or band or a large group of students to and from the venues,” said Jarvie.

She said something else that is in the works is a possible partnership with adjudicators to offer masterclasses and workshops.

“An opportunity for students to really have more one-on-one time with the adjudicators, to really get an opportunity to perform but also get feedback,” said Jarvie.

She said she has been in conversations with adjudicators from all across the country.

“I’m really excited to create connections with them, to get the students of Lethbridge and district excited about this festival. We’re really kind of looking at it as more of a celebration of the work that they have done, rather than a competition. It’s just a chance for them to showcase all of the hard work they’ve put in,” said Jarvie.

The festival will take place from March 20 to April 1, 2023 and registration opens on Dec. 1, 2022.

“We have three sessions per day. The festival will start at 9:00 a.m. until noon and then 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and the last session is from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. so there’s three different sessions per day per venue that people can check out,” said Jarvie.

She said they will have a clear schedule for everyone, so they can look ahead and pick out which ones they want to support.

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