There was interest among students to learn about traditional drum dancing and throat singing because it is part of their culture as Inuit. And, even though Kangiqsualujjauq is an Inuit community, there are no experienced drummers or singers living here. So, we used satellite video conferencing to have an instructor teach the students from Ottawa.

A project of this magnitude was only be possible by the dedication of all the partners involved. The CRC and NRC provided our school with all hardware, technical support and broadband connection. Our school is also a member of Musicgrid and received funding from CANARIE. All of the drumming equipment, costumes and instructor fees were paid through New Paths of Learning.

The students attended lessons once per week via video conference. The material learned during the lessons was practiced three times per week with a secondary teacher from Ulluriaq--Isabelle Guay. During some of the practices, the Grade 2 Inuktitut students were invited to join and learn throat singing.

The students have performed in one video conference concert and are preparing to perform in a live concert for our community in April.