The SBA is proud to have established the Saskatchewan Youth Bands program as a complementary, provincial co-hort to the National Youth Band of Canada. 

Saskatchewan Band students are fortunate to have access to a number of "honour band" opportunities, from university invitationals to school division focused select bands and honour bands - each opportunity provides young band musicians outstanding development and expertise.

Our Saskatchewan Youth Bands (SYB) focuses on bringing students together from around the province, delivering expert development on their individual instruments and challenging them musically under the direction of exceptionally experienced Conductors.

Lindsay Holizki is an itinerant Band Teacher in the South East Cornerstone Public School Division, serving the schools of Rocanville and Redvers. She holds a Bachelor of Music Performance (2020) and a Bachelor of Music Education (2022), both completed at the University of Regina.

Lindsay is passionate about creating an uplifting, supportive environment where musical growth can occur. This passion is rooted in her own experiences attending various honour bands when she was younger. Those opportunities left a lasting impact on her, and she is grateful to now give back by working with young musicians in similar settings.

Vlad Tsymbal is a dedicated educator, band director, and performer, based in Regina, Saskatchewan. He completed a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from the University of Regina in 2015. Vlad’s first teaching job was in Imperial, SK, where he taught band in four small communities. In 2019, he moved back to Regina and started teaching elementary Band with Regina Public Schools. During his career, Vlad has taught various levels of concert bands, jazz bands, rock bands, and community ensembles.

Besides teaching, Vlad loves to perform all over Saskatchewan with his Ukrainian party band, Hutsul Drive. Vlad believes that, besides learning the notes and rhythms, music education has the power to make people better critical and creative thinkers, team players, and more compassionate humans. The process of learning music is unique and rewarding. Each performance is an opportunity for a special emotional connection, whether the tune is Hot Cross Buns or Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5.

Will Martin Grew up in a musical family on the South Coast of England, learning trumpet from the age of 8 and later taking up percussion. Will has been a member and performed with some of the finest bands in the world including the Yorkshire Building Society Band, Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Besses o'th' Barn, Brighouse and Rastrick and the Fairey Band.

Will Moved to Canada in 2007 and now resides in Saskatoon where he works for Saskatoon Public School Division. As a performer Will has been a member of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and many other local ensembles. He conducts the Saskatoon Brass Band and also founded the Bridge City Brass Band in 2008. He has had the honour of being the guest Director for the International Music Camp Adult Brass Band since 2023 and a guest director for the Calgary based Altius Brass.

Bev Brander has been passionate about music for as long as she can remember, first picking up the trumpet in Grade 5 through the Regina Catholic School Bands Program. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Regina and later completed her Master of Music at Bowling Green State University.

Bev has spent over 30 years teaching band and arts education with the Regina Public School Board. Even in retirement, she stays very active in the music community. She directs the Prairie Winds Intermediate Community Band and the Bandits Community Concert and Jazz Bands, and performs on cornet with the Queen City Brass Band.

Benjamin Giesbrecht is a skilled musician and educator whose conducting journey began in Saskatoon,

following early successes as a horn player. After completing six years of study at the University

of Saskatchewan, Benjamin earned both a Bachelor of Music in Music Education (Honours) and

a Bachelor of Education. He also developed a keen interest in researching and

addressing Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) in schools, eventually authoring an article

for Canadian Winds.

Benjamin teaches band (and other subjects) at Ernie Studer School and Carpenter High School,

which regularly receive awards at festivals. While teaching, he continued his professional

development by earning a Master’s in Wind Conducting from Messiah University, He also started a YouTube channel to keep his instrumental skills sharp and founded the Meadow Lake New Horizons Band.

2025 - Saskatchewan Jazz Honour Band

The SBA is pleased to offer the Saskatchewan Jazz Honour Band for the third year!  The Jazz Honour Band will take place on April 4th - 6th, 2025 in Regina. 

For more information about the 2025 Saskatchewan Jazz Honour Band visit:  Jazz Honour Band

Sponsors for one or more of these programs: