From left, singer Dakota Oliver, drummer James Brown and guitarist Jesse Arsenault are among the students taking part in Wednesday night’s “Beatlemania,” a fundraiser for the Summerside Salvation Army Food Bank. The night of Beatles music begins at 7 p.m. at Summerside Intermediate School. Nancy MacPhee/Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE — When Jesse Arsenault was born, it had been almost three decades since the Beatles’ last performance.
Yet, despite not having released a full-length original album since 1970, the music of the Fab Four has captivated the Summerside teen.
“I find John Lennon especially inspiring,” said the young guitar player. “I love how he was such a great poet. He wrote such great lyrics.”
Arsenault is among a group of Summerside Intermediate students bringing the music of the Beatles to life on Wednesday in an effort to help the Summerside Salvation Army Food Bank.
Since September, SIS music director Peter Gallant has been rehearsing select songs from the Beatles’ extensive catalogue with his show band students.
“Simply put, my generation and the generation that I teach are probably miles apart. I want them to know where good songwriting skills, good guitar playing came and good keyboard and technology of the keyboard came from,” said Gallant, a Beatles enthusiast. “The Beatles pretty much have the most recognized and used popular song style, so we teach that.”
Thanks to Paul McCartney’s recent tour and the release of Beatles Rock Band there’s a new interest and resurgence in the music of Britain’s Fab Four.
But Grade 9 student James Brown’s love of the Beatles started as a child.
“You always hear them and I’ve always like them,” said the drummer. “It’s fun just to be able to play their songs because most people will know all the songs.”
“Come Together” is his favourite Beatles tune. “It has a good drum part and it’s such a weird song.”
Dakota Oliver is singing several songs Wednesday night, including “Got To Get You Into My Life”, “Hey Jude” and a solo of “Little Help From My Friends.”
The Grade 8 student credited Gallant with sparking her interest in their music. And she hears their influence everywhere.
“I find the music now . . . it’s all branched out from the Beatles.”
Since introducing his pupils to songs like “Let It Be” and “Hey Jude”, Gallant found students doing their own research on the band.
“The younger students, some of them think the Beatles are still touring,” he said with a laugh. “A lot of them have purchased greatest hits albums, they’ve gone out and found ‘Sgt. Pepper’ in the bargain bins.”
Gallant said in preparing for the fundraiser, his students have not only learned about the Beatles, but about being good citizens.
“It’s our way of not only helping the community enjoy some good music but to teach the students here at SIS about community responsibility and volunteerism.”

‘Beatlemania 2’ at SIS
What: “Beatlemania 2,” a 70-minute show featuring 20 of the Beatles biggest hits with two giant TV screens providing visual accompaniment.
Who: Summerside Intermediate show band, house band and vocalists.
When: 7p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Where: Summerside Intermediate School cafeteria.
Why: A fundraiser for the Summerside Salvation Army Food Bank. Admission is a non-perishable food item.
• Featured songs include: “Hello Goodbye”, “Hey Jude”, “Come Together”, “Blackbird”, “Let It Be”
• Beatles’ secrets, such as what song was originally called “Miss Daisy Hawkins,” and who is Jude will be revealed.