Music Monday News:

$15, 000 in 15 days for Music Monday’s 15th anniversary!

The Coalition for Music Education in Canada is celebrating the 15th anniversary of Music Monday, the only national celebration for music education in our schools and communities for all children and youth, coast to coast to coast.

For fifteen days between April 15 - 30 we are advocating for music in schools by raising $15,000 for music education. Over the past 14 years, hundreds of thousands of music educators and their students from every corner of our country have joined together to advocate for the importance of music in our lives.

Click the donation button below and join the Coalition, who envision Canada as a country where the lives of all children are enriched by quality school music programs, and where their active participation in music is valued and supported in our communities.

The 2019 Music Monday Video is now available!

The Coalition is thrilled to announce that the 2019 Music Monday anthem video is now available!  Our 2019 video highlights the importance of mentorship, collaboration and unity through music, and makes a fantastic addition to your Music Monday celebration!   

Featuring Oscar Peterson’s iconic Hymn to Freedom in a new bilingual arrangement, performed with joy and reverence by some of the country’s most respected jazz musicians (Robi Botos, Jim Doxas and Dave Young) a trio of phenomenal youth instrumentalists (Ben MacDonald, Worrell McFarlane and Irene Harrett) and a beloved Canadian choir (the Cantiamo Choirs of Ottawa, led by Jackie Hawley).

It’s not too late to register for Music Monday!

It’s not too late to register for Music Monday! Sign up now to add your voice to the thousands of Canadians who will eagerly join #togetherinharmony on May 6th. By registering, you will gain access to arrangements and recordings of the 2019 anthem! Your event will also be added to our 2019 Celebration Map, where your students can view the hundreds of other events taking place from coast to coast to coast!  

Youth4Music News:

Highlights from the Youth4Music Toronto Leadership Symposium

The 2019 Youth4Music Toronto Leadership Symposium was a great day of making music and making connections. Hosted by Youth4Music Ambassadors Christina Beharry and Murray Lefebvre, the symposium brought together youth from across Ontario who are dedicated to music and music education for a day of discussion and discovery.

If you couldn’t make it, here’s what you missed:

Keynote Address from Randell Adjei of RISE Edutainment

Youth Panel Discussion with Ariyena Sorani of Youth Jam Toronto, Allen Lu of Conchordium, and Elli Kozak of Musicians@Ryerson

Performances by CAArdia, Cole Forrest, and the Youth4Music Jazz Trio

Champions of Music Education Panel Discussion with Eric Favaro of the Coalition for Music Education in Canada, Lynn Tucker of U of T - Scarborough, and Nick Godsoe of MusiCounts

Project Plan Presentations from all of our participants.

Ukulele Jam Session facilitated by Pavithira Kumaralagan, Corinne Giannotta, and Eric Fok Pak Chuen.

Thank you to all of our guest speakers, performers, co-hosts, and planning team for pouring your hearts and souls into this, and a special thanks to everyone who spent their Saturday with us for sharing your ideas and passion for music!

Photo Credit: Liz Craig

NUFSICISUM Update

A huge thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination for this year’s NUFSICISUM Youth Leadership Award! We received a record breaking 59 nominations from across the country, for students from grade 2 all the way up to grade 12! With so many excellent candidates, selecting five winners will surely be a difficult task for our committee. Be sure to tune into the Music Monday live stream from the National Arts Centre in Ottawa as the 2019 NUFSICISUM winners are announced!

Community News:

2019 MusiCounts Scholarship

Applications are now being accepted for the 2019 MusiCounts Scholarship, an annual program that aims to “launch the music careers of 4-6 high-potential individuals” who are nearing the end of post-secondary studies in music. Canadian post-secondary institutions may nominate up to three students enrolled in music programs who intend to pursue careers in either music performance, music production/recording arts, or music business. Scholarship recipients will be awarded $4000 and an all-inclusive trip to Toronto for a week-long mentorship and networking experience, where they will learn from industry professionals. Nominations must be submitted by a school administrator by May 3, 2019.

Piano day in Kuujjuaq!

On  March 28th, a group of Kuujjuaq music students, their teachers and keyboards filled a room in Jaanimmarik school to mark an international celebration of piano music. Music teacher Sarah Russell decided to host Piano Day at the school to build some excitement around not just the piano, but music and performance in general.

“I love piano; it’s fun for everyone,” said Russell, who led some music games and a sing-along that day.

“The kids seemed interested and they really liked the piano music. I think there’s potential for this to grow.”

The event was attended by roughly 250 students, teachers and community members, and there is already talk of making it an annual event.

Read the full story here!

Stratford Festival “Teacher Day”

The Stratford Festival is hosting it’s 2019 “Teacher Day” on Saturday May 4th. This is a full day of professional development featuring artist-led workshops, discussion and lunch, plus a ticket to preview a performance. Learn more here!

Thank you • Merci • Miigwech • kinana'skomitina'wa'w

We are able to do all of this awesome work because of the support from many groups. For a full listing of this support go to www.coalitioncanada.ca