The Coalition Team, Musically Speaking

Music lives in all different shapes and forms in the lives of nearly every Canadian. We want to introduce how music lives in the lives of our Coalition Team and Board. This month, we’re beginning with Program Coordinator, Ashley Boychuk, and Board member, Don Quarles. Take a look at what each of them had to say by clicking here.

Principal of Music Award Winner, Cristina Cox

There are some pretty incredible Principals striving to make music education a priority in schools, and Cristina Cox is one of them. She was one of four 2015 Principal of Music Award winners for the dedication and contribution to her school's music program. The benefits of music education are alive and well at Dr. CF Cannon school, and Cristina's commitment to ensuring each child has an opportunity to experience these benefits, is making a difference. Read more by clicking here.

2016 Music Monday

The 2016 Music Monday countdown is on! We hope you’re as excited as we are and looking forward to several opportunities to make music across this great nation!

This year’s showcase concert will take place in Toronto at Nathan Phillips Square with the one and only, Youth4Music Ambassador Céline Peterson as our host. There will be live performances and speakers during the showcase, which will be webcast live to the nation as we celebrate music. We are looking for volunteers and school group musicians to help with this exciting day. If you’re interested, email Ashley at info@musicmakesus.ca, or call 416-298-2871 for more information.

We know Canada lives music every day! So, we bring you MMC2C; Music Monday Coast to Coast; Sea to Sea; and C to C … reflecting music during a normal school day across Canada - from school opening by our eastern seas all the way to closing school bells by western seas. This is a special Music Monday initiative designed to reflect YOU - your classroom, your music program, your community, your group! Want to see your school or community broadcast on May 2nd? Watch out for the special announcement!  

Call for Canadian Research

The Coalition is calling for submission of Canadian research in music education. Most of us are aware of music’s powerful link to development and growth in people of all ages, and it’s important that we support this knowledge with facts and evidence to continue to advocate for its presence in our education system. We want to hear what you know! Do you have recent research supporting the benefits of music education? Submit to us your findings, articles, or data and we will publish it on the Coalition’s website for the nation to access. Please sending your information to info@musicmakesus.ca. 

Music Monday and Youth4Music Survey

Did you participate in Music Monday last year? Have you taken part in a Youth4Music event over the past year? We receive funding from Canadian Heritage, Youth Take Charge Department for both these programs. To continue with that support and to provide the federal government with data, we are obligated to gather information from youth who are involved in our programs. Please take time with your students to complete the survey. Click here to take the survey.

Success Stories

Is there something to highlight in your school music program that you want us and others to know? Is there an inspiring story, special event, passionate student or other important spotlight in your music program? Tell us! Send us your ‘something’ by filling out this form, and we’ll broadcast it across the nation by featuring it on our website. Questions? Contact us by email at info@musicmakesus.ca, or by phone at 416-2989-2871.

This month, we're highlighting an inspiring program from the Victoria Symphony which is helping to encourage the creativity of young composers. Read more by clicking here.

Thank you, Anah!

The Coalition is thankful for Anah Shabbar’s passion, optimism and the visionary work she brought to the Coalition during the launch of the Youth4Music program. As Youth Coordinator, she provided an important youth perspective on the development of Youth4Music. We will miss her regular participation on the team.

Anah will focus her efforts on the upcoming “In the Soil Arts Festival” which takes place at the end of April. For the fourth year in a row, she will continue as the Festival’s Assistant Producer, and will create new projects with her co-founding members of the Ontario based Arts Collective: Greenbelt Arts.

We will miss her regular participation on the team, yet look forward to having Anah collaborate on future Youth4Music projects such as Music Monday. Anah continues to be a Youth Ambassador and will “speak of her experiences meeting Youth from across the country and hearing what they are saying and doing with advocacy for music in their communities.”. We wish Anah the very best!

Music, Making a Difference

We wanted to share how music is making a difference in the life of Grade 6 vocal music student, Esther, attending St. Paschal Baylon’s Elementary School in Toronto, Ontario. Esther gave her music teacher, Daniele Colla a holiday card, with a very special message, quoting Ray Charles,

“Music to me is like breathing - I don’t get tired of breathing, I don’t get tired of music. Without music, there is no Christmas.”

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 Coalition and Music Monday.