Thousands of students, musicians, parents, and community members from Charlottetown to Vancouver will come together tomorrow to celebrate the 13th annual Music Monday to raise awareness for music education. Created by the Coalition for Music Education, Music Monday will bring the nation together for the simultaneous singing of the Music Monday anthem, Sing It Together, on Monday, May 1, 2017.

Honouring Canada 150, this year’s National Showcase Concert will take place in Ottawa with a free concert at the National Arts Centre hosted by MP Seamus O’Regan and opera singer Measha Brueggergosman. The event will be live-streamed at MusicMonday.ca from 12-1 pm EST (11-12 pm Winnipeg time).

Showcase Concert performances include a mass children’s choir, the Métis Fiddle Quartet, singer-songwriter Mimi O’Bonsawin, a harp and soprano duo, youth jazz and strings ensembles, and the Ottawa Junior Youth Orchestra. Songwriter Marc Jordan, musicians from the official Music Monday video, and the children’s choir will also lead the nationwide sing-along of Sing It Together.

Sing It Together was commissioned by the Coalition for Music Education and features Inuit throat singing, Métis fiddling, Indigenous drumming, and children’s choirs in celebration of Canadian diverse and vibrant musical heritage.

Events are scheduled in communities across Canada, and participants are encouraged to join the conversation using the hashtag #MMC2C2C.

ARTICLE REFERENCE: musiccanada.com

@StevensonElem

All are welcome!  Come check it out :)

Performances by Room 9, Kindergartens, and whole school singing!

Voca People

I just saw this video and it is a great example of the flexibility and creativity of using the voice and the joy of singing together.  Our voices are instruments and when we train them properly, you can do amazing things like we see with the Voca People group.  Some of my students question why we 'have to be in choir,' which is a mandatory class at our school.  This is a perfect example of why... because our voices are incredible instruments and my job is to teach my students how to use them.  Anyone can learn this.  This type of training takes years and the first couple of steps for beginner singers is to learn to match pitch, body posture, and breathe correctly.  We get to develop our listening skills while singing in an ensemble and together we practice, practice, practice.  It's not easy to discipline ourselves and our voices, but together we will be stronger.  Sing together!

Music Monday 2017

Come and join us as we celebrate music in our school.  Thousands all across Canada, from sea to sea to sea, will be lifting up their songs in support of the music arts.

Seussical the Musical Auditions

Each year up to 120 students from across the School Division are selected to make up two casts for a selected musical production. Ms. Rempel and a team of teachers will be selecting students to audition for next year’s production, ‘Seussical, Jr.  The show will run Jan 27 – Feb 3/17.  If students make the first audition at Stevenson, they are then invited to do a second audition with Mrs. Olko on May 17 or 18th.  If you are interested, please contact Ms. Rempel and send back the audition form that was handed out. Stevenson auditions will take place on Tuesday, May 2 at 11:40 in the music room.

The criteria that Ms. Rempel and her audition team look for are:
1. musical talent (in-tune singing, dancing) / preparation
2. acting / reading / expression / voice projection
3. following directions
4. stage presence / confidence
5. excellent behaviour / student leader
6. parental commitment

Guidelines for the Division consist of choosing students from twenty-one schools, with representation from all the schools and grades. Selection is based on the quality of the audition and the character needs of the musical, which includes in-tune singing, voice projection, acting, and stage presence. Elementary students will be required to attend one weekly rehearsal on either Monday or Tuesday.

Being part of this group is a devoted commitment for four months: Sept., Oct., Nov., Jan. and the first week of Feb. Each cast will rehearse on a specified day, beginning in September. Students with lead roles will be required to attend two weekly rehearsals. There will also be additional rehearsals three weeks prior to the show. Attendance is of the utmost importance, and students must make up for all rehearsals missed by attending on the alternate cast’s day.

For audition:
1. Have your teacher/parent help you to learn one song from the attached list.  Link to Audition Material

2. Practice reading and acting out from memory, one of the passages supplied on the attached list.
3. Practice marching in time, and the box step. 

If you are selected from Stevenson, parents must do the following:

1. Fill out the application form and bring it to your audition.
2. Sign up for an audition time on line by going to Audition Sign-up Link
Second stage auditions will be held at Westwood Collegiate in the cafeteria.

Work in Progress

We are now preparing for our Music Monday concert on Monday, May 1st at 8:50 a.m. on the back playground pad.  Here's a little sneak peak of what we have been working on...

Theatre Shows

Looks like an amazing line-up of shows going on in St. James this spring.  Go and check them out and support the arts!  We have amazing talent here in this division.  

Good luck and congrats to all the cast and crew.

Westwood Collegiate production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat takes place from May 2-6 at 7 p,m. Tickets are available here.

Canadian Mosiac Concert

Getting ready to watch the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

 The Grade 4/5's went to a fantastic show at the Centennial Concert Hall this afternoon.  We watched the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra play and heard the St. Jame's Children's Choir and Junior Choir sing several numbers.  It was magical and informative as we learned about various Canadian composers and the interesting numbers they created.  Other special performers joined the show including a special lyrical dance, a tabla drummer, a recorder and string group, and a French singer.

Ready, set, listen!

SJSD Children's and Junior Choir singing with WSO