Two groups of Saanich music students nabbed the top prizes in the CBCB次元官网网址檚 nationwide music challenge.
On Dec.16, CBC Music announced the winners of the 2020 Canadian Music Class Challenge and, out of thousands of submissions, the judges chose McKenzie ElementaryB次元官网网址檚 junior choir and the Fraser Campbell Music School as the first-place winners in their categories.
Every year, entrants choose from a list of Canadian songs to perform for the contest, explained Fraser Campbell who runs a community music school in Saanich. Greater Victoria has always done well in the Music Class Challenge, he said, adding that past winners have included Cloverdale Traditional School and Arbutus Middle School.
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This year, Campbell and his students submitted videos in two categories. The group of 11 students ranging from Grades 5-8 performed live versions of the songs with some singing and others playing instruments.
In the Community Music Class category, the Fraser Campbell Music School nabbed first prize B次元官网网址� $1,000 worth of new musical instruments and a plaque B次元官网网址� for their rendition of Alessia CaraB次元官网网址檚 song B次元官网网址淥ctoberB次元官网网址�.
The judges noted that the lead vocalist had a B次元官网网址渓ovelyB次元官网网址� voice and commended the B次元官网网址渙utstanding rhythm section.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭his is a pretty awesome honour as we were competing against music school across Canada,B次元官网网址� Campbell said, adding that the students are already planning what theyB次元官网网址檒l perform next year.
The 23 Grade 3 students in the McKenzie Elementary junior choir were also excited to find out that theyB次元官网网址檇 won first place in the Primary Vocal category B次元官网网址� kindergarten to Grade 3 B次元官网网址� with their medley of B次元官网网址淟ike a Flower to the SunB次元官网网址�/B次元官网网址滺old OnB次元官网网址�/B次元官网网址漌eB次元官网网址檙e all in This Together.B次元官网网址�
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B次元官网网址淕reat, tuneful singing in this imaginative and safely distanced performance,B次元官网网址� said the judges.
Music teacher and choir director Arlene Salido received the email announcing the winners and immediately told principal Joanna Snow who shared the news with the whole school. The choir won $3,000 worth of new musical instruments for the school and a plaque to commemorate the big win.
B次元官网网址淚t was super exciting,B次元官网网址� Salido said, adding that this was the schoolB次元官网网址檚 third year entering the competition B次元官网网址� the junior choir placed third in 2019.
B次元官网网址淚t definitely gives [the students] a reason to look forward to music time.B次元官网网址�
The new instruments will benefit the whole school, she explained, because COVID-19 has created B次元官网网址渂ig obstaclesB次元官网网址� for music teachers; instruments used by one cohort must be sanitized or left out for several days before the next class can use them. The music room itself must also sit empty after each lesson so Salido has taken her lessons to the studentsB次元官网网址� main classrooms.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a very challenging semester B次元官网网址� but IB次元官网网址檓 happy to put in a little more effortB次元官网网址� to ensure music lessons continue, she said.
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