FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Calgary, April 21, 2015 – Calgary joins the 2015 Music Monday, Canada’s annual nationwide celebration of the power of music in our schools, with a musical extravaganza event featuring performers and special guest speakers live from Stage One at The National Music Centre on Monday, May 4, from 10-11 am MST. The musical extravaganza is joining the national public webcast and is open to the media. Music Monday Anthem Search winner, 16 year-old high school student Connor Ross will be in Montreal to lead the nation in a simultaneous sing-a-long of the new Music Monday anthem, We Are One. Thousands of elementary and high school students in Calgary will raise their voices alongside students in Alberta and across the country, who have registered to sing We Are One and take part in the Music Monday celebration.
Calgary is a richly diverse musical destination, explains Coalition for Music Educations’ Executive Director Holly Nimmons. “Hosting an event from Canada’s National Music Centre, an institution devoted to preserving and celebrating our nation’s musical heritage exemplifies Connor Ross’ poignant lyric, that we are indeed one. I couldn’t be more thrilled at how this exciting event is shaping up”.
“At the National Music Centre we see the power of music everyday, and nothing is more touching than when that power is harnessed by children. We’re proud to support Music Monday and its incredible commitment to music education and a stronger Canada through it,” said Andrew Mosker, President and CEO of the National Music Centre.
It’s an honour to be a part of this exciting national music celebration in Calgary,” said Brian Gervais, Senior Vice President, TD, Prairie Region. “We love music and are committed to supporting youth with access to music education in the communities where we live and work.”
Three-time ACMA Nominee Youth4Music Host Amy Metcalfe will host the Calgary showcase. The Calgary Stetson Show Band, Canada’s premier marching band and performing arts ensemble for youth grades 10 – 12 will kick off the festivities which include pop country vocalist Amy Metcalfe, the JazzYYC Youth LaB Band, classical music courtesy of Central Memorial High School Strings Ensemble, and alt-country favourites Calgary’s own Cowpuncher. A showcase for up and coming group music the Calgary celebration also features emerging rock artists, The Static Shift as well as the Cranston School Choir. The performance will be featured in the national webcast that includes a performance from anthem winner, songwriter Connor Ross live from Montreal.
Montreal takes the lead for this year’s Music Monday, with a showcase at Place des Arts on Monday, May 4, from 12-1pm EST. Youth4Music’s David Peretz-Larochelle will host the Montreal showcase. Along with Connor Ross, the event features jazz, courtesy of the Alain Caron Quartet, classical music from the McGill Chamber Orchestra and Maestro Boris Brott, and hip-hop, courtesy of The Lifeboat Project from Gerald McShane Elementary, Grammy Award-winning and two-time JUNO-nominated singer/songwriter Jennifer Gasoi and students from Harold Napper Elementary School, and First Nation artists from N’We Jinan and the St. Thomas More School drumline.
Individuals and groups participating in Music Monday are also invited to share their creative spin on the new Music Monday anthem, We Are One. Music Monday’s We Are Creative initiative www.musicmonday.ca/wearecreative will showcase their own flare on We Are One by creating a video in any musical style or genre using Music Monday resources, which include the We Are One lead sheet, various arrangements and translations and an instrumental backtrack. The video should be prefaced with a dedication to the person who cultivated the creator’s love and passion for music.
Everyone is invited to join the celebrations via the live web-cast streaming on www.musicmonday.ca.
ABOUT MUSIC MONDAY
Launched in 2005, Music Monday is the world’s largest single event dedicated to raising awareness for music education. Each year, hundreds of thousands of students, educators, and music makers participate in a simultaneous nationwide concert performance of an original song written by a Canadian artist. In 2013, Music Monday extended its reach into space with I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing) co-written by former Canadian Space Agency Astronaut and musician Chris Hadfield and Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Robertson, and commissioned by CBCMusic.ca and The Coalition for Music Education. More info: www.musicmonday.ca.
ABOUT THE COALITION FOR MUSIC EDUCATION
Music Monday is an annual initiative of The Coalition for Music Education, an organization made up of parents, students, educators, and business people from varying walks of life who support school music programs and highlight the importance of music education for all young people in Canada. More info: www.musicmakesus.ca.
ABOUT TD COMMUNITY GIVING
TD Bank Group invests in communities in order to effect positive change in the places where it operates and where its customers and employees live and work. In 2014, TD donated more than $82 million to community organizations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In Canada, TD focuses on education and financial literacy, creating opportunities for young people and the environment. For further information, please visit www.td.com/corporate-responsibility.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL MUSIC CENTRE
The National Music Centre (NMC) is a national catalyst for discovery, innovation and renewal through music. In its new home at Studio Bell, NMC will preserve and celebrate Canada’s music story and inspire a new generation of music lovers through programming that includes on-site and outreach education programs, performances, artist incubation, and exhibitions. For more information, please visit nmc.ca.
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