Student Symphony Reaches New Heights

On Monday, May 5, students across the District School Board of Niagara will come together to fill the skies with music at the annual Music Monday concert.

This year marks the 10th anniversary that the Coalition for Music Education has helped Canadians celebrate the importance of Music Education. The official song is, once again, "Is Somebody Singing", which they many Canadians will be performing at the same time on the same day across our country. The song is a collaboration between Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson and Commander Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station.

DSBN secondary schools will be gathering to celebrate the day at Beamsville District Secondary. Students from 9 secondary schools will come together to commemorate the occasion. The day will culminate with students performing the official Music Monday song at 1:00 p.m.

Many elementary students will also be in on the chorus, with events planned at public schools across Niagara. Visit the Music Monday map to see which schools have registered their events.

“Music education has a tremendous impact on students,” explains Gerda Klassen, DSBN Arts Consultant. “There are numerous studies that show that students involved in music programs are better in languages, learn to read more easily, are stronger in numeracy, and develop strong independent thinking skills. They also tend to show a high level of enjoyment in school. Beyond that, music education encourages, teaches and supports creativity in our students.”

Music Monday began as an initiative of the Coalition for Music Education in Canada to celebrate the importance of music in our lives and our schools. Last year, more than 650,000 students across Canada joined voices to perform the same piece of music on the same day.

For more information on Music Monday please visit the event’s official website.

List of participating secondary schools:

•           A.N.Myer

•           Beamsville

•           Eden High School

•           E.L.Crossley

•           Governor Simcoe

•           Port Colborne

•           Stamford Collegiate

•           Sir Winston Churchill

•           Welland Centennial