Congratulations to the 12,718 students who took part in Music for Young Children’s International Composition Festival now in its 22nd year and the largest in the world of its kind. Every MYC student has the opportunity to participate in this festival and strengthen their aural, reading and harmony skills through music composition.
Students from across Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea took part in the festival. Compositions are judged within their level in seven different regions – Western Canada (BC, AB, SK, MB), Ontario, Eastern Canada (PQ, NS, NB, PEI, NF), United States, South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand. The first place winners of each of these regions then compete internationally. Thirteen reviewers, including Canadian composer Nancy Telfer, played every piece.
Nancy Telfer has been a choral clinician and guest conductor for many provincial, national, and state organizations throughout Canada and the United States. Since 1979 Ms. Telfer has composed more than 260 works for soloists, chamber ensembles, orchestras, bands, pianists, and choirs, most of which are published in Canada and the United States. According to Ms. Telfer, “It is truly amazing to see what these children have composed – so much creativity and such a high understanding of music and music notation. As I was reading through the pieces I could hear the enjoyment the children must have had as they were writing. Composing is not a race where the greatest pleasure is often in the winning. It is while a composer is actually writing the music that the composer has the most enjoyment. I hope that these children will continue on with their composing. Music for Young Children has provided a unique opportunity for them!”
The successful Music for Young Children program, with corporate head office in Kanata, Ontario was founded in 1980 by Frances Balodis. The program, taught in small groups with adult and child both participating, includes piano instruction, singing, rhythm ensembles, sight reading, ear training, theory and composition. MYC is taught by independent teachers throughout Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam and South Korea with approximately 24,000 students enrolled this year.
2009 Composition Festival Winners
Sunshine One (3+4 years)
1. Isobel Gasparotto-See, Families, Mississaugra ON. download view
2. Naomi Spencer, Mama's Song, Edmonton, AB. download view
3. Suh Cho Yeon, Sleepy Baby Bear, Korea. download view
4. Sarah Goldstein, Princess Edyth, Holmdel, NJ. download view
Sunshine Two (4+5 years)
1. Julia Crowther, Moonlight Waves, Penticton, BC. download view
2. Julia Cossarin, The Q Song, Little Britain, ON. download view
3. Bryn Joy, Lucy and Molly are Best Friends, Dartmouth, NS. download view
4. Paige Swiriduk, Paige’s Littlest Pet Shop, Cadillac, MI. download view
Sunbeams One (5+6 years)
1. Michaela Prevett, Lost, Belmont, ON. download view
2. Laura Bennett, Zebra, Westlake, OH. download view
3. Tatiana Yau, Creepy Cat, Maple Ridge, BC. download view
4. Clare Youden, Skipping Along, St. John’s, NL. download view
Sunbeams Two (6+7 years)
1. Min-Ju Cho, Happy Days, Korea. download view
2. Ryan Hayter, Happy Times, Whitby, ON. download view
3. Jillian Claerhdut, Starfish in the Sea, Beaumont, AB. download view
4. Renee Arsenault, Bouncing Bunnies, Kensington, PE. download view
Sunbeams Three (7+8 years)
1. Abigail Reader, Jumping on a Trampoline, Steinbach, MB. download view
2. Noah Baron, Nothing, Mississauga, ON. download view
3. Nicholas Kelly, Skateboarding, Kippens, NL. download view
4. Emma Hynes, I’ll see you at music class!, Fairfield, OH. download view
Moonbeams One (7+8 years)
1. Dylan Rundle, Chant of the Dead, Belmont, ON download view
2. Jada Pasos, My Lost Puppy, Sacramento, CA. download view
3. Sheryl Samuel, I Missed You, Halifax, NS. download view
4. Kaen Schroeder, A Dolphin’s Life, Airdrie, AB. download view
Moonbeams Two (8+9 years)
1. Quinn Kuepter, A Walk in the Park, Waterloo, ON. download view
2. Maxime Perron, Shetland Pony, Calgary, AB. download view
3. Seo Jae-Young, Spring, Korea. download view
4. Mary Ann Gorodetsky, Up in the Sky, Sacramento, CA. download view
Moonbeams Three (9+ years)
1. Katherine Sparling, Autumn Air, Saskatoon, SK. download view
2. Cho Yong-Boum, Two Little Bird, Korea. download view
3. Reid Ciolfe, Fisherman’s Bay, Welland, ON. download view
4. Benjamin Kroeger, Crazy Monkey, Elridge, IA. download view
My Choice 1 (7+8 years)
1. Andrew Memije, Spy Kids, Surrey, BC. download view
2. Naomi Bruins, Spring is Coming, Port Sydney, ON. download view
3. Nicole Kissoon, Spring Fever, Fort Lauderdale, FL. download view
4. Evelyn Reid, Lego’s, Deer Lake, NL. download view
My Choice 2 (8+9 years)
1. Micah Padua, Best Friends, Surrey, BC. download view
2. Esther Chee, I Love Horses, Mississauga, ON. download view
Best Choice 1 (adult)
1. Jade Monique Sanders, My Memories, Sacramento, CA. download view
2. Rebecca Curry, Dancing Melody, Saskatoon, SK. download view
Best Choice 2 (adult)
1. Ava Hatcher, Trolls and Fairies, Prince George, BC. download view
2. Kaleigh A. Ross, To Dance In Love, Topsfield, MA. download view
We would like to thank our sponsors for their support in the 2009 Composition Festival.
Roland is the preferred piano and technology supplier to Music for Young ChildrenTM
