MYC’s 36th Annual International Composition Festival
We are proud and excited to be celebrating our 36th Annual Composition Festival! Such an amazing part of our curriculum! Over the past month we have received over 3600 compositions! Songs composed by Music for Young Children students from the ages 3 to 10, from Canada, the U.S., Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam.
From March 27 to April 6, each composition is played and judged within their level in four different regions – Western Canada (BC, AB, SK, YK, NT, MB), Eastern Canada (ON, PQ, NS, NB, PEI, NF), United States & Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam). The first place pieces from the four regions then go head to head to place Internationally. The eight first place International winners each receive $250 (eight different age levels). You can watch the International Decisions on our Facebook Page. The Livestream will air on Thursday April 6th, at 11am EST!
Thank you to this year's 10 reviewers, who are all experienced MYC Teachers. They are: Chair Frances Balodis, Owner Olivia Riddell, Tania Granata, Cheryl McDonald, Eileen Leversedge, Carrie Bailey, Barbara Faubert, Dan Tremblay, Melody Louie and Mairéad Frizell.
All MYC students write their compositions out in full. Even 3 and 4 year olds can express their ideas using MYC’s special Critter friends. Frances Balodis, Composition Chair and founder of Music for Young Children, says, “It is important when playing the compositions to remember how young these children are. I am pleased and amazed that they are writing down their musical thoughts. Seeing the hand script is overwhelming – big circles for notes and sticks for stems. They are doing their very best. It teaches them that their music can be shared far across the world…just because it is written down. Many life-lessons learned in this composing adventure.”
This year with the Composition Festival being online, we are fortunate have 4 Guest Reviewers from across Canada and the US.
Alice Dearden (Ontario)
"I love the MYC Composition Festival because it helps my students realize that they can create something new and wonderful. I am always amazed at their creativity as they figure out how to express an idea or paint a picture with music."
Sheryl Hung (British Columbia)
"I love MYC for its playful approach to teaching music. Having taught music for over a decade, my MYC classes continue to be a highlight of my week. The MYC Composition Festival is one of my favourite times of the year. My students and I enjoy the process of composing as we play and share music together. The students learn to express themselves through writing music and develop a deeper understanding of music styles, forms, and theory. It’s a fun and rewarding experience for everyone involved. I am always amazed by the creativity and talent coming from my students each year. I’m grateful that MYC offers this wonderful opportunity for the students and myself to grow as musicians. Being invited as a Regional Reviewer for the 2023 MYC Composition Festival is truly an honour."
Beth Degroot (New Brunswick)
"I have been teaching MYC for 11 years. I love the warm supportive environment it creates for children and their parents. The program makes learning a fun game. Every week our students learn a new story, a new game, a new skill. It is wonderful to watch children turn into fine young musicians. Composing is a highlight of our music year. Every student has creative ideas that are unique. I love giving them the skills and confidence to turn their ideas into a composition. They are so proud of their accomplishment when they have finished. Every year they build on their composing skills and by the time they reach Moonbeams 3 they are amazing!"
Jenna Schwenk (USA)
"Teaching young students that they have the knowledge and ability to not only play someone else’s music, but to write their own, is an invaluable part of music education. It is the most challenging and most rewarding experience of the MYC program. As an MYC teacher for the past 16 years, the level of creativity in my students when it comes to composing never ceases to amaze me. I enjoy watching them draw inspiration from some of the very songs they have learned throughout the years while also making it completely their own. I’m honored to have been asked to help evaluate this year and I’m looking forward to hearing the personalities of these young musicians come out in the songs they have written."
Special thanks to George Litterst, creator of SuperScore. Once again this year George will be creating a free download of the 2023 Winners!
www.myc.com/about-myc/superscore/
A special thank you to Roland Canada, who are our sponsor for this year's Composition Festival. We at MYC are proud to be affiliated with Roland and grateful for their sponsorship of many years, as they continue to demonstrate their dedication to music education.
We would like to thank Gilmore Printing for sponsoring the printing of the composition stickers and the certificates the winners will receive.
Gilmore Printing Services is a full service commercial printer that has been providing both digital and offset print services since 1991.