A class of Grade 5 and 6 students at Notre Dame Catholic School in Orillia have advanced to the top 10 in CBC’s Canadian Music Class Challenge.
“Schools from all 10 provinces and all three territories had submissions this year. There were over 500 submissions, and we are in the top 10 list, which is really exciting,” says Grade 5/6 teacher, Patrick Gowan.
The Notre Dame students recorded their submission back in October. They chose to perform Strawberry Moon, which was originally performed by Tara Williamson.
“There is a part of the song that is in English, but there is also some Anishinaabe form of Cree, so the students actually learned to sing in an Indigenous language,” Gowan explained.
The students also learned sign language which they perform in the video submission. The song also has a pianist, two drummers, two guitarists, and a student playing the rain stick.
“It was a great learning experience for the kids, and they enjoyed putting our little performance together and sending it off to CBC,” Gowan said.
Notre Dame will find out this week where they will place within the top 10. If they are selected as the winner, the school could receive $3,000 in musical instruments and a coveted plaque.
“The kids poured their hearts into it, they really enjoyed the song, and they have already been well rewarded. Right now, with COVID we can’t do much music these days, but this helped promote music in the school and in the classroom,” Gowan said.
Grade 5 student James Hardie was one of the three soloists featured in the performance.
“I liked being a part of this experience ... it was a fun thing to do with all my friends,” he said.
“I liked learning how to say things in another language, it helps me communicate with more people.”
Hardie is proud of himself and his classmates for being recognized by CBC in the top 10.
“It’s really exciting,” he said.
Grade 5 student Olivia Favaro played the piano during the performance.
“I’m very excited that we made it to the top 10. I think we have a good chance to win," she said.
Favaro says her favourite part of putting the performance together was learning a different language.
“I think it’s cool because I got to figure out what some of the words meant. If I ever meet a person who speaks that language I might be able to use the words I learned to speak to them,” she said.
