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Elementary Students in Final for National Music Contest


In an annual competition involving tens of thousands of students from across Canada, two music classes from Capitol Hill Elementary have made the finals.

Every year music classes sign up for the CBC Music Class Challenge, choosing a Canadian song from the pre-approved list. The students learn and perform their rendition of it and submit a video entry. Burnaby Schools music teachers and students have submitted exceptional work. This year, Capitol Hill Elementary and Second Street Community School entered two classes each, with Capitol Hill still in the running for top spot in both instrumental and vocal categories. Last year, the District’s Sound Wave Hand Bell Choir – made up of Grade 7-12 students from seven schools – won the top spot in their category, and two Second Street Community School music classes finished in the top ten in the 2019 contest.

In other years, students get the chance to perform their planned submission at school assemblies, and sometimes in the community. This is a year like no other, with only virtual performances due to the pandemic, students wearing masks and standing further apart, but still singing and playing from their hearts. You can see the student talent displayed in this year’s nationwide contest in the following video compilation of the four entries from throughout the District (links to their individual submissions are below).

Ms Lui’s Grade 4 and 5 students in Capitol Hill Elementary’s Hand Chime Ensemble, who are finalists, submitted a unique rendition of “Call Me Maybe” in the instrumental category. Watch their submission

Her Grade 3-6 Choir students, who are finalists, chose “Seed in the Ground” for their musical number in the vocal category. Watch their submission

At Second Street Community School, the music teachers are Lucas Teodoro da Silva and Alana Worsley. There, Ms Farina’s Grades 6 & 7 class entered the vocal category for their video of the genre-bending Canadian classic “Crabbuckit.” Watch their submission

Mr Bell’s Grade 7 class at Second Street Community School entered the instrumental category with their video of the hit song “Call Me Maybe.” Watch their submission

Winners of the competition will be announced December 15. To learn more about the Canadian Music Class Challenge, visit CBC’s website, and to view all the participating schools, click here.

Posted December 2020