MusiCounts
219 Dufferin St. Suite 211 C M6K3J1 Toronto, ON, Canada

We're exactly 1 week away from our first 2021 MusiCounts Learn Town Hall: Music Education and Mental Wellness! Music has a well-established and increasingly utilized ability to help people of all ages and stages of life cope with challenges and foster mental wellness. Due to the restrictions caused by the current pandemic there has been a significant added level of stress and strain to teaching and learning. This MusiCounts Learn Town Hall will bring together perspectives fr...om music educators and music therapists, for an open conversation about how teachers can use music to support their students, as well as their own mental health needs during these difficult times. Join us on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2021 at 6:00 PM EST by clicking the link below and registering for the MusiCounts Learn Town Hall. The event will be streamed on Facebook live and is 100% free, so if you want to learn more about the connection between music and mental wellness come check it out! https://www.universe.com//musicounts-learn-town-hall-music

#FlashbackFriday Did you know the song "I Believe" by Nikki Yanofsky reached #1 on the Canadian Hot 100 in 2010 and it was the first song by a Canadian artist to lead the singles chart since Avril Lavigne's hit "Girlfriend"! Each year the MusiCounts Band Aid program provides funds for musical instruments, equipment and resources to schools whose music programs are in need of support. To celebrate the winners of the program, MusiCounts hosts a Band Aid Celebration each year and in 2010 welcomed Nikki Yanofsky to come speak and perform to the winning school and celebrate the importance of music education.

Our upcoming Town Hall discussion on Music Education & Mental Wellness has an absolute stacked roster of panellists who will bring perspectives from both music education and music therapy. The event is free, but we'd love if you could let us know you're coming by registering at the link below. MUSICOUNTS LEARN TOWN HALL... Music Education & Mental Wellness February 23, 2021 @ 6:00pm EST Panellists: Dr. SarahRose Black, Music Therapist & Psychotherapist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (ON) Kathy Conway-Ward, Music Educator, St. Matthew’s School (NL) Dr. Bina John, Assistant Professor of Music Education, University of Toronto Steve Holmberg, Music & Media Production Teacher, Learning Alternatives School (BC) https://www.universe.com//musicounts-learn-town-hall-music

"...those who participated in playing music reported improved self-esteem, greater independence, and fewer feelings of isolation." #MusicEducation can make a huge difference to young people's mental wellness! Read on: http://ow.ly/uOio50DwJUd #mentalhealth #mentalwellness

Just #ICYMI: The latest MusiCounts Learn Town Hall is coming soon! We’ve gathered an impressive panel of music educators and music therapists for an open discussion on music education and mental wellbeing. The pandemic restrictions have amplified stress and strain on both students and teachers; this timely town hall discussion offers a chance to discuss how teachers can use music can support students’ mental wellbeing. This FREE event will be streamed live on MusiCounts’ Face...book page, however we’d appreciate it if you let us know you’re attending by registering at the link. MUSICOUNTS LEARN TOWN HALL Music Education & Mental Wellbeing February 23, 2021 @ 6:00pm EST Panellists: Dr. SarahRose Black, Music Therapist & Psychotherapist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (ON) Kathy Conway-Ward, Music Educator, St. Matthew’s School (NL) Dr. Bina John, Assistant Professor of Music Education, University of Toronto Steve Holmberg, Music & Media Production Teacher, Learning Alternatives School (BC)

Big News! We know children, parents, and school communities are going to miss gathering for their annual holiday performances, so we're presenting MusiCounts UnSilent Night as a celebration of the strength, resilience, and joy found in music classes across the country. MusiCounts invites you to tune in to on December 10, 2020 at 8pm EST/5pm PST for performances from:... Corey Hart Matt Webb from Marianas Trench The Tenors Sacha Splash'N Boots Fred Penner Tyler Shaw BROS and more AND! We'll also feature some of the incredible achievements of schools and community programs across the country who have received MusiCounts' support. Register today, and the proceeds from your ticket will go to high-impact programs like the MusiCounts Band Aid Program, which puts instruments directly into the hands of kids who need them most. Your support will help ensure that music stays alive in our schools this year. See you there? For tickets: https://www.universe.com//musicounts-unsilent-night-ticke/

As a 10-time nominee at The JUNO Awards, Dave Young has a tremendous amount of wisdom for young jazz enthusiasts. In this interview, he lays out nine pearls of wisdom that could be applied to any music student's studies. Great read! #musiceducation #musicounts http://ow.ly/Q4S250CqcdT

Band Aid isn't just a grant for concert band instruments. It's for boomwhackers, a mixing studio, xylophones, drums... you name it! We've extended the application deadline to Dec. 11, so there's still lots of time to get your submission in. https://www.musicounts.ca/programs-overvi/band-aid-program/

Let's hear it for the teachers! Nominations for the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year, presented by CST Consultants Inc. are open now. Visit the link and shout out a deserving teacher today. http://ow.ly/43MN50Comy2

Our friends at Canada's Music Incubator have just released their 2021 program schedule, including a few new initiatives like the year-round 1-on-1 mentorship and a Virtual Artist Manager program. Looks awesome!

Get to know the judges of the CBC Music 2020 Canadian Music Class Challenge! Terra Lightfoot, Ron Cohen Mann, Odario Williams, and Julie Nesrallah will be watching submissions to see the joy, innovation, and fun streaming through music classes across the country. Submissions are open until November 24th! #MusiCounts #MusicClassisEssential

"People assume that teaching is the same. It's not. Teaching has changed." MusiCounts hears this loud and clear, which is why we developed #MusiCountsLearn resources to support teachers and extended the deadline for Band Aid applications to December 11 (have you marked your calendar?) Teachers: we've got your back. #MusicClassisEssential ... https://www.cbc.ca//teacher-questionnaire-pandemic-1.57758

Hey Teachers! We see you working harder than ever to keep #musiceducation alive in Canadian classrooms - both virtual and in-person. That's why we're extending the deadline to apply for a Band Aid grant to December 11. Take a bit more time to complete your application for up to $15,000 to spend on instruments, equipment, and resources. Visit bit.ly/MCBandAid to learn more.... #MusicClassisEssential #MusiCounts

Join me this Saturday for a musical start to the weekend! I'm excited to have some students from Dixon Hall Music School calling in as my super-special guests. And don't forget to send in your Halloween costumes for my Halloween Parade next week!

#TBT to Billy Talent's visit to Chaminade College School in 2007 in #Toronto! The band listened attentively as the school's music students put on a great performance. #MusiCounts : Sonya Surbek

Now more than ever, music teachers deserve to be celebrated ! We're so excited that this year, the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award is back to honour an exceptional, dedicated & innovative #musicteacher. The MusiCounts Teacher of the Year is recognized at The JUNO Awards, receives a financial award, and receives a MusiCounts grant to support #musiceducation at their school, thanks to the support of CST Consultants Inc. To learn more about the award and nominate a deserving teacher, click here: https://bit.ly/3mdauKO

Amazing artist and #MusiCounts supporter iskw put together her playlist for the Canadian Music Playlist Challenge. As she explains in her video, iskw's playlist includes songs that she and other Canadian artists have leaned on during the pandemic to inspire hope and comfort: LIGHTS | We Were Here Arcade Fire | Reflektor Basia Bulat | Love is At The End of the World... Jeremy Dutcher | Koselwintuwakon Big Tona | War Child Jann Arden | Counting Mercies Weaves | Drag Me Down Lido Pimienta, #Li #Saumet | Nada Tegan and Sara | Soil, Soil Leonard Cohen | Tower of Song Shad | Rose Garden #Tom #Wilson | Mohawk Ria Mae | For Your Love iskw | The Unforgotten Arkells | Come To Light The #CanadianMusicPlaylistChallenge is a new resource for teachers developed by #MusiCounts, CBC Music and #educators across #Canada. If you're a #teacher: this is a fun way to engage your #students in conversations about the music they love, no matter what restrictions your music program is faced with. This activity works well in-person and online! AND you could win 1 of 10 $1,000 MusiCounts grants by participating. To download the bilingual teacher guide and to get started, click the link: https://bit.ly/2RxcobP Special thanks to Music Publishers Canada for their support on this initiative.

Rhythm goes far deeper than just music it underpins the way we speak, the way we move, the way we think. "Rhythm is life," says Lois Butcher Poffley, a sports psychologist with a speciality in rhythm training.

"Just because you purchase a score of popular music doesn't mean it's popular music. You also need to consider the instrumentation and make the investment into those instruments so that [your students] can authentically engage in that music." - Darren Hamilton, during our MusiCounts Learn Town Hall on Decolonizing Music Education in Canada. While many schools are engaging more and more with popular music, many remain limited by the cost of purchasing new instruments. ... We can support your school through the #MusiCounts Band Aid Program Grant. Apply now for up to $15,000 in musical instruments and equipment. Whether it's audio engineering equipment, Powwow drums, fiddles, xylophones, sheet music, or workshops with elders or knowledgekeepers, school's have the flexibility to request the music equipment they need. APPLY TODAY: http://bit.ly/MCBandAid Applications are open until November 19!