Canadian Music Class Challenge 2021: national top tens revealed

The Canadian Music Class Challenge is CBC Music's salute to music education in this country. In association with MusiCounts, every year we invite music instructors to teach their students a Canadian song from our pre-approved list.

This year, teachers and students from every province and territory signed up to safely learn and perform their best version of a Canadian song on every instrument imaginable — and in every social distancing scenario imaginable.

You can imagine how challenging it was for us choose the top finalists in each category this year, when everyone continues to be dedicated to keeping music education alive.

Our judges now have the difficult task of choosing the winning classes in each category. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 14. 

Until then, enjoy the work from our 2021 top tens - our national finalists — and congratulations to all the classes that made it, and thank you to all the teachers, musicians and schools that have taken part in the 2021 Canadian Music Class Challenge.

(Please note: Categories 1-8 are public schools, Category 9 is for community/independent/private schools.)

Category 1: Primary Instrumental (kindergarten to Grade 3)

First prize: $3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque.
Second prize: plaque.
Third prize: plaque.

Finalists:

• Bancroft Elementary (Grade 2),  Montreal ("Hey Dum, Diddley Dum").
• Bancroft Elementary (Grade 3),  Montreal ("C'est l'aviron"). 
• Glenwood Elementary, Burnaby, B.C. ("Sandwiches"). 
• Lake Hill Elementary, Victoria, B.C.  ("C'est l'aviron").

Enjoy the videos below!

Category 2: Primary Vocal (kindergarten to Grade 3) 

First prize: $3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque.
Second prize: plaque.
Third prize: plaque.

Finalists:

• Balmoral Hall School's Choir, Winnipeg ("Strawberry Moon (Ode'min Giizis)").
• Bancroft Elementary (Grade 1), Montreal ("Small But Mighty").
• Hawthorne Bilingual Alternative School and Essex Public School's EH Primary Choir, Toronto ("Strawberry Moon (Ode'min Giizis)".
• Honoré Mercier Elementary, Saint-Léonard, Que.  ("Small But Mighty"). 
• Lois E Hole Elementary, St. Albert, Alta. ("Small But Mighty").
• Malala Yousafzai Public School, Caledon, Ont. ("Strawberry Moon (Ode'min Giizis)").
• Nelson Rural School (Grade 2), Miramichi, N.B.  ("Small But Mighty").
• Porter Street Elementary (Grade 3, Division 7), Coquitlam, B.C.  ("Sandwiches are Beautiful").  
• Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary, Vancouver ("Strawberry Moon (Ode'min Giizis)").
• Westminster Public School (Grade 3), Brockville, Ont. ("Small But Mighty").

Enjoy the videos below!

Category 3: Elementary Instrumental (grades 4-6)

First prize: $3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque.
Second prize: plaque.
Third prize: plaque.

Finalists:

• Bancroft Elementary, Montreal ("C'est l'aviron").
• Banff Elementary, Banff ("Salvation"). 
• Capitol Hill Elementary, Burnaby, B.C. ("On My Own").
• Dr. Annie B. Jamieson, Vancouver ("Sandwiches").
• Gabriola Elementary, Gabriola Island, B.C. ("Sandwiches").
• Helen E. Taylor School, Wembley, Alta. ("Sandwiches").
• Sir Richard McBride Elementary, Vancouver ("Warrior").
• Suzuki Charter School, Edmonton ("Salvation"). 
• Suzuki Charter School, Edmonton ("Slow Fade"). 
• Victory School, Winnipeg ("C'est l'aviron").

Enjoy the videos below!

Category 4: Elementary Vocal (grades 4-6)

First prize: $3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque.
Second prize: plaque.
Third prize: plaque.

Finalists:

• Armstrong Elementary, Burnaby, B.C. ("Sandwiches").
• Bancroft Elementary (grades 4-6 choir), Montreal ("Strawberry Moon (Ode'min Giizis)").
• Downtown Vocal Music Academy (TDSB), Toronto ("Umami").
• Hillcrest Elementary, Salmon Arm ("Safe and Sound").
• Millen Woods Public School, Waterloo, Ont. ("Nerve").
• Parkside Centennial Elementary, Aldergrove, B.C. ("Safe and Sound").
• Saint John Fisher Senior Elementary, Pointe-Claire, Que. ("When the Night Feels my Song & Safe & Sound Mashup").
• Second Street Community School, Burnaby, B.C. ("Knocking at the Door").
• Sir Wilfred Laurier Elementary, Vancouver, B.C. ("Wonder").
• St. Joseph Catholic Elementary, Oshawa, Ont. ("Wonder").

Enjoy the videos below!

Category 5: Junior Instrumental (grades 7-10)

First prize: $3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque.
Second prize: plaque.
Third prize: plaque.

Finalists:

• Austin O'Brien High, Edmonton ("I Got Love).
• Colborne Public School, Colborne, Ont.  ("Up We Go" ).
• Dr. Annie B. Jamieson Elementary, Vancouver ("Top of my School").
• Marymount Academy International, Montreal ("I'm Like a Bird").
• Michael Power St. Joseph's, SuperString Squad, Toronto ("Slow Fade").
• Rawlinson Community School (grades 7-8), York, Ont. ("Knocking at the Door").
• Second Street Community School (Grade 7), Burnaby, B.C. ("Knocking at the Door")
• Sherwood Park Elementary, North Vancouver ("Knocking at the Door").
• Sussex Regional High (Grade 10), Sussex, N.B. ("I Got Love).
• Suzuki Charter School, Edmonton ("Knocking at the Door").

Enjoy the videos below!

Category 6: Junior Vocal (grades 7-10)

First prize: $3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque.
Second prize: plaque.
Third prize: plaque.

Finalists:

• Arbutus Global Middle School, Victoria, B.C. ("Safe and Sound").
• Burnaby South Secondary, Burnaby, B.C. ("Wonder").
• Calgary Arts Academy, Calgary, Alta. ("Working for the Weekend").
• Carleton Village Sports and Wellness Academy, Toronto ("The Anthem").
• Centre D'Excellence Artistique de L'Ontario, Ottawa ("Strawberry Moon (Ode'min Giizis)"). 
• École Secondaire du Sommet, Halifax ("Strawberry Moon (Ode'min Giizis)").
• École Secondaire Gabriel-Dumont, London, Ont. ("Top of my School").
• Heritage Regional High School, Saint-Hubert, Que. ("Working for the Weekend").
• Second Street Community School, Burnaby, B.C. ("Salvation"). 
• Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary (Chamber), Vancouver ("Strawberry Moon (Ode'min Giizis)").

Enjoy the videos below!

Category 7: Senior Instrumental (grades 11-12)

First prize: $3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque.
Second prize: plaque.
Third prize: plaque.

Finalists:

• Austin O'Brien High, Edmonton ("Working for the Weekend").
• Cobequid Education Centre, Truro, N.S. ("Working for the Weekend"). 
• Gladstone Secondary, Vancouver ("Nerve"). 
• Langley Fine Arts School, Fort Langley, B.C. ("I'm Like a Bird").
• Marymount Academy International, Montreal ("Wonder").
• Old Scona Academic, Edmonton ("When the Night Feels My Song").
• O'Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Oshawa, Ont. ("Knocking at the Door").
• Senator O'Connor College School, Toronto ("Up!").
• St. Thomas Aquinas, Tottenham, Ont. ("I Got Love"). 
• Windsor Secondary, North Vancouver ("Working for the Weekend").

Enjoy the videos below!

Category 8: Senior Vocal (grades 11-12) 

First prize: $3,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque.
Second prize: plaque.
Third prize: plaque.

Finalists: 

• All Saints Catholic Secondary, Whitby, Ont. ("Knocking at the Door").
• Eastwood Collegiate Institute, Kitchener, Ont. ("Up We Go"). 
• Glendale Secondary, Hamilton, Ont. ("Nerve")
• Laura Secord Secondary, St. Catharines, Ont. ("While We Wait").
• O'Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Oshawa, Ont. ("Strawberry Moon (Ode'min Giizis)").
• R.A. McMath Secondary, Richmond, B.C. ("Salvation"). 
• Sir William Mulock Secondary, Newmarket, Ont. ("Slow Fade").
• St. Roch Catholic Secondary,  Brampton, Ont.  ("While We Wait"). 
• St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High, Richmond Hill, Ont. ("Wonder").
• Transcona Collegiate Institute, Winnipeg ("Nerve").

Enjoy the videos below!

Category 9: Community/Independent/Private School Class  

First prize: $1,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque.

Finalists:

• Adagé Music Duncan's Adagé Rock Band, Duncan, B.C. ("Salvation").
• Cross Canada Fiddle's Fiddelium, Nanaimo, B.C. ("Top of My School").
• Dearcroft Montessori, Oakville, Ont. ("Hey Dum, Diddley Dum").
• Fraser Campbell Music School, Victoria ("Salvation").
• Leahurst College High, Kingston, Ont. ("Wonder").
• Le Club Sportif et Culturel Ouest Can, Montreal ("The Anthem").
• Oak Ridge Percussion, Colborne, Ont. ("Knocking at the Door").
• Piano Studio of Leanne Hiebert's 12 Hands, Winnipeg ("Strawberry Moon (Ode'min Giizis)").
• The Arco Fiddlers, Pine Glen, N.B. ("Wonder").
• West Point Grey Academy, Vancouver ("Sandwiches").

Enjoy the videos below!

Category 10: Indigenous Languages Prize (favourite performance of 'Strawberry Moon (Ode'min Giizis)')

First prize: $1,000 in new musical instruments and a plaque.

Finalists:

• Assumption College School, Brantford, Ont. 
• École Lansdowne, Winnipeg.
• Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Ottawa.
• Lochside Elementary (Grade 3), Victoria, B.C.
• London Christian Elementary, London, Ont. 
• Maple Ridge Environmental, Maple Ridge, B.C.
• Nesbitt Elementary, Montreal.
• Notre Dame Catholic School, Orillia, Ont. 
• Pearson Academy, Brookfield, N.L.
• Sussex Regional High, Sussex, N.B.

Enjoy the videos below!

Good luck to all of these amazing music classes, and to all the others who registered and participated! The winners will be announced Tuesday, Dec 14.

Questions? Please email us: [email protected].