This post is the last of the school year as we head into the summer holidays. To cap off the year and with Canada Day just around the corner, here’s a quintessentially Canadian folk song, Log Driver’s Waltz. To celebrate this uniquely Canadian holiday, is there anything more Canadian than watching this beflannelled, betuqued lumberjack high-step over a moose, mid-birl? I think not! Happy summer, everyone!

Music is tied to special occasions including the annual celebration of our grade 7’s accomplishments and their transition to high school. The Leaving Ceremony will look different this year. Because of the outside venue and drive-by format, here is where I’ll offer the grade 7’s some music to celebrate. Miley Cyrus sings ‘The Climb’ and reminds us that life’s journey has its challenges but is also rewarding. Enjoy this time and congratulations, grade 7’s!

The power of music shines bright as Kenny Sway leads protesters in a singalong of ‘Lean On Me’. “It sounded like unity and togetherness,” he says. “It sounded like love and pureness of the people. It was one race. It was one moment.” To hear that moment, click HERE.

Statement from Burnaby Board of Education

“As a school district, we stand firmly in support of human rights, including anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, in our schools and communitites. We stand in solidarity with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) and allies demanding systemic change.”

In light of events in the United States and their ripple effect in many parts of the world, Twelfth Avenue School encourages ways for our community to act against racism.

June is National Indigenous History Month – a recognition and celebration of the richness of First Nations, Inuit and Métis heritage, cultures and achievements. It is a great opportunity to learn more about Indigenous cultures and histories as we continue to find a new way forward together. In recognition of this month, take a moment to watch and listen to ‘Best of Me’, a song written, recorded, and filmed with youth from Selkirk First Nation, Yukon. Click HERE.

Friday, May 29, 2020 at 9:00 pm (PDT)

We’ve just come off of the Victoria Day long weekend and the unofficial start to the summer season. (Summer holidays are another six weeks away!) Did you know that Victoria Day is a distinctly Canadian holiday which began in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday? Here’s a traditional chant that references the Queen’s actual birthday.

The twenty-fourth of May

Is the Queen’s birthday;

If they don’t give us a holiday

We’ll all run away!

Have you seen some of the music making that has been happening during the pandemic? Perhaps you have seen Italians singing from their balconies, the Spanish police officer singing and playing guitar, or Canadian, Martha Wainwright, inviting people to sing along from her Montreal balcony. Music’s powerful force to bring people together has been written about in this article from ‘The Conversation’. Click HERE to read the article and enjoy some of the music-making.

A Music Monday @ Home message from Ms. Chastko

Burnaby music teachers are celebrating Music Monday with this video. Can you spot Ms. Chastko? Click on the caption to hear the Music Monday anthem, ‘Hymn to Freedom’.

What is Music Monday?

Launched in 2005 by The Coalition for Music Education, Music Monday is one of the world’s largest single events dedicated to raising awareness for music education. Each year, hundreds of thousands of students, educators, and music makers celebrate with events from coast to coast to coast, and participate in the collective singing of the Music Monday Anthem, an original song written by a Canadian artist. The 2020 anthem is the iconic “Hymn to Freedom” by Oscar Peterson and Harriette Hamilton. By raising our voices and instruments in support of Music Monday, we make a powerful statement to all Canadians about the importance of equitable access to quality music education for all students.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, hundreds of performances around the world have been cancelled or postponed. These musicians have found another way to spread joy. Here are some at-home concerts for you to enjoy. Click on the captions for links to the videos.

How is your hand-washing these days?

Here is some hand-washing help with “Twenty Seconds”, a song created by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman.

Read everything ⬇ here ⬇ … then click ➡ here ⬅

1. Scroll through the New York Times article to hear three versions of the song, “Twenty Seconds”, performed by Broadway stars. You’ll also find another hand washing song, “Half a Minute Waltz”.
2. Just for fun, can you meet the hand washing challenge by singing one of these songs while washing your hands? Warning: The tempo is fast! Keep scrolling for the lyrics and accompaniment tracks and I challenge you to sing along while you wash your hands.
3. Can you find any other songs that help us wash our hands? You could even create your own song!

Here are hand washing guidelines …

• Wet hands with clean, running water — either warm or cold.
• Apply soap and lather well.
• Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Remember to scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
• Rinse well.
• Dry your hands with a clean towel or air-dry them.