Over 700 music students in 20 different musical ensembles from across the province will descend on the Manitoba Legislature this month to share the diversity and power of music education.
The Manitoba Music Educators’ Association, in partnership with the provincial government’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Learning, will be presenting Music Month celebrations for the first time since 2023. Concerts will be shared throughout the month representing different ages, regions and genres from across the province.
“We are very excited,” says Tyler Yip, a music educator in the Seven Oaks School Division and the past president of the Manitoba Music Educators’ Association. “It’s our good fortune to be able to do this.”
Diversity on display
Starting on May 4, the Manitoba Legislature will host four concerts that will feature everything from bands to choirs to guitar ensembles and everything in between. “Our pitch was made through emails and social media,” Yip says about the coordination process. “It is kind of challenging to get to a bunch of different schools in the province, but it was open to the entire province.”
The first concert of the Music Month series will feature an Orff ensemble from École South Pointe School, the Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute Concert Band, the École New Era School Junior Choir, the Amber Trails Community School’s vocal jazz group, and the Giinawind Abinoojiiyag Nagamog singing group from the Riverbend Community School. Other performances later on in the month will feature performances from groups outside of the city of Winnipeg such as the École Morden Middle School’s Noon Choir, the senior choir from Shevchenko School in Vita, and Les Voyageurs from École St. Malo School.
“Audience members in person and on our YouTube stream are going to hear a lot of different things,” says Yip, adding that Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning Tracy Schmidt will be among the MLA’s to bring greetings from the province throughout Music Month.
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Underlining the importance of music education
Yip hopes that these concerts can further underscore the importance of music and arts education in the school system for politicians and the public. “We know that music classes in schools can be a bright shining light in a student’s school day,” he says. “We know not all of our families are able to afford music lessons at the school or being in these extracurricular ensembles or experiences, so it’s important that we bring those experiences to each of our schools and to make sure that kids have access.”
The support of the provincial government is also something that Yip does not take for granted in a time where arts education and funding is seeing cuts in other Canadian jurisdictions. “I know in other provinces, they are maybe not at the point where they’re able to have conversations with government or able to access funding, so we really see it as our good fortune, and we really value the partnership. We all agree that this is important in kids’ lives.”
The Music Month concerts take place at 11:30 a.m. at the Manitoba Legislature on May 4, 13 and 27 with a special Francophone celebration taking place on May 20. More information can be found at the Manitoba Music Educators’ Association’s website.