New Era students win national culture award

Grade 3 students at École New Era School earned national recognition last month after winning the CBC Music Class Challenge Culture Award in the non-western instrument category.

The students also made the top 10 nationally in the elementary performance (kindergarten to Grade 3) category.

École New Era was the only school in Manitoba to receive the first-place distinction, which also comes with a $2,000 MusiCounts grant to support music education, music teacher Wing Chow, who teaches kindergarten to Grade 4, told the Sun during the cake-cutting ceremony on Tuesday.

She said the students began preparing for the challenge in September and recorded their submission in October after about a month of focused practice.

“Playing barred instruments can be challenging for students because it requires a lot of focus and attention,” Chow said. “But they were willing to try very hard, and they practised consistently. I had confidence they could show their talent and creativity.”

Chow said she was proud when the class advanced to the national top 10 and was “impressed and surprised” when they received the special award.

“This really shows that our students are capable of doing so much when we give them opportunities, trust them and believe in them,” she said. “For me, it proves that the hard work put into our music program truly pays off. For the students, it boosts their confidence and shows them that music is just as important as any other subject.”

Selected from more than 400 submissions across Canada, the Culture Award recognizes performances that celebrate youth cultural identity or feature non-western musical elements.

The award-winning performance was delivered by the students recreating the children’s song “Paper Heart,” using unison singing and a wide range of instruments, including xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels, bells, drums, piano and hand percussion.

Students also created original drum rhythms inspired by the song’s lyrics, chanting, “Love is the language you speak every day,” a message that promotes creativity, teamwork and harmony.

Three of the students said the experience was both exciting and rewarding.

Ayotomi Abejide, who played the xylophone, said practising helped her manage any nerves she felt before the performance.

“I liked practising and learning new notes and new things to sing,” she said. “When we won, I felt really excited. I practised at home a lot.”

She also thanked her teachers. “I want to say thank you to our music teacher and Madame Roberts for helping us record it and helping us learn new things.”

Another student, Mya Penner, said being part of the competition was a mix of excitement and nerves.

“I felt excited, nervous. It was a good experience,” she said. “My teacher and music teacher helped me manage it. She did a really good job teaching us.”

Penner said she felt “happy, proud and excited” to be among the winners and added that she looks forward to doing similar challenges again.

Student Oliver Boutilier said the victory came as a surprise.

“We practised a lot, and when you practise a lot, you can win stuff,” he said. “I thought we might be second or third, but when we got first place, I was shocked.”

He also credited the teachers for the success, adding that the class would not have won without their guidance.

Chow said the achievement also reflects strong teamwork within the school community, including support from classroom teachers, parents and families. She added that a recently received music grant allowed the school to add drums to the performance, which enhanced the final submission.

“Music is teamwork,” she said. “We all made this achievement together.”

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