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“It’s what the nation needs to know”

We proudly present musician and songwriter Connor Ross - winner of the Music Monday Anthem Search. Connor’s song We Are One is this year’s official Music Monday music. We learned the identity of the songwriter after the winning selection had been made. We were thrilled to learn that the winner is a young music student who learned about the Search from his music teacher, and his school does Music Monday!

“It was the first time I’ve ever done anything like this. It just amazing having everybody be a part of what I made in my basement. It’s just awesome to see everyone so excited about it, and how everyone just wanted to work on my song.”-  Connor Ross

Our new Youth4Music program provides leadership opportunities for youth to make a difference for music in their schools – for youth, by youth, through music. Connor’s journey and his song We Are One is a remarkably synchronistic reflection of who we are as a Coalition of advocates, and what we do as a community to keep music in schools.

Last year, Chris Hadfield told the nation “So sing your song, I’m listening”. He talked about possibilities. Connor was listening. This year, Connor asks the nation “Can you hear them singing? Can you hear them call? Can you hear them sing it with you? We are One!”

Music Monday is for everyone who loves music, learns music, plays music, teaches music – lives music! Music Monday brings communities together. We are stronger together – We are One. Let’s get as many people as we can to prepare for a nation-wide celebration about the power of music.

Make sure you register at MusicMonday.ca so we can count you in to the nation-wide celebration!

The Challenge – How many people in your life value music? Forward this email to at least 10 and ask them to do the same. Recommend our Facebook page to your Facebook friends. Let’s get more than a million people involved this year….and work towards setting a Guinness World Record in the future!

The Music

We Are One was recorded at The Orange Lounge Recording Studio. It features a mixed voice choir as well as the talents of several young musicians. The song is produced by Platinum award-winning Producer/Songwriter Rob Wells who is known for his work with artists such as Canadians Keisha Chanté, Justin Bieber, Corey Hart, Marie-Mai, Eva Avila, Ish and internationally Ariana Grande, Adam Lambert and Selena Gomez.

The Video

The official We Are One video reflects an inspiring and joyful day of collaboration and creativity amongst young music makers, led by Producer/Songwriter Rob Wells. Speaking about the day, Rob says, “To find someone who’s 16 that already knows the amount that Connor does, and the amount of musicality that Connor has - it’s a real joy to work with somebody like that for me.”

Official Languages

We try to provide our resources in both official languages. The We Are One lead sheet, lyrics and audio learning tools are available in English and French. For now, the official We Are One video is available in English with French subtitles.


The Arrangements

We worked to honour the creativity of young musician Connor Ross, as well as to prepare arrangements that would enable music makers of all ages and backgrounds to engage in Music Monday. This year, most of the resources are in the same key (A ♭ ) to enable a simultaneous sing-along at the end of the Music Monday Showcase webcast on May 4th. To ensure that as many young musicians as possible can enjoy We Are One, other instrumentation has been arranged in the keys that best suit those instruments.

Regardless of the arrangement you download and learn, we also encourage everyone to learn to sing the song in A ♭ , so we can all sing We Are One together on Music Monday.

In the Key of A ♭

  • We Are One official video
  • Lead Sheet (prepared by Paul Read)
  • SA and SATB with piano arrangements (arranged by Ben Bolden)
  • Concert Band (arranged by David Marlatt, Eighth Note Publications)
  • Flex Ensemble (arranged by David Marlatt, Eighth Note Publications)
  • Jazz Band (arranged by Paul Read)
  • Full Orchestra (arranged by Mark Reid)
  • Strings (arranged by Mark Reid)
  • Drumline (arranged by Andrew Thies, Olive Studio)
  • Full Instrumental Back Track (Rob Wells)
  • Guitar arrangements (arranged by Randy Haley) will have capo option for A ♭

Other Keys

  • Guitar (Middle School and Secondary School): Key of G with capo option to A ♭ (arranged by Randy Haley)
  • Orff: Key of G (arranged by Joy Reeve)
  • Recorder: Key of C (arranged by Adam Brox)
  • Steelpan: Key of A (arranged by Joe Cullen)
  • Ukulele: Key of G (arranged by Suzanne Doane)

We Are One Translations

We want to encourage as many communities across Canada as possible to join We Are One. So, this year, we provide the song’s lyrics in several languages, including:

  • Gaelic
  • Inuktitut
  • Ojibwe
  • Cree
  • American Sign Language
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Chinese
  • Tagalog
  • Portugese
  • Farsi
  • Arabic
  • Punjabi

We plan to have all translations available by January 31st. Let us know if you have a suggestion for other translation. If so, send us translator suggestions too!

Audio Learning Tools

The following audio recordings are available as tools to help with learning the music

  • Official We Are One video
  • We Are One (performed by Connor Ross)
  • Nous Sommes Unis (performed by David Gasse)

We are delighted to announce that singer/songwriter Amanda Martinez, co-chair of the Toronto Music Advisory Council, and honourary co-chair of PanAm 2015’s Ignite Program is preparing an audio of the Spanish version of Somos uno– soon to be available through the MusicMonday.ca website. There are a few more special guests on their way. So, stay tuned!

New this year! In response to your requests, we are pleased to provide an instrumental only back track to support choral singing in those programs without instrumental accompaniment.

SET YOUR CALENDARS FOR MUSIC MONDAY – MAY 4, 2015

THANK YOUs!

We asked Canadians to show us their musical creativity and they did. Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry. Special thanks to our Judges Panel – Chris Hadfield, Ed Robertson, Luke Doucet, Marc Jordan, DALA, Chris Tait, Vivian Barclay, Artemis Chartier and Rob Wells.

Many thanks to our creative arrangers for their work – all are talented Canadian musicians in their own rights. Please check out their bios and experience.

Music Monday is made possible with the generous support of the TD Bank Group and the NAMM Foundation as well as Titanium level support from Yamaha Canada Music Inc., Long and McQuade and all of our music industry supporters (St. John’s Music, JAM Industries, Cosmo Music, B&J, Roland, Conn-Selmer, Godin, D’Addario, Levys Leathers, Sabian, Hal Leonard, Counterpoint). Support our music industry!!

Most of all, I want to thank our amazing team, especially Spencer Phillips (Communications Coordinator), Jennifer Caines (Program Coordinator), Anah Shabbar (Youth Coordinator) and David Peretz-Larochelle (Youth Ambassador). We are a small team but MIGHTY!

We can’t do it without you. Please join us this year.

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COALITION FOR MUSIC EDUCATION

P.O. Box 556    Toronto, Ontario    M1S 3C5

Phone: 416.298.2871

www.musicmakesus.ca

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