International Composition Festival: Congratulation to the Winners in Mississauga MYC

KANATA, Ontario, April 1, 2010 –
Music for Young Children’s 2010 International Composition Festival is now in its 23rd year. A total of 12,219 Music for Young Children students took part from across Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam. Compositions are judged within their level in seven different regions – Western Canada (BC, AB, SK, MB), Ontario, Eastern Canada (PQ, NS, NB, PEI, NF), United States, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand and Vietnam. The first place winners of each of these regions then compete internationally. Fifteen reviewers, including visiting Canadian composer Dr. Stephen Chatman, played every piece. “I found the MYC festival process fascinating and completely unique, in the sense that it involves so many very young composers. The experience of perusing multitudes of well written little pieces by such an array of talented young children was unforgettable,” according to Dr. Chatman.

Dr. Stephen Chatman is Professor and Head of the Composition Division at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. A consecutive winner of the 2005 and 2006 Western Canadian Music Awards “Outstanding Classical Composition” and a 2006 Juno nominee, Dr. Chatman is recognized internationally as a composer of choral, orchestral and piano music. Dr. Chatman is the only North American to have won three consecutive BMI Awards to Student Composers, Inc.

Music for Young Children (MYC) is the story of Frances Balodis who started the business at her kitchen table and has seen it grow exponentially. Frances Balodis believes music is a gift that lasts a lifetime, her passion and dedication to bringing this gift to children stand unsurpassed. In 1980, building on her background as an educator and piano teacher, Frances set out to create an engaging music program for children aged three to 11. Her goal was to develop the world’s first keyboard-focused curriculum that, through clever merging of play and study, welcomed children to the joy of music and also to give them a seamless path to traditional conservatory programs. The result was Music for Young Children, an internationally renowned music business.

MYC, celebrating its 30th birthday, is now taught to 24,000 students annually across Canada, the United States, New Zealand, South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore. For more information phone 800-561-1692 or visit www.myc.com.

Janice Reade, Public Relations in Ottawa 613-592-7565

Sunshine 1 (3+4 years)
1. Tran Minh Khang, Going to the Park, Vietnam.
2. Chloe Dzemalovic, Pretty Princess Chloe, Edmonton, AB.
3. Charlie Brekke, Bumble Bees, Holmdel, NJ.
4. Malina Samsoodeen, Snow Flakes, Mississauga, ON.

Sunshine 2 (4+5 years)
1. Jin-Woo Lee, A Gloomy Hedgehog, Korea.
2. Christie-Ann Koh, Little Ducklings, Singapore.
3. Jaimie Edel, A Princess Lost Her Love, Winnipeg, MB
4. Ethan Parikh, My Special Flag, Mississauga, ON.

Sunbeams 1 (5+6 years)
1. Kaelin George-Wagner, My Little Hampster, Dartmouth, NS.
2. Harriet Abley, Song in My Head, London, ON.
3. Haley Kao, Piano Friends, Walled Lake, MI.
4. Sanjay Shiva Kamar, A Litle Tiger Playing, Singapore.

Sunbeams 2 (6+7 years)
1. Jacob Fu, My Olympic Song, Maple Ridge, BC.
2. Cora Annear, Snow is Falling, Kensington, PE.
3. Akita Kotian, Akita’s Ladybug, Walled Lake, MI.
4. Jo Mingi, Water Mill, Korea.

Sunbeams 3 (7+8 years)
1. Betty, Splash, Korea.
2. Joshua Balfour, Interest, Brantford, ON.
3. Helen Gow, Happiness, Lunenburg, NS.
4. Ryenne Feeney, Snakes, Topsfield, MA.

Moonbeams 1 (7+8 years)
1. Do en Kim, Snow Slide, Korea.
2. Parker Diggle, Bagels for Breakfast, Surrey, BC.
3. Alexandra Rupert, Peace, Belmont, ON.
4. Signey Hong, Catching Butterfly, Sacramento, CA.

Moonbeams 2 (8+9 years)
1. Vu Dieu Anh, Peaceful, Vietnam.
2. Kaitlyn Hao, Railroad Crossing, Walled Lake, MI.
3. Mersadie Thiessen, The Moody Waltz, Steinbach, MB.
4. Julie MacDonald, Fading Light, Mabou, NS.

Moonbeams 3 (9+ years)
1. Ryan O’Leary, Imagination, Stow, OH.
2. Tyler Stott, Enchanted Castle, Brantford, ON.
3. Claire Scammell, Copy Cat, Torbay, NZ.
4. Hubert, The Winter Route which is Delight, Korea

Mississauga students win in International Composition Festival

News Release -For Immediate Release

KANATA, Ontario, May 27, 2009 – Mississauga Music for Young Children teachers and their students are celebrating International wins in MYC’s 2009 International Composition Festival. Isobel Gasparotto-See in her first year of Sunshine 1 placed first in Ontario for Families and went on to compete with 1,755 Internationally where she also came in 1^st. Noah Baran in Sunbeams 3 came in 1^st in Ontario for Nothing and competed Internationally against another 2,031 where he came in 2^nd. Esther Chee, in My Choice 2, came in 1^st in Ontario, 2^nd Internationally against 383 with I Love Horses. The Festival is now in its 22^nd year and is the largest in the world of its kind.

Below is the list of Mississauga students who placed in the top 4 in Ontario:

• Pilar Bianchini, Sunshine 2, 2^nd Pilar’s I Love Piano Song
• Brandon Doria, Sunbeams 1, 4th The Snow Keeps Falling
• Luke Doria, Sunbeams 2, 3rd Ski Time
• Michelle Iwama, Sunbeams 2, 4th Canada Geese
• Nathan Chu, Moonbeams 1, 3rd Lion Dances in My Dreams
• Bobbie Alvernaz, My Choice 2, 3rd Sports are Good Fun
• Evangelynn Chee, My Choice 2, 4th Jesus

A total of 12,718 Music for Young Children students took part from across Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea. Compositions are judged within their level in seven different regions – Western Canada (BC, AB, SK, MB), Ontario, Eastern Canada (PQ, NS, NB, PEI, NF), United States, South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand. The first place winners of each of these regions then compete internationally. Thirteen reviewers, including Canadian composer Nancy Telfer, played every piece.

Nancy Telfer has been a choral clinician and guest conductor for many provincial, national, and state organizations throughout Canada and the United States. Since 1979 Ms. Telfer has composed more than 260 works for soloists, chamber ensembles, orchestras, bands, pianists, and choirs, most of which are published in Canada and the United States. According to Ms. Telfer, “It is truly amazing to see what these children have composed – so much creativity and such a high understanding of music and music notation. As I was reading through the pieces I could hear the enjoyment the children must have had as they were writing. Composing is not a race where the greatest pleasure is often in the winning. It is while a composer is actually writing the music that the composer has the most enjoyment. I hope that these children will continue on with their composing. Music for Young Children has provided a unique opportunity for them!”

The successful Music for Young Children program, with corporate head office in Kanata, Ontario was founded in 1980 by Frances Balodis. The program, taught in small groups with adult and child both participating, includes piano instruction, singing, rhythm ensembles, sight reading, ear training, theory and composition. MYC is taught by independent teachers throughout Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam and South Korea with approximately 24,000 students enrolled this year.

http://www.myc.com/. Janice Reade, Public Relations in Ottawa 613-592-7565