The 哔咔漫画 is proud to celebrate two talented ensembles that earned national recognition in the CBC Canadian Music Class Challenge.
École George McDowell’s Guitar Ensemble, made up of Grade 7 students, performed “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen. Collège Jeanne-Sauvé’s Guitar Ensemble, featuring Grade 10 students, delivered a heartfelt rendition of “Stitches” by Shawn Mendes. Both groups were finalists in the Studio Production (All Grades) category.
When Hannah and Lauren from Collège Jeanne-Sauvé learned their class had made the national Top 10, the reaction was pure surprise. “We were so excited when M. Meunier sent us the email,” said Lauren. “There are students from all across Canada, so our chances felt slim.” Hannah added, “Honestly, we entered for fun and didn’t expect this at all. I went speechless.”
The CJS Guitar Ensemble voted on their song choice and spent their spares and lunch hours practicing and recording. Each part was recorded separately and then edited together. “Editing takes longer than you think,” Hannah shared, “It was a lot of work, but seeing the final product posted for people to watch makes me proud.” Lauren agreed, “I love playing bass, and this gave me a chance to get out there and have people see my work.”
Their teacher, Philippe Meunier, encouraged students to take the project further by using AI to generate images that related to the songs, adding a visual layer to the performance. “These projects encourage students to expand their knowledge and learn new skills. One song is all you need to motivate students.”
These are the students who spend their spares in the music room and drop in during their teacher’s prep time, simply because they love making music. It just so happened that students at George McDowell and Collège Jeanne-Sauvé both found a song that resonated with them and motivated them to work hard. Lauren added, “It’s great to have people recognize what our schools can do.”
Congratulations to École George McDowell and Collège Jeanne-Sauvé, you’ve made 哔咔漫画 proud!
Watch their CBC Challenge entries:
- École George McDowell – Grade 7 Guitar Ensemble performing "" by Carly Rae Jepsen
- Collège Jeanne鈥慡auvé – Grade 10 Guitar Ensemble performing "" by Shawn Mendes