LA MUSIQUE AUX ENFANTS Becomes A Reality

Conductor Kent Nagano, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) and numerous partners officially launched La musique aux enfants (music for kids), a music prekindergarten and kindergarten at École St-Rémi Annexe, of the Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île (CSPI) in the borough of Montréal-Nord.

Imagined by Maestro Kent Nagano and developed by the OSM in collaboration with Université de Montréal and the CSPI, the project will introduce preschool children to music learning as a means of supporting their overall development.

All students at the École St-Rémi Annexe will receive a minimum of one lesson in rhythm and choral singing per week and will have the opportunity to participate in cultural activities putting them in contact with music and the musicians of the OSM. Of these 161 children, a group of 16 will receive close to three hours of piano, violin, rhythm and choral singing instruction each day, while a second group of 16 children will benefit from one and a quarter hours of music instruction per day. Lessons will take the form of short learning modules integrated within the curriculum of the Québec Ministry of Education.

"I had a chance to learn music at a very early age," stated Maestro Nagano. "The aim wasn't to become an orchestral conductor or a professional musician. Learning music above all made me a man free to choose his own destiny. The goal of La musique aux enfants is simple: to inspire hope and the sense that anything is possible."

"In implementing La musique aux enfants in the heart of a diverse neighbourhood," added Mr. Lucien Bouchard, Chairman of the Board of the OSM, "we are positioning this initiative at the center of two of the OSM's cherished traditions: awakening children to music, and the democratization of music and the arts."

The project is inspired by the notion that learning music can have a positive impact on the holistic development of children. That impact will be measured thanks to the contribution of Université de Montréal. "The conclusions resulting from this scientific research will enable us to contribute to the science of early-childhood music education, an expanding field in Québec and the world," states Maestro Nagano.

"This is a project especially close to my heart," emphasizes the rector of Université de Montréal, Guy Breton, "because the learning of music was one of the most valuable gifts I was given. Today, thanks to The Combined expertise of our researchers from the Faculty of Music, the Faculty of Education and the School of Occupational Therapy, and thanks as well to all the partners gathered under the leadership of Maestro Nagano, we have the good fortune of sharing that happiness with dozens of children and their families. And soon, of sharing scientific knowledge that will support the proliferation of similar projects."

The project is made possible thanks to the participation of the CSPI. "La musique aux enfants is a groundbreaking proposal that wanders off the beaten track and whose benefits we can barely imagine today," declared Mr. Miville Boudreault, president of the CSPI. "The CSPI is proud to be associated with this generous and bold project, with Maestro Nagano, who provided the creative impetus, and with all the partners who enabled this idea to take shape."

La musique aux enfants has also been made possible thanks to numerous other partners, whose support has allowed for retrofitting the premises, the acquisition of musical instruments, and the recruitment of educators.

The OSM extends special thanks to major donors Ms. Satoko Shibata and Mr. Richard Ingram, and to the Marcelle and Jean Coutu Foundation. The OSM salutes the generosity of partners LEMAYMICHAUD, BBA and Pomerleau for refurbishing the premises, Yamaha Canada Music and Twigg Music for the loan of instruments, and the evenko foundation, along with numerous other partners who have also contributed to making this project possible.

Operating as a distinct organization from the OSM, La musique aux enfants was established to realize an ambitious project. The project will be active for the next three years in the form of a pilot. Its mission is to promote music education for children in Quebec and elsewhere, while contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the domain of music education for the young.

Website: lamusiqueauxenfants.org

The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal

Since its founding in 1934, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal has distinguished itself as a leader in the orchestral life of Canada and Quebec. A cultural ambassador of the highest order, the Orchestra has acquired an enviable reputation internationally through the quality of its many recordings and tours. The OSM carries on that rich tradition under the leadership of its current music director, Kent Nagano, featuring innovative programming aimed at updating the orchestral repertoire and strengthening the Orchestra's connection with the community. Over the years the OSM has undertaken over 40 tours and roughly 30 national and international excursions. The Orchestra has made more than 100 recordings, on the Decca, EMI, Philips, CBC Records, Analekta, ECM and Sony labels, as well as on its own label, which have earned it over 50 national and international awards.

Website: osm.ca

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