Here are the songs for the 2020 Canadian Music Class Challenge
CBC Music's Canadian Music Class Challenge is proud to announce the song list for its 2020 edition, which returns this fall in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Juno Awards.
We know that September will look and feel completely different than any other school year any of us have ever experienced. We are also aware that many music programs will be directly impacted by the need for physical distancing.
With that said, this year's Challenge will move with our times. We're still asking for a video performance, but we ask that the video performance is done with your recommended provincial safety measures of physical distancing in mind. We invite you to try your hand at isolated performances as well, like these.
However, if you feel for any reason that making a video this year isn't possible, don't worry, you don't have to sit out. We have worked together with our partners at MusiCounts to create the first-ever Canadian Music Playlist Challenge, a project-based initiative requires no singing or music instruments to complete, and students can participate whether working from home, or at school. You can find out more about it here.
If your class is planning to come together in person or online, please keep reading about the Music Class Challenge below.
Without further ado, here are this year's songs. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Juno Awards, almost every one of these songs on this year's list comes from a Juno Award winner.
- "We Find Love" by Daniel Caesar
- "We're All In This Together" by Sam Roberts Band
- "Crabbuckit" by K-OS
- "Hand In My Pocket" by Alanis Morrissette
- "Oqiton" by Jeremy Dutcher
- "Robots" by Dan Mangan
- "You're Still the One" by Shania Twain
- "Il Ya A Tant a Faire" by Daniel Belanger
- "These Hands" by Digging Roots
- "Hold On" by Catherine MacLellan
- "Everything You've Done Wrong" by Sloan
- "Sing You Home" by the Ennis Sisters
- "Dirt" by Dean Brody
- "Like A Flower to the Sun" by Jack Grunsky
- "Seed in the Ground" by Connie Kaldor
- "Building A Wall" by Shawnee
- "October" by Alessia Cara
- "Hymn to Freedom" by Oscar Peterson
- "Sun Rise" by Dominique Fils-Aimé
- "Outside Looking In" by Lyndon John X
- "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen
- "L'amour a pris son temps" by Marie-Elaine Thibert
Choose a song from the list, then teach it to your students once classes commence in some shape or form in the fall of 2020.
If you're a teacher of an elementary, junior high, high school, after-school class, music club, or community music program, or know somebody who is, be sure to share this song list with them. If you're a music student or parent of one, be sure to alert your music teacher. The challenge is open to students at the elementary, junior-high, and high-school levels.
Registration for the 2020 Canadian Music Class Challenge is open and video submissions will be accepted starting Oct. 6 and closes Nov. 24. If our celebrity judges pick your performance, your class or school could win amazing prizes for your music program!
Find out more about the songs — and get some of the sheet music and lyrics where available — below.
'We Find Love', Daniel Caesar
Following in the footsteps of classic R&B artists like Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye, but in a modern 21st century style comes Daniel Caesar from Oshawa. He won the Juno for R&B/Soul Recording of 2018. Sink into this incredible song and have fun with it.
'We're All In This Together,' Sam Roberts Band
This song and its title has emerged as, quite simply, the uplifting anthem for our COVID times in Canada. Sam Roberts posted a new version of the song earlier this year featuring members of his family and dedicated the performance to medical personnel on the front lines of COVID-19. The song won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2015.
'Crabbuckit,' k-os
This single by hip hop musician k-os was released in 2004 and became a big hit with its instantly catchy beat and walking bass line. The song won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2005 and was the first hip hop song ever to win the Juno in that category.
Get the guitar tabs and lyrics.
'Hand In My Pocket', Alanis Morrissette
Get the sheet music.
'Oqiton', Jeremy Dutcher
Jeremy Dutcher is a two-spirit, classically trained, Indigenous musician from New Brunswick who exploded onto the Canadian music scene a few years ago, winning both the Polaris Music Prize and the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album. "Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa" is a record performed in Dutcher's traditional Maliseet language, in an effort to keep the language and words alive.
'Robots', Dan Mangan
This beloved indie troubadour won two Juno Awards in 2012 for Breakthrough Artist and Alternative Album. His concert-closing singalong "Robots" remains a huge fan favourite, over a decade after its original release.
This enduring hit is the song that launched Shania in the US, landing in the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998. That same year, "You're Still The One" was nominated for Song of the Year at the Grammys, but lost out to another Canadian song: Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On." Shania Twain has won over a dozen Juno Awards.
'Il Ya A Tant a Faire', Daniel Belanger
In 2018, this beloved Montreal pop-rock songwriter won the Juno Award for Francophone Album of the Year for his album Paloma. It was his third win in that category over the course of his successful career. From that record, we're honoured to include this anthemic and catchy rock song.
'These Hands', Digging Roots
Digging Roots is a band from Barrie, Ontario, fronted by husband and wife duo Raven Kanetakta and ShoShona Kish. Their musical style blends folk-rock, pop, blues, and hip hop. They won the Juno Award for Aboriginal Album in 2010 for their album We Are. From that album, we're proud to include their beautiful song "These Hands."
'Hold On' by Catherine MacClellan
Catherine MacClellan comes by her talent honesty: her father was legendary Canadian songwriter Gene MacClellan, who wrote the megahit "Snowbird" that was covered by everyone from Anne Murray to Elvis Presley. Catherine has followed in her father's musical footsteps, winning the 2015 Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album. Hope you enjoy this beautiful ballad of perseverance.
'Everything You've Done Wrong', by Sloan
In their illustrious, near 30 year career filled with plenty of hit singles, it comes as somewhat of a surprise that this Halifax rock quartet has but one Juno win to their name. It's for their highest-selling album, One Chord to Another, which features this song, their most successful single, a fun tune to sing and great for any brass section.
'Sing You Home', by the Ennis Sisters
This is a beautiful tune about losing someone very close to you, and the grief and shock that comes with that loss. The song comes from a very emotional experience in this Juno-winning family band's own lives at home in St. John's, Newfoundland.
Get the guitar tabs and lyrics.
'Dirt,' Dean Brody
Who loves country rock? Dean Brody won a Juno for Country Album of the Year with his 2014 album Crop Circles and then repeated that feat again in 2016 with Gypsy Road. This song "Dirt" is from his 2013 breakthrough self-titled album, which was officially certified platinum last year.
Get the guitar tabs and lyrics.
'Like A Flower to the Sun,' Jack Grunsky
A perfect song for kindergarten and younger elementary students! Jack Grunsky is a four-time Juno-winning singer-songwriter who writes songs for both adult and children's audiences. "Like A Flower to the Sun" is an enduring children's classic.
'Seed in the Ground,' Connie Kaldor
Saskatchewan-born folk singer-songwriter Connie Kaldor has won many accolades in her career. She is a member of the Order of Canada, has received a Western Literature award and has earned three Juno Awards. This is a beautiful song about the miracle of nature that is great for younger students.
'October,' Alessia Cara
Earlier this year, Alessia Cara called "October" her favourite song to date. The Brampton, Ont. singer-songwriter achieved world-wide fame after winning a Grammy for best new artist in 2017. This year, she added three Junos to her accolades, winning songwriter of the year, best album and best pop album for The Pains of Growing.
'Hymn to Freedom,' Oscar Peterson
Montreal-born jazz pianist and virtuoso Oscar Peterson is one of Canada's most honoured musicians and a member of the Juno Awards Hall of Fame. He wrote "Hymn to Freedom" in 1962 and came to be embraced as the anthem of the Civil Rights Movement that is a relevant now as it was nearly 60 years ago.
'Sun Rise,' Dominique Fils-Aimé
The Haitian-Québécoise singer-songwriter Dominique Fils-Aimé cites artists like Billie Holiday, Etta James, and Nina Simone as her inspiration, creating a sound that evokes early soul and jazz but also feels wholly modern. Her 2019 sophomore album Stay Tuned! was not only short-listed for the Polaris Music Prize, but also won a Juno Award for vocal jazz album of the year.
'Outside Looking In,' Lyndon John X
Who doesn't love a little feel-good reggae? Canadian reggae and ska musician Lyndon John X won a Juno award this year for Reggae recording of the year for his self-produced, full-length LP, The Warning Track. The singer-songwriter, who is of Grenadian descent and grew up in Cambridge, Ont, has been writing music since the age of 16 and cites Caribbean music as his biggest influence.
You can see the video for this song here.
'Call Me Maybe,' Carly Rae Jepsen
Fun, fun, fun! Carly Rae Jepsen is a three-time Juno Award winning singer, songwriter, and actress who was born and raised in Mission, British Columbia. Jepsen's breakthrough came in 2012, when her ridiculously catchy single "Call Me Maybe" achieved massive mainstream success, becoming a best-selling single and reaching number one in 18 countries.
L'amour a pris son temps,' Marie-Elaine Thibert
Marie-Élaine Thibert is a pop singer based in Quebec who first became known for being the runner-up in the first season of Star Académie in 2003, the Quebec amateur singing TV show. She won a recording contract as part of her prize and has never looked back. To date, she is a two-time Felix-award winner for Best Female Artist in Quebec and one-time Juno-award winner for Best Francophone album in Canada.
'Building a Wall' by Shawnee
Shawnee was our Searchlight winner for 2020 - our annual hunt for Canada's best undiscovered talent. Shawnee, a two-spirit pop singer-songwriter from Welland, Ontario of Mohawk heritage, won on the strength of this powerful song. It's all about protecting yourself from negative thoughts and energy.
Registration for the 2020 Canadian Music Class Challenge is now closed. If you have any questions please feel free to email us at musicclass@cbc.ca, or register for our newsletter at: cbc.ca/muiscteachernews.
