Here are the songs for the 2024 Canadian Music Class Challenge
CBC Music | Posted: June 26, 2024 5:57 PM | Last Updated: September 26
Check out the great Canadian tunes your music class can learn for this year's challenge
The Canadian Music Class Challenge is back with an incredible list of songs for classes to choose from. CBC Music in association with MusiCounts is proud to announce the song list for the 2024 Canadian Music Class Challenge, which is when we challenge music instructors to teach their students a song from our list and send in a video of the performance for great prizes and an amazing experience.
Below is this year's incredible list of songs to choose from — so far. Be sure to check back later this summer for possible additions to the list.
- "A Little Bit Happy" by Talk.
- "Au chant de l'alouette."
- "Charlie Wenjack" by Willie Dunn.
- "Cuddlebug (Instrumental)" by Splash'N Boots.
- "Dans ma tête" by Etienne Dufresne.
- "Everything is Boring" by the Beaches.
- "Fille à porter" by Ariane Roy and Lou-Adriane Cassidy.
- "Here and Now" by Aysanabee.
- "Life Is" by Arkells.
- "Little Breeze" by Bobs & LoLo.
- "Reggae Party" by Kirk Diamond.
- "Takin' Care of Christmas" by Randy Bachman and Beverley Mahood.
- "The Returner" by Allison Russell.
- "You Can Be Anything" by Jeremy and Jazzy.
- "Old Love" by Dominique Fils-Aimé.
- "Yohahí:yo (The Good Road)" by Shawnee Kish.
- "We Remember" by Allan Crossley.
Choose a song from the list, then teach it to your students once classes commence in fall 2024.
If you're a teacher of an elementary, junior or high school, after-school class, music club, community or library 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 K, primary, elementary, junior and senior high-school levels.
Find out more about the songs below. Links to sheet music and lyrics still to come!
'A Little Bit Happy' by Talk
Talk is a songwriter and musician from Ottawa who won breakthrough artist of the year at the 2024 Juno Awards. He exploded onto the Canadian music scene in 2021 with the massive hit song "Run Away to Mars" and this year, we've added the equally anthemic "A Little Bit Happy" to our list. The sheet music is here.
'Au chant de l'alouette'
It's not often enough that we have berry-picking songs on our list. Learn this traditional French classic call-and-response song about berry picking and a lark.
'Charlie Wenjack' by Willie Dunn
Willie Dunn was an influential Canadian folk musician, filmmaker and politician of Mi'kmaq and Scottish heritage. His voice is unadorned and powerful, drawing comparison to Leonard Cohen. In this song he tells the tragic story of Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack, who died while running away from a residential school. The sheet music is here.
'Cuddlebug (Instrumental)' by Splash'N Boots
This year, we're offering up an instrumental track for teachers who don't have instruments in the classroom. We have created a special karaoke category for this song, and this will be the only pre-recorded song allowed in the contest. The original "Cuddlebug" song is here.
'Dans ma tête' by Etienne Dufresne
Montreal-based Etienne Dufresne has only been recording for a few years now, but he's racking up award nominations with every release. This mid-tempo song is perfect for a class that loves French and a lyrical melody in equal parts. The sheet music is here.
'Everything is Boring' by the Beaches
If your school has a rock band program, this driving tribute to teen angst could be for you! The sheet music is here.
'Fille à porter' by Ariane Roy and Lou-Adriane Cassidy
"Fille à porter" is about a woman who is struggling with her sense of identity in relationships. The lyrics suggest she has been searching for love and validation from others, but has yet to find it. The sheet music is here.
'Here and Now' by Aysanabee
A member of Sandy Lake First Nation, Aysanabee grew up near Thunder Bay, Ont. He's a two-time Juno Award winner for songwriter of the year and alternative album of the year for his album Here and Now. The title track has been chosen for this year's challenge.
'Life Is' by Arkells
Do your students need to work on their arpeggios? In this song, the Juno-winning rock band tones things down for a sweet acoustic tribute to life itself. The sheet music is here.
'Little Breeze' by Bobs & LoLo
"Little Breeze" is the perfect song for the early grades thanks to its slow tempo, easy lyrics and a memorable, singable melody.
'Reggae Party' by Kirk Diamond
For the first time ever, we're including a song to introduce classes to the reggae beat, courtesy of Juno winner Kirk Diamond.
'Takin' Care of Christmas' by Randy Bachman and Beverley Mahood
Learn this parody of "Takin' Care of Business" and have both an entry for the Music Class Challenge and a song for your school holiday concert. The sheet music is here.
'The Returner' by Allison Russell
Montreal-born musician Allison Russell is a testament to music's powerful ability to heal. She is also the only artist on our list who has eight Grammy nominations and one win. This song is the title track from her 2023 Grammy-winning album. The sheet music is here.
'You Can Be Anything' by Jeremy and Jazzy
CBC-TV's Jeremy and Jazzy are regulars on our Music Class Challenge lists. The duo always marries great positive messages with upbeat grooves. This song brings down the house at Jeremy and Jazzy shows.
'Old Love' by Dominique Fils-Aimé
Juno-winning and Polaris Prize-nominated jazz and R&B singer Dominique Fils-Aimé's song "Old Love" is slow and soulful. This is a perfect song for senior vocal classes who excel at close harmonies. The sheet music is here.
'Yohahí:yo (The Good Road)' by Shawnee Kish
The 2024 featured Indigenous language song for Music Class this year is in Mohawk. The song, commissioned by CBC Music and the library partnerships program at CBC, was created after a workshop with youth at the Fort Erie Public Library. Juno-nominated, two-spirit artist Shawnee Kish partnered with her sister Kristi Talbot, an early childhood educator, and guitarist Stu Weinberg to craft the elementary-level song with easy-to-learn lyrics and a memorable melody. The sheet music is available here.
'We Remember' by Allan Crossley
This tribute to the fallen by composer Allan Crossley can double as your Music Class Challenge entry, and a musical touchstone in your Remembrance Day assembly. The piano score can be found here.