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canadian band association

ABOUT

The Canadian Band Association is a national organization representing and supporting school, university, military and community bands, band directors, students, parents, administrators, the music industry, composers, arrangers and all those interested in bands and band music across Canada. The mission of the association is to promote and develop the musical, educational, and cultural values of band and band music in Canada. As a proud affiliate of the CBA, Ontario Band Association members enjoy full access to their breadth of resources and a national network of professional colleagues.

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UPCOMING EVENTS/OPPORTUNITIES

RESOURCEs

The National Youth Band of Canada (NYB) is the most comprehensive music education youth project offered by the Canadian Band Association. In 1978, 1991, and annually since 1994, the National Youth Band of Canada has provided an opportunity for the country's outstanding 16-22 year old musicians to gather for an enriching and inspiring musical and cultural experience. Every year the band travels to a different Canadian province for one week of intense rehearsals and performances. It is an outstanding opportunity to perform under the leadership of a renowned Canadian conductor and a Yamaha Canada Music Ltd. featured soloist. The NYB experience also provides each of these young musicians the chance to network with some of the finest instrumentalists from across Canada. The NYB is the premiere youth wind ensemble in Canada.

Please see below for a joint consortium opportunity with the CBA/OBA and NYB.

Canadian Winds proudly announces the annual Canadian Band Association Undergraduate Critical Essay Competition. The goal of the competition is to encourage and foster emerging voices in the Canadian wind band community.

Essays should relate in some way to the year’s competition theme. Submissions should include academic references and reflect critical thought and engagement, not just information sharing or expressions of personal opinion.

2021 Theme: Decolonizing the Band Room

The winning submission will be published in the spring issue of Canadian Winds. The winner and runner-up will both receive cash prizes. (1st prize - $500, 2nd prize - $300)

The CBA awards are designed to recognize excellence in pedagogy, community building, performance, conducting, composing, and promotion of concert and jazz bands. These awards should supplement the work that each provincial chapter does by providing a national stage to acknowledge amateur and professional musicians, composers, directors, enthusiasts, and educators in all phases of their experience across our vast nation. A candidate may only be nominated for one award per year, and should the candidate not be selected,  the nominators are encouraged to re-submit if they wish to have the candidate considered in a future year. All nomination packages must be complete to be considered.


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The Howard Cable Memorial Prize is a composition competition offered by the CBA. Every year, self-identifying emerging Canadian composers are invited to submit an original unpublished composition for band. In order to support works that appeal to a wide array of abilities and tastes, only submissions at or below a Grade 3 level are accepted. Each year the winning composer is awarded a cash prize of $1,000 and is featured on the CBA website.

Initially formed in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CWCC/CHCC strives to strengthen connections within the post-secondary wind band community of Canada. The aim of this group is to

engage in a variety of key initiatives including, but not limited to:
Repertoire • Connections • Professional Development • Commissioning • Research • Conducting • Pedagogy


Membership is open to any post-secondary educator who conducts a Canadian wind band or ensemble, or is a Canadian conducting at a college/university outside the country. 

Ensemble directors have immediate access to many lists of exceptional repertoire. The CBA will be featuring a Canadian composition every month in order to raise awareness of high quality works for band.

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Canadian content will encompass works that are either based on traditional Canadian songs, include Canadian content (were written about a Canadian person, place, or event, etc.) or were composed or arranged by a Canadian. 

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Each selection will feature a brief synopsis about the score and the composer, a partial score when available, and a link to a recording. 

This award is presented to a band member who, in the opinion of their band director, has shown superior musicianship, leadership, dependability, loyalty and cooperation.

 

The award shall be presented by a band director who is a member of a CBA affiliate. Two awards per band per year may be awarded.

 

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