A Message from Sarah Craig

CIS Ontario, Executive Director

The Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario (CIS Ontario) is a provincial association of 44 independent schools dedicated to providing outstanding educational opportunities for their students. The composition of our member schools varies and includes Junior, Middle or Senior schools, single-gender and co-educational schools, boarding and/or day schools. At CIS Ontario, one of our key priorities is to connect students through a variety of inter-school programming. Engaging students to connect through athletics, leadership, design thinking, visual arts, drama, dance, and music enriches and supports their learning. It also provides students with opportunities to meet like-minded peers from other schools who share the same passions and interests.

Today, we celebrate the return of the association’s annual Music Festival (CISMF) after a three-year hiatus due to the global pandemic. For 36 years, CISMF has celebrated the collective passion for music shared by student musicians and educators from our member schools. So it is with great excitement that we anticipate the return of CISMF to the Roy Thomson Hall stage. It is our hope that today’s celebration of music uplifts and inspires both the student musicians and the audience.

On behalf of CIS Ontario, I would like to congratulate and thank all of the individuals who contributed to this dynamic musical experience.

First, I extend huge thanks to the music educators from our schools who have unselfishly given their time to prepare students for today’s special interschool concert. I acknowledge the contributions of all the music educators who served as lead organizers and conductors for each of the musical ensembles, bands and choirs. I also extend our sincerest thanks to Sandi Chasson, 2023 CISMF Coordinator, who led the coordination of this massive event. And, to the student musicians who found time in their very busy lives to make this commitment and share their musical expertise with us, we celebrate you and your performances. The combined contributions to the CISMF help to ensure that it is a fun and memorable experience for our performers, educators, and the audience here today.

As singer-songwriter Billy Joel once said, “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”

With that in mind, it is my hope that the CISMF 2023 experience is a reminder of the power of music to heal, unite and connect us in a powerful and uniquely human way. Today is a celebration for our student performers to learn, grow, and celebrate music together and to make new friends, too.