On Monday, May 1st, thousands of students, musicians, parents and community members across the country will sing together creating the world's largest single event dedicated to raising awareness for music education. A testament to the unifying power of music, from coast to coast to coast the nation comes together each year with the simultaneous singing of the Music Monday anthem. The 13th annual Music Monday celebration introduces Sing It Together, a new anthem co-written by multiple award-winning songwriters Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas. Sing It Together invites all Canadians to join in singing for joy, for truth, for healing, for life and for freedom.

Hosted by opera superstar Measha Brueggergosman and Seamus O'Regan, MP, the National Showcase Concert in Ottawa includes performances of "Song of Life" by Métis songwriter Susan Scofield, a mass children's choir, the Métis Fiddle Quartet, singer-songwriter Mimi O'Bonsawin, a harp and operatic soprano duo, youth jazz and strings ensembles, and the Ottawa Junior Youth Orchestra. Songwriter Marc Jordan, musicians from the official Music Monday video and a mass children's choir will lead the nationwide sing-along of Sing It Together.

The National Showcase Concert will also premiere a unique Indigenous Drumming Video by Cole Forrest, a North Bay ON hip-hop artist. The video features a compilation of young indigenous drummers from across Canada with spoken word.  Cole is the recipient of the 2016 James Bartelman Aboriginal Creating Writing Award and an ambassador for Youth4Music, a network of youth leaders who believe that music transforms lives and who want to make a difference for Canada through music.

The new Music Monday anthem Sing It Together was commissioned by the Coalition for Music Education.

Music Monday is made possible in part by support from the Friends of the NAC Orchestra and the individual and corporate donors of the National Youth and Education Trust, the primary resource for youth and education funding at the National Arts Centre. The NAC is proud to partner with the Coalition for Music Education in Canada for this event.