Baldwin Piano Prize goes to Westview Centennial Secondary School

Out of the 87 applications received for the MusiCounts Baldwin Piano Prize, Westview Centennial Secondary School was chosen to be the 2010 first ever recipient of this Artist Grand Piano.

On September 16, 2010, more than 400 students of Westview Centennial packed an auditorium to celebrate the arrival of this new Baldwin Artist Grant piano valued at $40,000.

Westview Centennial is located in North York in the heart of the Jane/Finch Community. It is one of the largest schools in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) with 1330 students in grades 9 through 12. Westview has a lively music program made up of 220 students and offers 10 sections of music in piano, band, vocal, guitar, and steel pans.

After receiving a Band Aid grant in 2002, Westview took the opportunity to not only expand their music program, which has since tripled the amount of classes, but also participated in numerous performances within their community. Since 2002, they have performed at different events and venues including: the Wonderland School Music Festival, George Weston Recital, the Toronto Center for performing Arts, as well as the Humber River Hospital. Music students also perform at local elementary schools, which allow the students to use the Band Aid grant instruments to inspire the next generation of high school students to take music. Currently, almost 70 Westview students use the Baldwin Piano every day.

The celebration was highlighted by a special performance by JUNO Award-nominated artist, Denzal Sinclaire, praised as one of the finest Canadian jazz musicians of our generation.

Listen to Matt Galloway of CBC’s Metro Morning speak with Andre Soares, music teacher at Westview Cenntennial, about the Importance of Music! Listen here