Annual Kiwanis Music Festival now underway.
Music lovers can attend one of several competitions taking place this week during the Kiwanis Music Festival.
Photo/PETER MAUTSCH
The city will be filled with the music of a lot of aspiring, talented young musicians over the next week as the annual Kiwanis Music Festival is now underway, running through to March 3.
It kicked off Feb. 21.
The numbers are huge: "In total, including all bands, orchestras and choirs, we've got around about 35,000," said Meghan Proudfoot, the assistant festival co-ordinator.
While most are youth or young adults, she added "we do have a competitor who's in her 50s".
At the other end of the spectrum, she said "our youngest competitor is around the age of four because we've got introductory piano as one of our categories," she said.
As one might expect, it takes a lot volunteers to keep things running smoothly: "Oh gosh, we've got hundreds," she said.
Most of the volunteers are from one of the dozen Kiwanis Clubs in the Greater Toronto Area that support, run and fund the long-running festival, but the general public are also welcome to volunteer. And while it's too late to be trained for this year's festival, Proudfoot said it's never too late to volunteer.
"We always need more volunteers," she said, adding if prospective helpers "want to give their information we put them in our database. Even throughout the year we have office work. We're always looking for people."
The festival culminates with the President's Trophy and School Showcase Competition, which this year takes place Saturday, March 3 at North Toronto Collegiate Institute.
Tickets, available at the door or by calling to reserve at 416-487-5885, are $20 for adults and $10 for students.
The President's Trophy competition features the first-place winners of trophy finals in piano, voice, strings, woodwinds, brass and guitar.
This year's showcase will also feature six outstanding school groups (bands, choirs and/or orchestras), who will be competing for the Ed Bolsby Music in Schools Award Grand prize donated by the Kiwanis Club of Toronto Foundation.
The senior grand prize is $3,000 and the junior grand prize is $2,000.
Also of interest to the public are the above-mentioned trophy finals, all of which are slated for Friday, March 2 at various Toronto locations, and all with a $5 adult fee.
Here's the list of the Friday, March 2 trophy finals:
* Guitar Trophy Finals - (T Classes), 7 p.m. at Donway Covenant United Church, 230 The Donway W.
* Strings Trophy Finals - Intermediate (ST Classes), 1:30 p.m. at St. John's York Mills Anglican Church, 19 Don Ridge Dr.
* Strings Trophy Finals - Senior (T Classes), 6:30 p.m. at St. John's York Mills Anglican Church, 19 Don Ridge Dr.
* Voice Trophy Finals - Intermediate (ST Classes), 3:30 p.m. at St. Andrew's United Church, 117 Bloor St. E.
* Voice Trophy Final - Senior (T Classes), 7:30 p.m. at St. Andrew's United Church, 117 Bloor St. E.
* Piano Trophy Final - Intermediate (ST Classes), 2 p.m. at Glenview Presbyterian Church, 1 Glenview Ave.
* Piano Trophy Final - Senior (T Classes), 7 p.m. at Glenview Presbyterian Church, 1 Glenview Ave.
* Brass Trophy Finals (T Classes), 7 p.m. at Donway Covenant United Church, 230 The Donway W.
* Woodwind Trophy Finals (T Classes), 7 p.m. at Donway Covenant United Church, 230 The Donway W.
And finally, for those that want a foretaste of the above-mentioned festival-ending concerts, there is a senior band challenge Saturday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Lawrence Park C.I. Cost is also $5.
For details, visit the festival's website at http://kiwanismusictoronto.org