A capella national anthem could be coming to Toronto Catholic schools

A Toronto Catholic School Board trustee would like to hear students working on their a capella and nationalism skills at the same time.

As the Toronto Star reports, Trustee Angela Kennedy has suggested that instead of hearing a recorded version of O Canada each morning, school children should be creating their own music.

"What has happened over the years is there's a CD that all the schools have, and they just play it," Kennedy told the paper.

"I think it makes people lazy and the expectation is that people not sing. And when you get to big events (like graduations), people aren't singing either. . . . It's unpatriotic, and I think as educators we need to be instilling some better values around patriotism and good citizenship."

Kennedy plans to present her melodic motion before the board next week. Though she noted that students are technically required to sing along with the recording, she said very few classroom voices end up accompanying the CD's orchestral swells.

Her proposed rule change would cut out the music and, instead, have students sing the anthem, Nylons-style.

Arts-based elementary school St. Vincent de Paul has preemptively thrown its support behind the idea.

Principal Krystyna Schneider told the Star her students already sing O Canada each morning, alternating between the English and French versions.

Schneider, who is also a musician, said her students perform a capella versions of O Canada around once a week over the school's PA system. If they're shy or off-key, she added, she buoys them up by singing along softly in the background.

Despite the fact that many students are nervous or inexperienced singers, "there are beautiful voices, even teachers and children who never sang," she said.

Another fan of the proposed changes is Etobicoke School for the Arts musical theatre teacher David Ambrose. He told the paper he assigns O Canada to his Grade 11 and 12 students and he's often amazed by their fresh takes on an old standard.

"They come up with their own unique take on it, so we have some pretty inventive things. One person singing solo, beatboxing going on underneath it, or a Celtic flair underneath it," he said.

But not every student attends a performing arts school where music is an integral part of the curriculum and there are many kids who may feel shy or nervous about sharing their voice in public.

Kennedy acknowledges that there may be some resistance — and embarrassment — on the part of students, but she remains resolute.

"I thought I should address (the issue), get it out there for public debate," she said.