On Saturday, April 15th, six Senior School and six Junior School students from Trinity College School, along with music teachers Emma Crawford and Nicola Lee, travelled to Toronto to perform at the Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario (CIS) Music Festival held in Roy Thomson Hall. It was a long journey after auditions in November, our first official rehearsals in February, and two intense days of preparation before the performance. The Senior School boarders spent Friday night in Toronto, exploring the city with Mrs. Lee before our performance the next day.

Our rehearsals started early Saturday morning and we had the chance to listen to each other’s performances on stage at Roy Thomson Hall. Everyone sounded great, and we were in great shape for the performance.

The concert was a success! Roy Thomson was an amazing concert hall to perform in. It was a rare and memorable experience to perform at such a prestigious venue with a large audience. We all had an amazing time with fellow talented musicians and can’t wait until next year!

The music teachers, Ms. Crawford and Mrs. Lee, noted: “This year marked the 36th Conference of Independent Schools Music Festival. After a three-year hiatus, over 1,200 music students from 32 CIS Ontario schools came together on the stage of Roy Thomson Hall in a collaborative celebration of music education. The level of expertise, sense of community and musical expression each ensemble produced was inspiring to see and hear. The concert was a sold-out powerhouse of authentic student achievement. TCS musicians performed in every ensemble at CISMF this year. We couldn’t be more proud of these students and we can’t wait to be a part of it again next year!”

Representing TCS at the CIS Music Festival were: 

• Concert Band: Crystal Ding (flute), Claudia Zeng (flute), Quinlyn Mendum (clarinet), Evan Thomas (clarinet), Connor Demrovsky (French horn), Ira Hodges (trombone)
• String Orchestra: Arjun Sharma (violin)
• Jazz Band: Beau Lee (alto saxophone), Allen Tang (alto saxophone), Robin Xu (bass guitar), Nicola Lee (conducting)
• Symphonic Band: Charlotte Patterson (clarinet), Michelle Kim (flute)
• We would also like to recognize Arwen Rankin (percussion; Concert Band) and Mitchell Baboolal (bass clarinet; Wind Ensemble), who auditioned successfully and attended the February rehearsal but were not able to attend the final performance. 
   
• View the CIS Music Festival '23 gallery for more photos.

- By Michelle Kim, Grade 10 student

CISMF participants shared some thoughts on their experience:

• ""The opportunity to rehearse and conduct the CISMF Jazz Band at Roy Thomson Hall was an incredible experience. I watched students grow in their improvisational skills and bond together as a group of like-minded musicians.  I witnessed the jazz band members being an inspiration to the younger generation of players in the audience. The unexpected hug, recognition and congratulations I received from the professional guest conductor and colleagues immediately after our performance instilled in me a level of pride that is indescribable." – Mrs. Nicola Lee, TCS music teacher & CISMF Jazz Band conductor
• “I thought it was a really great experience that everyone should try. It helped me realize how much I really enjoy playing music.” – Ira Hodges, trombone, Grade 8
• “It was very inspiring to play in Roy Thomson Hall. The conductor was very helpful and great to work with.” – Evan Thomas, clarinet, Grade 8
• “I loved having the opportunity to play music with students from other schools. Even though we might not know each other, we still played together as a whole, and that worked out really well.” – Claudia Zeng, flute, Grade 8
• “CISMF allowed me to progress much faster than I thought I could in half a year.” – Quinlyn Mendum, clarinet, Grade 8
• "It was an amazing experience to travel to a band of enthusiastic people who put effort into being there. There were over 60 students in just the band we were in, but we all felt united by a common goal. Even though we practiced for 15 hours in rehearsals and even more outside of rehearsals, it still felt fun to practice our songs. It was a truly breathtaking experience to play in Roy Thomson Hall." – Connor Demrovsky, French horn, Grade 8
• “I'm so grateful for such an amazing experience; it was truly thrilling to audition and go to rehearsals.” – Arwen Rankin, percussion, Grade 7
• “It was a great opportunity to work with a new director to improve my cooperation skills and my musicianship. I’m very proud of everyone in the Concert Band.” – Crystal Ding, flute, Grade 7