Music Education Day 2026
- SMEA
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
We hope you are having a wonderful, relaxing summer! While the school year is still a few weeks away, the SMEA team is already looking ahead to the fall and getting everything ready for your return. We are thrilled to share a mid-summer preview of our upcoming provincial project for Music Education Day on September 15, 2026.
This fall, our community will focus on encouraging Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) directly through music education. We are sharing these details and foundational resources now so you can easily weave them into your start-of-year planning.
Recap: 2025 Saskatchewan Music Education Day
The Impact of Our Collective Advocacy
Our provincial advocacy continues to build incredible momentum. As you look back at our progress and plan for the upcoming school year, we have an excellent reminder of why this work matters.
CTV News ran a feature segment covering our milestone event, showcasing our community's dedication and highlighting the incredible mental and social benefits music education brings to Saskatchewan students. The news clip gave a fantastic summary of the province-wide initiative, specifically focusing on the hands-on classroom resource kits we released to support teachers.
Seeing our collective efforts and these equitable teaching tools highlighted on a major news platform was a huge win for music advocacy in our province. It perfectly set the stage for what we are building toward next.
Fall 2026 Feature:
"Side by Side" (ᓃᓱᑳᐸᐏᐘᐠ / nîsokâpawiwak)
The centerpiece of our September return is a brand-new song designed to advance TRC and Indigenous language integration in classrooms across Saskatchewan.
The Creative Team: The song features music and lyrics by Wilbur Sargunaraj, with Cree lyrics written by Falynn Baptiste.
Musical & Thematic Structure: Written at a comfortable tempo of 75 BPM, the track incorporates both English and Cree verses. The lyrics focus on giving thanks to the Creator, seeking peace to share the land, working toward truth and forgiveness, and journeying forward in mutual love, partnership, and learning.
Get an Early Listen: If you want to preview the track over the summer, a sneak preview is available right now on Wilbur’s Instagram page!
What to Expect & How to Prepare Now
To give you a head start on your September lesson plans, here is what is lined up for the project launch:
The Public Showcase Launch
We will kick off the school year with a live public showcase on September 15, 2026, at Valley Manor School to officially launch the song and celebrate Music Education Day. This event will be recorded and released on our YouTube Channel and Website following the event.
Classroom Resources for the Fall
Immediately following the launch, the full song audio and accompanying educational resources will be fully accessible for all schools to integrate into their music programs.
Chords & Lyrics Available August 15
Mark your calendars: the official chord and lyric sheets will be available for download for members only starting August 15. Because the piece utilizes universal chord progressions, it is instantly adaptable for guitars, ukuleles, and keyboard instruments. You can easily drop it into your digital binders mid-August so it is ready to hand out to your students the moment classes resume.
Have a wonderful, restful summer break, and get ready to stand "Side by Side" with us this September as we champion music education and reconciliation!
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