The Coalition for Music Education gave young musicians in Winnipeg a chance to speak out at the Youth4Music symposium this past weekend.

The event took place at the Manitoba Conservatory of Music at the University of Winnipeg on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016.

Youth4Music is a national group of musicians under the age of 30 who discuss the positive impacts music can have on youth, while also discussing the challenges they face.

The group has four main points they try to achieve in every city they visit, in what they call their Youth4MusicManifesto. These include creating quality school music programs for children and youth, exploring creativity though music, experiencing live music in schools and in the community and using music as an expression to tell stories of culture and heritage.

Ashley Boychuk, a program coordinator with the Coalition for Music Education says around 20 youth attended the event this past weekend, and they had good ideas to contribute to this manifesto.

“Music is something that affects everyone, it helps people to function, it helps cognitive skills and expression and creativity,” said Boychuk. “This past weekend we had a variety of youth voices from different backgrounds that spoke to some things that are great in Winnipeg and things that could improve.”

Many of the Winnipeg youth focused on issues such as a lack of accessible venues for them to perform in. Many of the youth are not 18-years-old, which eliminates a large number of venues for them. Young Winnipeg musicians also said they want to see a youth resource network, which would offer resources on how to put together a concert or how to organize jam sessions.

“Those are some of the opportunities youth are asking for,” said Boychuk. “As a coalition, we’re not only giving a voice to what their needs are, but we’re working with an action plan to make sure those needs are met.”

The event included musical performances from a number of youth, as well as speeches from Lizzy Hoyt – a musician attending the University of Manitoba, local musician Lindsey White who works with inner-city programs teaching music and James Klassen, a Youth4Music Leadership Award Winner.

Boychuk says they have a number of symposiums in cities across the country every year and she hopes they return to Winnipeg in the near future.

For more information on this program and to find out how you can get involved, visit youth4music.ca.