Mary Piercey-Lewis is the recipient of the 2021 MusiCounts Teacher of the Year award.
Iqaluit music teacher nominated for national award
Mary Piercey-Lewis has been teaching music in Nunavut for over 15 years
A music teacher at Iqaluit’s Inuksuk High School has been nominated for the 2021 MusiCounts Teacher of the Year award.
Mary Piercey-Lewis is one of the five nominees for the award announced Tuesday by MusiCounts, a music education charity associated with the Juno Awards.
Piercey-Lewis has been teaching music in Nunavut for over 15 years, using her PhD in ethnomusicology to provide culturally relevant music programming for her students.
There is no music curriculum in Nunavut, according to MusiCounts. Piercey-Lewis is changing that, by collecting Inuit music and putting together a program.
“Mary expertly teaches quality music education using the music of Nunavut as the foundation. In doing so, she meets the needs of her Inuit students,” said Heather Daley, founding director of the Alianait Arts Festival, in a news release.
In 2001, Piercey-Lewis helped form the Arviat Imngitingit community choir, a mixed-voiced group that specialized in traditional and contemporary Inuit music. This choir has travelled all throughout Canada to perform.
Her students have performed for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and at the National Art Centre in Ottawa.
If Piercey-Lewis is selected for this year’s award, a donation of $10,000 would be made to the music program at Inuksuk High School. She would also be invited to attend the 50th Juno gala dinner and awards ceremony on May 15 in Toronto.
Bravo Mary! You have helped improve music education in Nunavut and helped bring wider attention to Nunavut and its musicians and music!
BRAVO! Mary Piercy-Lewis. RESPECT! 🙂 a great leap forward for “THE PEOPLE” THANK YOU!
Wonderful news! Another fantastic accomplishment for a very talented lady. Best wishes, Mary.
Brava Mary! I can’t express how much joy you have brought to my life with every song you have taught our community’s kids to sing, play to or drum-dance to. I have witnessed performances you led into being with tears in my eyes and gratitude in my heart: our kids in a forum where they look, sound and act beautifully and fill my heart with joy and pride. Thank you for leading them to this and for helping them to simply and wonderfully shine. One tune at a time, one kid at a time, one marvellously skilled, talented, dedicated and passionate teacher at a time. Qujannamiiraaluk!
Congratulations Mary
Congratulations Mary. I am certain you are very deserving of this award. So happy to find this post tonight and to see your beautiful smiling face again.
Our very best wishes to you.
Madeline and Reuben
Congratulations Mary!!! Best wishes from your hometown!!! You always excelled at everything!! Wishing you all the best in your future music endeavors!!! PS..Hoping you win this one too!!!!
Mary…Congratulations on this Nomination! I can only imagine the joy and pride that have come to all involved as a result of your efforts. I look forward to seeing you in Fortune again some day …and hearing you play. Stay safe and Hold Fast
Any else notice the girl in the background of the picture covering her ears?
Amazing! SO impressed!!! Mary, you never failed to astound me….. Absolutely amazing. Congratulations. You deserve this recognition and more. Good for you. So proud of you.
A resounding congratulations Mary. Well deserved!