About Magee Music Society

The Magee Music Society (MMS) is the parent group that supports the activities of the music department. This non-profit organization was founded in 1975 by former band director and department head Peter Stigings.

The current executive of the MMS include: chair: Joanna Young, secretary: Laurie Chan, treasurer: Vanessa Chang, executives at large: Kyoko Wong, Simon Chan, Yukiko Akisada, and directors: Greg Quan and Keith Ollerenshaw. The mandate of the MMS is to work with the music teachers, school administration and parents to support and enrich the learning experiences of Magee music students.

The MMS helps the music department in the following ways

• Provide financial support to the music department to help:
  1. Fund the purchase of instruments and other equipment.
  2. Pay for clinicians, guest conductors, visiting artists.
  3. Pay festival fees.
  4. Pay for professional development.
     
     
• Support the various music department tours by:
  1. Providing financial support to needy students.
  2. Subsidizing chaperone expenses.
  3. Providing emergency funding.
  4. Organizing hotels, busses, excursions, and working with travel agencies when needed.
  5. Helping to get information about the tours to parents.
     
     
• Scholarships
  1. The MMS supports the music department scholarship program.
  2. In years past, the MMS awarded many scholarships to grade 12 students based on achievments and  selection of the music teachers.
     
     
• Uniforms
  1. The MMS organizes, orders, delivers the band, choir and string uniforms.  Parent volunteers generously donate their time to make sure that each student has a properly fitting uniform.
  2. Download uniform order form
     
     
• Student Fundraising
  1. The MMS organizes and provides numerous fundraising opportunities for students. Some of these activities are on an individual basis and can include:
     1. Poinsettia / Spring Planter Sales
     2. Purdy's Chocolates
  2. Once a student earns money through a fundraising activity, an individual travel credit account is opened in the student’s name. Students may use the money in their accounts to pay for school tours only. Students may not withdraw any money from their accounts in cash. Any money not used upon graduation will be passed on to any sibling involved in the music program or added to the general fundraising account in the case that no siblings are involved in the school music program.
  3. The MMS also organizes fundraisers whose returns go to a general fundraising account. These types of fundraisers include:
     1. Magee Market Fair. This yearly event takes place in February in the Magee atrium, rotunda and both gyms. The Market Fair is a night that includes: music, games, food, entertainment, silent auction and a marketplace sale. The event is co-ordinated by students, the section leaders and parents, and usually involves over 100 music student volunteers. Audience attendance on this night often tops 1000 people. It is a wonderful event that brings the community together at Magee.
     2. Document Shredding. Twice a year the MMS will organize these events to raise money.
        
        
• Connection to the community.
  1. The MMS has often hosted dinners for visiting groups or provided receptions after concerts. The MMS uses its network of parent connections to help new music parents get connected and informed about the music program. You may periodically receive synervoice messages or emails from the MMS reminding you of various activities or deadlines.
  2. Once a year in the fall, the MMS hosts a welcome night dinner. While this is most informative for new parents and students, parents and students of any year are welcome to attend. Please check the calendar for this year’s date.
  3. Get involved!! The MMS is always looking for enthusiastic parents to become actively involved. You can become a member by filling out the membership form and dropping it off at the school office.  Parents are encouraged to donate money to the music department and they will receive a tax receipt. More importantly though, is the help that parents give by giving of their time to help at an activity such as the poinsettia sale, document shredding, welcome night dinner or Market Fair. It is only with strong parent support that we make this the best music department possible.