Teacher Feature: Madly Friesen – Bringing New Sounds to Faraday School

At Faraday School, the music room is a place where students explore creativity through music, dance, drama, and movement. Teacher Madly Friesen creates opportunities for students to express themselves, collaborate, and find a sense of belonging through the performing arts.

Starting their second teaching year at Faraday, Friesen is already celebrating significant milestones. Students won the CBC Music Class Challenge with their original song, “Rise to the Challenge”, and the school received an $18,000 MusiCounts Innovation Grant to expand its music program.

Madly’s Journey Through Music and Education

Friesen’s passion for music began early. As a classical musician who grew up playing piano and violin, they pursued university and master’s degrees in music education, inspired by the teachers who shaped their journey. “I really felt a sense of belonging in the arts, and I thought, if I can do that for someone else, that would be the dream,” they said.

Along the way, Friesen encountered mentors, including Sarah Roche at what is now Little Bluestem School, who showed them how children can express themselves in spaces where traditions are challenged, while still providing enough structure to develop language and other skills through the arts. At Faraday, Friesen works with students from nursery to Grade 6 in drama, dance, choir, and music. Each day brings something different, but collaboration and creativity remain at the centre of every class.

“Anything that looks like playing, working together, imagining, creating and trying new things is the constant across classes, no matter what discipline we're working in,” Friesen said.

A New Sound at Faraday School

At the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, Friesen applied for the MusiCounts Innovation Grant, which gives schools funds to support or implement innovative approaches to music education. The goal was to acquire contemporary band instruments, and the application process involved student testimonies on why they wanted them, and what they would bring to their education. Once submitted, the students waited. 

In the meantime, the school won the CBC Music Class Challenge which brought $2,000 worth of new instruments.

During a visit to Faraday at the end of the school year to interview students about their CBC Music Class Challenge win, the MusiCounts team surprised Friesen with news that the school had also received the $18,000 Innovation Grant. 

“It was actually on my birthday,” Friesen said. “It was overwhelming because I was sitting back at the end of my first year at the school, looking at all the things that did happen and being like, ‘Wow, we did this!’ What else can we do now? How excited the kids are going to be for this?”

The CBC Music Class Challenge equipped students with wind instruments, while the MusiCounts funds provided instruments to play rock music. The new instruments have opened opportunities for students to explore different sounds and build connections. A group of students formed the Girls Rock Wind Band, jamming out on ideas that extend beyond their music lessons.

“I teach them the songs, but they come to me with more ideas, like, ‘Could we go to a nearby seniors’ home or school to share our music? Should we make shirts? Let’s design a logo!’” Friesen said.

Grade 6 student Madelaine C. is excited about the new rock music instruments and hopes to become a music or choir teacher one day. “Before, the closest instrument we could play was a ukulele. Now we have electric guitars, drums, and it all just makes me so happy,” Madelaine said. “I feel these instruments represent the school more.”

Fellow Grade 6 student Avery L. has also enjoyed exploring the new equipment. “Before, I had only played the fiddle, but I really like the drums because I like rock music,” Avery said.

A Creative Practice for Life

As they continue developing their approach as a young educator, Friesen sees opportunities to make creativity, play, and collaboration part of everyday life.

“It's not just about music, not just about dance, not just about drama, but how can we engage with creativity as a practice of life, with play as a practice of life? With collaboration as our default? How can we do those things?”

For Friesen, the goal is to create a space where students can discover their interests, build confidence, and find their own ways to participate. Whether they are picking up an instrument for the first time, sharing an idea with classmates, or finding the confidence to sing at a school assembly, each experience can bring new possibilities.

Their advice to other new educators reflects this willingness to explore: “follow your passions and don't be afraid to think outside the box.”