Popular Cantonstock music fest returns Nov. 2

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The CHS jazz band is ready for CantonStock. (Photo courtesy of Bernard Mendillo)

By Bernard Mendillo, Special to the Citizen

Set aside Saturday, November 2, from noon to 4 p.m. at Canton High School for Cantonstock 2024, the annual musical extravaganza presented by MusicCounts.

See some or all of it, eat lunch, play games, buy raffle tickets, and have fun!

Grab the entire family — spouses, kids, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents — and plunk down $1 per person for a day of wonderful music and singing. (All student performers are admitted free.)

“I’m really excited about Cantonstock,” said Catherine Eckersley, Canton Public Schools’ performing arts coordinator. “Cantonstock runs smoothly because of the efforts of a lot of people, including MusicCounts members, students, families, and the performing arts staff. Keeping all the moving pieces working together has taken some time and a lot of emails and spreadsheets!”

“While the audience enjoys the music and fun events, the musicians and singers grow and mature as performers,” said Brian Thomas, CHS orchestra and jazz band leader. “That’s my favorite thing about Cantonstock — seeing our students evolve as performers and people. At Cantonstock, not only do our older students play and sing; they also volunteer and support our younger students. It really brings the whole performing arts community — staff, students, and families — from every level together. The money that MusicCounts raises from Cantonstock directly supports our Canton performing arts programs from PreK through high school and allows us to provide incredible experiences to all of our students.”

Indeed, all the money raised goes to MusicCounts, the volunteer-led nonprofit organization that supports efforts to raise between $15,000 and $20,000 annually to supplement school budgets and be able to fund programs and equipment, such as scholarships for music lessons, instruments and music equipment for the schools, piano tuning, music labs performances by visiting professionals, and much more.

Cantonstock is the biggest fundraising event of the year for MusicCounts. At the same time, everyone will enjoy this extravaganza of student talent, with music and singing by students in all of the Canton Public Schools. From jazz to pop to classical — it’s a gala of entertainment. Plus, there are refreshments (really good pizza, hotdogs and mountains of popcorn), face painting, games for kids, raffles for adults, and more.

At Cantonstock, the entire high school is awash with performing and activities spaces, and if it doesn’t rain, a lot of it spills outside to regale everyone al fresco.

“That’s what Cantonstock is all about,” Eckersley said. “Supporting our wonderful music programs in all the Canton schools.”

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