Congratulations to the Grade 12 Music Class at Father Leo J. Austin Catholic Secondary School for placing third in the Original Senior Performance (Gr. 9-12) category in the 2026 spring edition of the CBC Music Class Challenge!
The challenge was to write an original song, and students got to work writing, arranging, composing and recording, and created the song I Can’t Speak. "The idea of the song comes from a satirical joke when one of our guitarists expressed that he felt like he couldn’t get a word in during rehearsals sometimes through the flurry of noise, but quickly evolved into a real and meaningful concept,” said Mr. Iannuzzi, Instrumental Music teacher. "The idea that many of our students at some point in their lives have felt without a voice in their community was something so relatable, important, and partially responsible for why they found themselves building a ‘home' in our class together.”
The song garnered attention for the band's choice of genre, an emo and hardcore piece, and their tight production, especially with two bassists, two lead guitars and a saxophone. The lead vocalists also played an important role, and were complimented for their strong presence and quality of professional front-band performers.
Mr. Iannuzzi was delighted when the class placed third in their category, especially as a small group. "We have a relatively small program with only 13 students in our Grade 12 class, but they have proven that we can do a lot with very little. I am hoping that by putting our talent on display for Canada, we can motivate others in smaller groups to do the same.”
