Musicians
Bruce Cockburn Named 2014 Recipient of The Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award
Bruce Cockburn Named 2014 Recipient of The Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award Bruce Cockburn, who has written songs and campaigned about everything from banning landmines to protecting the rain forests, has been named the 2014 recipient of the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award “in recognition of his social activism and benevolent support of…
Christine Newman Starts Building Bands Canada For Marginalized Youth
Christine Newman Starts Building Bands Canada For Marginalized Youth Building Bands Canada founder Christine Newman teaches guitar, vocals and theory to some kids in the program.Christine Newman notices a positive difference in the kids and youth after they experience her program, Building Bands Canada. The 25-year-old created the Toronto-based non-profit…
Ian Thomas Band Reunited After 33 Years To Help Ailing Bandmate
Ian Thomas Band Reunited After 33 Years To Help Ailing Bandmate The Ian Thomas Band reunited after 33 years for a benefit concert for former bandmate, David Cooper, who has serious cardiopulmonary disease. (L to R): Stephen Hogg (bass), Mark Willms (keys), David Cooper (guitar), Ian Thomas (guitar-vocals), Leo Culliton (soundman), Mike Oberle (drums),…
Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew, MusiCounts, TD Bank To Give $20K of Musical Instruments To Street Youth at Sketch
Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew, MusiCounts, TD Bank To Give $20K of Musical Instruments To Street Youth at Sketch Jamming at Toronto’s Sketch Working Arts for Street-Involved and Homeless Youth — photo credit: Sonya Reynolds.For a long time, the Canadian music industry’s charity of choice, MusiCounts, operated by the Canadian Academy of Recording…
Todd Simko's Widow Opens Dialogue About Depression, Mental Illness, Suicide
Todd Simko's Widow Opens Dialogue About Depression, Mental Illness, Suicide Minna and Todd Simko, New Year's Eve, 2002.Minna Simko knew little about mental illness when her husband, Vancouver musician and producer Todd Simko, best know for his tenure in the pop band Pure, committed suicide last year. He was just 45. The young woman with an eight-year…
Arcade Fire-boosted Young Rock Band Raises Money For Cancer & Haiti
Arcade Fire-boosted Young Rock Band Raises Money For Cancer & Haiti The Brothers Dubé in Haiti. They would spend up to eight hours a day in the back of that pick up just kicking back and playing tunes and writing musicThe Brothers Dubé impressed Montreal’s Arcade Fire enough for the Grammy Award-winning band to jam with them, but when they discovered…
Michelle Obama Behind Hip Hop Album
Michelle Obama Behind Hip Hop Album Screenshot of First Lady Michelle Obama in the video forMichelle Obama isn’t rapping or singing, but the First Lady does appear and talk in the video for “Everybody,” featuring Jordin Sparks, Doug E Fresh, Dr. Oz, Ryan Beatty, Artie Green and The Hip Hop Doc. The song, available for free download, is from an album…
Amos Garrett: 71-Year-Old Musician Gets Outpouring of Help After Flood
Amos Garrett: 71-Year-Old Musician Gets Outpouring of Help After Flood The music community is coming to the aid of 71-year-old revered guitarist Amos Garrett who lost everything when his house filled with seven feet of water during the Alberta floods in June. Repairs are expected to reach six figures. “Amos' house is in one of the worst hit areas of…
Indie-Rockers Islands Introduce Malawian Kids To "Martian" Music
Indie-Rockers Islands Introduce Malawian Kids To "Martian" Music Indie-rock band Islands perform for kids in Luchenza, Mulanje as part of Music 4 Malawi: Komai Music Project.It’s hard to imagine a more worthwhile endeavour for a musician than bringing the joy and power of music to kids, particularly kids struggling to fulfill everyday needs most…
Maestro Fresh Wes An Inspiration Beyond The Hip Hop World
Maestro Fresh Wes An Inspiration Beyond The Hip Hop World Maestro Fresh Wes at one of his speaking engagements.Maestro Fresh Wes, who is celebrating 25 years in hip hop with his first full-length studio album in 13 years, Orchestrated Noise, and still holds the record in Canada for the top-selling Canadian hip hop album with 1989’s Symphony In Effect …
Being Good To The Be Good Tanyas Member
Being Good To The Be Good Tanyas Member Samantha Parton, of The Be Good Tanyas, before her car accidents.Given her status as one of the most prominent and popular members of Canada's roots music community, it should come as no surprise that Samantha Parton of The Be Good Tanyas is now being assisted by that scene in her time of need. She has been facing…
Breakdancer Encourages Youth Leaders Through Hip Hop
Breakdancer Encourages Youth Leaders Through Hip Hop Bboy Piecez, real name Michael Prosserman, executive director of UNITY charity.For elite breakdancer Michael "Bboy Piecez" Prosserman, the founder and executive director of Unity Charity, falling down and getting back up again did more than just make him great at popping and locking; it inspired him to…
Rapper Classified Keeps It Real At Youth Shelter
Rapper Classified Keeps It Real At Youth Shelter Classified hanging out at Youth Haven Barrie shelter, 2013 — photo courtesy of Youth Haven.Classified, the Juno Award-winning hip hop artist whose “Inner Ninja” hit has been released internationally by Atlantic Records, has the kind of persona that resonates with kids. The 35-year-old married father has…
Billy Talent To Co-Design T-shirt For Bluenotes Kids Help Phone Campaign
Billy Talent To Co-Design T-shirt For Bluenotes Kids Help Phone Campaign Toronto rock act Billy Talent is next in line to create a graphic t-shirt for Bluenotes clothing retailer to benefit Kids Help Phone. The shirt is due in stores and online the first week of October. “We sent some ideas to them and we’re going to collaborate,” guitarist Ian D’Sa told…
Cody Simpson New Ambassador For The Who's Teen Cancer America
Cody Simpson New Ambassador For The Who's Teen Cancer America Cody Simpson (striped shirt), at UCLA Medical Center's first teen cancer ward, alongside friends and members of the advisory group for Teen Cancer America.Cody Simpson, the 16-year-old Australian pop singer-songwriter who is represented by Justin Bieber’s manager, is the new ambassador for…