Canadian music education charity MusiCounts has announced that 27 schools in Ontario and Quebec will receive $305,000 in musical instruments and equipment via the 2022 MusiCounts Band Aid Program. The MusiCounts Band Aid Program grants up to $15,000 for high-need schools all across Canada to start or refurbish their music programming. This year the charity will be announcing recipient schools from across the country by region each day between April 19 - 22. In total, the 2022 MusiCounts Band Aid Program will support 78 schools from across Canada with $875,000 in grants to give more students access to the incredible benefits of music education.

Since 1997, MusiCounts has supported 598 school music programs in Ontario and Quebec with over $5.8 million in musical instruments and equipment.

“We’re thrilled to announce the 2022 MusiCounts Band Aid Program recipients, especially on the occasion of MusiCounts 25th Anniversary!” says MusiCounts President Kristy Fletcher. “These grants will help schools overcome the significant challenges they face trying to deliver inclusive, sustainable music programming to students. We see that in schools across the country music education is a dynamic and innovative practice, and Ontario and Quebec schools in particular are evolving in exciting ways that ensure that students benefit from music education that celebrates culture, embraces technology, and reflects the music kids love to listen to and create.”

The MusiCounts Band Aid Program supports any approach to music education, and the 2022 recipients will be using grants to acquire instruments for steel pan ensembles, concert bands, songwriting and recording programs, Orff ensembles (programs that incorporate movement, drama, and speech), and much more.

Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School in Thunder Bay, ON serves students from 24 First Nation Communities in Northern Ontario. With the support of a MusiCounts grant, the school is introducing a radio station program so that students can broadcast from their school in Thunder Bay, back home to their loved ones in First Nations communities in Northern Ontario. This program will provide students with an opportunity to expand their knowledge base of the media and music industry.

Many schools that applied for a 2022 MusiCounts Band Aid Program grant reported insufficient funds to deliver music programming in their classrooms. One of those schools, Sunnyview Middle School in Brampton, ON currently has no budget for their school music program. The school serves a large Caribbean student population that is introducing a steel pan program with MusiCounts’s support to enable students to engage more closely with their cultural heritage.

MusiCounts is the music education charity associated with the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and the JUNO Awards, and strives to ensure that all youth have access to music education in their schools and communities. Over its 25-year history, MusiCounts has allocated over $16 million to support music education in Canada, and has helped hundreds of thousands of youth experience the benefits of music education through its programs:


- MusiCounts Band Aid Program has supported 1290 schools with over $12.3 million dollars
- MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, presented by the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation has recognized 16 exceptional teachers and supported their music programs
- MusiCounts TD Community Music Program has supported 247 community groups and not-for-profit organizations with $3.7 million in musical instrument and equipment grants
- MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award, presented by the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation has recognized 5 philanthropists for their contribution to music education and their impact on the charity
- MusiCounts Accelerate & Amplify Scholarships bursaries and mentorship opportunities for high-school and post-secondary students looking to build a career in the music industry
- MusiCounts Learn creates new, innovative learning resources for teachers and students, and facilitates important national dialogue about music education

Despite this impact on music education over the last 25 years, there is still much work to do. Currently, MusiCounts can only help 1 in 5 schools that apply for its support. Music education in Canada is critically underfunded, and many kids are at risk of losing access to music programming in their schools. As a charity, MusiCounts relies on individuals and corporate citizens to support its music education programs and grants. Learn more and get involved at musicounts.ca/anniversary.

2022 MusiCounts Band Aid Program Recipients Schools - Central Canada:

Mary Street Community School, Oshawa, ON
Sunnyview Middle School, Brampton, ON
McKellar Park Central Public School, Thunder Bay, ON
St. Angela, Etobicoke, ON
Yorkdale Secondary School, Toronto, ON
Broadacres Jr. School, Toronto, ON
Clark Boulevard Public School, Brampton, ON
St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School, St. Catharines, ON
Elmbank Junior Middle Academy, Etobicoke, ON
St. Mary Catholic Elementary School, Welland, ON
St. Timothy, Toronto, ON
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Toronto, ON
Prince of Wales Public School, Belleville, ON
Ryerson Middle School, Hamilton, ON
Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, Thunder Bay, ON
École spécialisée de l'Envol, Québec, QC
Riverview Elementary School, Verdun, QC
École Léon-Guilbault, Laval, QC
Sainte-Claire Brossard, Brossard, QC
École secondaire Jean-Grou, Montréal, QC
Mariboisé, Saint-Jérôme, QC
Pontiac High School, Shawville, QC
École Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur, Barraute, QC
Jacques-Cartier, Sept-Îles, QC
La Tuque High School, La Tuque, QC
Voyageur Memorial High School, Mistissini, QC

For more information and to view a list of all recipient schools (as of April 22), go to www.musicounts.ca.

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