The Hammer Band

What a summer! Two of our students (who are siblings!) said farewell to this sunny season with a lovely duet rendition of Beethoven's Ode to Joy. This was captured at our final Summer Jam Zoom party.

Did you know that both Mozart and Schubert were born in late January? We’re such huge fans of them both that we are hosting a free virtual musical gathering on January 31st at 3PM to celebrate. This event will feature performances and discussions of their music by world renowned Canadian musicians Russell Braun and Carolyn Maule-Braun, along with a Q&A session for you to ask all of your burning musical questions.... Click the link below to register: www.TheHammerBand.com/mozart This event is generously sponsored by Madison Group. Thank you for making this wonderful opportunity possible!

On Saturday we met some keen students and provided them with iPads to assist with their online music education. A big thank you to The Minstrel Foundation for making this possible!

The school year looks a little different this year. With changes to school routines and an increase in virtual learning, children have also lost access to some of the most memorable and enriching parts of school: extra curriculars. The Hammer Band has had a full summer of online lessons We taught nearly 200 students virtually, thanks to teachers Mr. Inglis, Ms. Lam, Ms. Grabke, Ms. Quinn, Mr. Baty, and Mr. Hammer himself. The feedback from students was clear: more please! Dur...ing this school year, we will be continuing to provide lessons virtually. We are planning to teach as many as 500 students this year across nearly all of our schools. While teaching virtual music lessons has its challenges, students appreciated the time with their teachers and fellow students, as well as the ability to practice and improve their skills. As we head into cooler months, creative outlets such as this will become increasingly important to students. Please support our online music lessons here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/28736

From violence to violins... music breaks down barriers and unites people. Keep playing! #socialchange

We are so thankful for the contributions of the many people who are part of our band. Our Hammer Band family continues to grow because of the efforts of our dedicated teachers, staff, board of directors, volunteers, school administrators, donors, sponsors, students, and parents. We are so grateful for you. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Watch this fantastic feature on the Hammer Band and watch our founder Moshe Hammer talk about how helping others really benefits us all.