The Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto was graced with an unforgettable musical spectacle on March 17, 2023, as The Hammer Band took the stage to open for the renowned Canadian fiddlers, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and anticipation as the audience settled into their seats, unaware of the treat that awaited them.
The Hammer Band captured the hearts of the audience from the very first note they played and when their set was done, the audience erupted in applause, demanding an encore! The encore was a perfect conclusion to an unforgettable performance by these children of The Hammer Band!
Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, along with their family, took the stage next to continue the night of musical magic. Fantastic!
Students have shown us that they are more eager than ever to continue learning online, and our teachers have risen to the challenge. Our primary goal remains to provide our services to as many students as possible.
Whether you are a volunteer, supporter, donor, student or parent, we encourage you to reach out to us at [email protected] for more information on what we are doing to keep our teachers and students safe while continuing our important work.
We are thrilled to share that we were featured in a wonderful TV spot on CityNews in Toronto during the summer of 2020. Check out the video for yourselves:
They were confusing, anxiety-filled, and uncertain times for all of us. But this doesn’t mean that our important work stopped. Our services just look a little different during this time of uneasiness and uncertainty. Here’s what we did:
- Connected with students and encouraged them to use music and art as an outlet.
- Providing one-on-one and group lessons to any students that were willing and able to do so.
- Came up with creative ways to operate in a virtual environment, and
- Planned ahead for the years ahead to ensure we are able to continue our work both online and in-person.
These program changes were not easy, but our staff, teachers and students were incredible at adapting. Check out the following video of one of our teachers, Praise Lam, reaching out to her students with a positive message.
Finally, we would like to let you all know that we welcome donations of any size to help us prepare for the school year ahead.
We are now teaching at 35 schools to over 700 children! We are also excited to announce our first Hammer Band Orchestra under the direction of Ross Inglis. For a complete list see Our Schools.
We are teaching music in 30 schools, including three in Brampton.
And there are 600 wonderful kids that are playing music by Beethoven, Beatles, as well as Fiddle Tunes and Folk Songs. For a complete list, see Our Schools.
The Hammer Band is present in 23 schools around the GTA.
When there are so many kids in the program, some show musical talent. For that reason, we added master-classes and private lessons to those students.
For a complete list, see Our Schools.
The Hammer Band’s program of violin and cello lessons begins at 18 schools in 3 priority neighbourhoods of Toronto, including 3 new schools in the Regent Park area: Lord Dufferin Junior and Senior Public, Rose Avenue Junior Public, and Sprucecourt public schools. For a complete list, see Our Schools.
The Hammer Band’s second annual summer camp is held at Topcliff elementary at Jane and Finch as well as at George Webster Elementary. Students participate in violin lessons throughout the week and attend a special presentation by Marilyn Lightstone.
The Hammer Band’s program of violin and cello lessons begins in 12 TDSB school venues along the Jane/Finch corridor (see Our Schools), and three new ones in East York: George Webster, Crescent Town and Secord.