SiriusXM Canada, has opened Soundwaves Music Store in Toronto, gifting free instruments and pieces of equipment to children. Canadian rapper and producer Kardinal Offishall served as host of the launch event today.
The Soundwaves Music Store at 1604 Queen St. W. welcomes youth under the age of 16 to select a free instrument or piece of equipment they want to use to help support them on their musical journey. The store is only open to the public between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on December 5, and is in celebration of the launch of Soundwaves: A MusiCounts Community Fund powered by SiriusXM.
The program is the evolution of the MusiCounts Community Music Program and will help support youth music programs across Canada with grants of up to $20,000 for instruments, equipment, and resources provided to community groups or not-for-profit organizations.
Along with Offishall, the event welcomed Kristy Fletcher, President of MusicCounts, who spoke on the impact of SiriusXM’s donation and how the funds will help aid community music programs across the country. Offishall also spent time speaking with the children who attended the event while staff at the store showed children how to use the instruments.
Note that this is just a pop-up “store” to celebrate this event: Soundwaves Music Store will not remain open after the two-hour giveaway. However, it’s clear this two-hour time period will help foster a love of music for plenty of children, including those who might not otherwise have had access to or even interest in learning how to play everything from the piano to guitar, drums, and violin.
