SURPRISE PRESENTATION IN HAMILTON INCLUDES PERFORMANCE BY
MEMBERS OF JUNO AWARD-WINNING GROUP, ARKELLS

Hamilton, ON - Hamilton Music Collective's An Instrument for Every Child (AIFEC), was buzzing in musical celebration yesterday. Two members of JUNO Award-winning group, Arkells, Max Kerman and Mike DeAngelis were on hand to help Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards & MusiCounts, and Alan Convery, Director, Community Relations at TD Bank Group, announce the recipients of the 2nd annual MusiCounts TD Community Music Grants. AIFEC, a program dedicated to providing all children with high quality music education, was one of the program recipients announced, receiving $20,000 worth of instruments. Hamilton program participants from Dr. Edgar Davey Elementary School expecting to attend an "instrument petting zoo" to learn about instruments were surprised by both the performance and the donation of over 100 instruments. Arkells performed two songs and passionately discussed how music has influenced their lives, illuminating the essential impact music programs like AIFEC have on a community and the overall sense of fulfillment for the students involved.

At the presentation, Kerman addressed the children from Dr. Edgar Davey Elementary School, saying, "You know, you and I, we're neighbors in a way, I live about a 10 minute walk from your school. It may seem a little bit complicated, what we're doing up here, playing an instrument with six strings, but really it's quite simple, especially when you're first starting out. If you put your mind to it, you can learn anything pretty quickly, that's the great thing about music."

This year, MusiCounts TD Community Music Grants program received over 100 applications. A total of $220,000 is being awarded to the 16 selected recipients. TD also announced that the partnership will be renewed with TD committing to an additional two years of funding for the program.

Now in its second year, the TD Community Music Grants were envisioned nearly three years ago by Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene who approached MusiCounts with the intent to get involved with the charity. He proposed an agenda for MusiCounts to support programs serving at-risk youth, who may lack opportunity towards music education and discovery through their own schools. With support from TD and artists like Kevin Drew, Tegan and Sarah and Arkells, MusiCounts brought this program to fruition, expanding their repertoire to create more opportunities for youth in underserved communities across Canada. The MusiCounts TD Community Music Grants provide musical instruments and equipment to community centres, after-school programs and other community non-profit organizations, providing musical tools to youth in need.

"The MusiCounts TD Community Music Grants program provides a great avenue to help us change the lives of even more youth through the power of music," says Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards & MusiCounts.  "We are very grateful to have some of the country's best recording artists celebrate the success of the program, including Arkells who joined us yesterday.Not only do these grants make a tremendous difference for the programs and communities they support, the impact of them clearly resonates within the artist community in Canada."

"We're thrilled to support MusiCounts, which gives young people the opportunity to access music, and benefit from music education," said Alan Convery, Director, Community Relations, TD Bank Group. "TD is committed to creating opportunities for youth in communities across the country, giving them a chance to discover a love of music. The MusiCounts TD Community Music Grants program makes it possible for community organizations nation-wide to continue making a positive impact on Canada's youth, through music."

2014 MusiCounts TD Community Music Grant Recipients Are:
All Nations Healin' Thru Artz (ANHTA) - Regina, SK
Culture for Kids in the Arts (CKA) - Hamilton, ON
Hamilton Music Collective - Hamilton, ON
Heart of the City Piano Program (Vancouver Chapter) - Vancouver, BC
John Howard Society of Sudbury - Sudbury, ON
Le Conseil des arts de Chéticamp - Chéticamp, NS
Lyrical Lines Education Network Inc. - Kitchener, ON
New Ross Family Resource Centre - New Ross, NS
North York Community House (NYCH) - Toronto, ON
Overture with the Arts (OWTA) - Dorval, QC
Partageons l'espoir/ Share the Warmth - Montréal, QC
Project Grace - St. John's, NL
Success Power Opportunity Teamwork (The S.P.O.T) - Scarborough, ON
Tall Tree Festival Society - Port Renfrew, BC
The West End Culture Centre (WECC) - Winnipeg, MB
YMCA of Greater Vancouver - Surrey, BC

*To read more on each of the grant recipients please visit here.

*To download hi-res images from the event please click here.

Photos courtesy of Barry Roden 

About Arkells

Arkells are a critically acclaimed rock n roll band, known for their classic songwriting, electric live show, and workman like touring ethic.  Jackson Square, the band's first full length LP was released in 2008 to critical and commercial acclaim, garnering the JUNO Award for New Group of the Year in 2010. In 2011, they released Michigan Left, a collection of blue-eyed soul, sing-a-long anthems. In 2012 they won the JUNO Award for Group of the Year, and the CBC Music award for Best Live Band. 

Arkells have toured with acts such as Metric, The Tragically Hip, Tokyo Police Club, British Sea Power, Anti-Flag, The Black Crowes. Their new album, High Noon, was written in Hamilton and produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, The Kooks, M83). This collection of songs are the band's most unabashed effort yet - politically charged, heart on your sleeve lyrics combined with adventurously modern and throwback production stylings. 

 www.arkells.ca 

TD Community Giving

TD Bank Group invests in communities in order to effect positive change in the places where it operates and where its clients and employees live and work. In 2013, TD donated over $74.7 million to support community organizations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In Canada, TD focuses on education and financial literacy, creating opportunities for young people and the environment. For further information, please visit www.td.com/corporateresponsibility

About TD Music

Since 2003, TD has helped customers and communities experience the love of music by sponsoring major music festivals across Canada. Every year TD supports many music-based community and educational programs. Continuing with its commitment to support music programs throughout Canada, TD is proud to be a National Sponsor of the 2014 JUNO Awards and Live Nation's year-long concert series.

About MusiCounts 

MusiCounts, Canada's music education charity associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) is helping to keep music alive in schools across Canada. MusiCounts' mission is to ensure that children in Canada, regardless of socio-economic circumstances or cultural background, have access to music programs through their schools. MusiCounts includes Band Aid musical instrument grants, the TD Community Music Grants, the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, Scholarships and other music education initiatives. MusiCounts is funded by annual contributions by Bell Media; TD; SiriusXM Canada; the Slaight Family Foundation; Music Canada, Vista Radio, Morningstar Canada and supported since inception by Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc.; Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada Ltd.; along with JUNO Songwriters' Circle and JUNO Cup. Since MusiCounts' establishment in 1997, nearly $7,000,000 will have been awarded to help support music education in Canada. These funds have impacted over 600 school communities from coast to coast, supported over 300 post-secondary music program graduates and honoured 9 extraordinary music teachers through the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award.         

www.musicounts.ca