TORONTO, ON – Today, Canadian music icon Corey Hart joined MusiCounts, Canada’s leading music education charity, to surprise the students of Juniper Ridge Intermediate in Torbay, NL with a special performance, and $10,000 in new instruments from the MusiCounts Band Aid Program. Juniper Ridge Intermediate is one of 20 schools who received instruments this year, thanks to the generous support of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party.
“We believe that music adds possibilities for youth, and are delighted to give Juniper Ridge Intermediate these instruments today, thanks to the support of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party,” said Kristy Fletcher, Executive Director, MusiCounts. “We are honoured to have Corey Hart join us to inspire the next generation of creators!”
Corey Hart Joins MusiCounts Photo Tania Heath
“It was so special to be with all these bright young faces full of hope and light,” said Corey Hart. “I hope the instruments inspire them to reach great musical heights, if you keep music in your life you can’t go wrong.”
After performing his hits “Never Surrender” and “Sonny’s Dream” for the excited auditorium of students, the 2019 Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee, who is about to kick off his nationwide Never Surrender Tour on May 31 in St. John’s, NL, spoke about the impact that music education had on his own career and took questions from the students. Juniper Ridge Intermediate music students then performed a rousing rendition of Hart’s classic, “Sunglasses At Night”.
The MusiCounts Band Aid Program has supported over 1,000 schools across Canada and provides up to $15,000 worth of musical instruments and equipment to school music programs in need, to ensure their current success and sustained growth. In 2019, 96 schools across Canada received $1 million in instruments and equipment.
About Corey Hart
Corey Hart has sold over 16 million records worldwide by amassing nine consecutive US Billboard Top 40 Hits while scoring an impressive 32 top 40 singles in his native Canada (Including 12 – Top 10 Hits). He is Grammy-nominated, as well as a multiple JUNO Award and Quebec ADISQ winner. In 2019 Hart was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions toward the greater international recognition of Canadian artists and music, and he was previously inducted onto Canada’s prestigious Walk Of Fame.
During his years away from the spotlight, Hart wrote and produced several songs for fellow Canadian superstar Celine Dion. In 2003, spearheaded by Sire Music´s CEO Seymour Stein, Hart was offered a record label partnership with Warner Music Canada which he named Siena Records.
On May 3, Corey Hart released Dreaming Time Again, his first studio album in over 20 years produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin. The album currently sits at #3 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart. He will also be embarking on his first major arena tour since the 1980s across Canada and Asia, which kicks off on May 31 in St. John’s, NL.
www.coreyhart.com
www.facebook.com/coreyhartofficial
About MusiCounts
MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with CARAS and the JUNO Awards is keeping music alive in schools and communities across Canada by putting musical instruments into the hands of children that need them most. MusiCounts’ mission is to ensure that youth in Canada have access to music programs through their schools and communities. MusiCounts celebrates musical excellence and achieves its mission through its BandAid Program, the MusiCounts TD Community Music Program, the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award, Scholarships and other music education initiatives.
MusiCounts is funded by many of Canada’s most dedicated individuals and corporate citizens including and especially The Leadership Circle, TD Bank Group, Bell Media, SiriusXM Canada, the Slaight Family Foundation, Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, and The London JUNO Host Committee. MusiCounts has been supported since inception by Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., Universal Music Canada, Warner Music Canada Ltd., JUNO Songwriters’ Circle and JUNO Cup. MusiCounts was established in 1997 and has awarded over $12,000,000 in support of music education in Canada. These funds have benefitted 1,200 schools and communities, supported nearly 400 post-secondary music program graduates, and honoured 14 extraordinary music teachers and three MusiCounts ambassadors.
