Latest news with #SoundofMusicFestival
Hamilton Spectator
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Hundreds of students given chance to play instruments through music collective program
Nine years ago, Heather Cronkwright's son, River Evans, asked if he could learn how to play the violin. She spent days looking for options that she could afford as a single parent. 'I was really overwhelmed,' said Cronkwright. Cronkwright skipped over expensive private music schools before she found the after-school program at Hamilton Music Collective. Evans is now one of hundreds of students who borrow free instruments, from drums to saxophones, through the collective's An Instrument for Every Child (AIFEC) initiative and after-school programs. River Evans playing the violin at six years old at a Hamilton Music Collective year-end recital. 'It's life-changing,' said Cronkwright. 'It gave him something that I would never have been able to do on my own.' The collective launched the program in 2010 to give more families and children access to instruments and music training. The borrowed instruments are used in free classes at select schools through the AIFEC program or in after-school programs offered at a fee of about $16 per hour. More than 370 free instruments were loaned out through AIFEC during the 2024-25 school year — the most to date. 'It's providing the enrichment and benefits to kids that can have huge impact down the line, just the developmental benefits of studying an instrument,' said Joel Banks, the collective's instrument co-ordinator. Banks is also an instructor, having taught after-school music classes at the Hamilton Music Collective office on Park Street North and at schools like St. Ann Catholic Elementary School and Hess Street Elementary School. Now 16 years old, Evans transitioned to playing the saxophone. He performed at Burlington's Sound of Music Festival in June as part of Hamilton Music Collective's Jambassadors group. He plans to pursue engineering, with a minor in music, in post-secondary school. 'He's very advanced in his music and wouldn't be without the Hamilton Music Collective,' said Cronkwright. The collective's AIFEC program has evolved over time. Banks joined the collective around 2011, when they originally had musicians perform and do presentations at local schools. 'That gradually evolved into the instruments for every child program where they started bringing local musicians to start giving instrumental lessons to the kids,' said Banks. Jazz in the Hubs, a concert series featuring jazz, blues and R&B artists, was one of the first initiatives through AIFEC. Proceeds from the event went toward the organization. Today, the collective randomly chooses multiple roughly 20-student Grade 1 classes from local schools to receive the AIFEC program. The children then attend the classes during nutrition breaks up to Grade 4. 'The kids who need to borrow instruments to participate in the instrumental lessons can borrow them from us,' said Banks. The collective also gives students new, bigger instruments when they outgrow the old ones. Once a week, the Grade 1 students start off learning theory and vocal lessons, before playing instruments in later years. The program is integral because it offers music lessons at earlier ages than schools usually provide, said Banks. It also gives children the chance to decide if they enjoy playing instruments. 'For some students, it's not the right fit and they learn that,' said Banks. The borrowed instruments come from the collective's inventory of about 700 instruments, either purchased new from Long and McQuade or donated. This year's classes wrapped up with the school year and will resume in October. After more than a decade with the collective, Banks said he feels proud. A goal for Banks is to maintain funding to continue offering and expanding the program. 'Teaching music is already fun, but it's great to be able to bring it to places and children who might not otherwise have easy access to it,' he said. For more information about the music programs, visit . Cheyenne Bholla is a reporter at The Hamilton Spectator. cbholla@ Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
14-06-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Top Hamilton headlines this week: Tariffs take ArcelorMittal mill + Hamilton dad recounts chaotic carjacking
The weekend is here, but plenty happened in the Hamilton area this week. Don't miss these top stories from Spectator reporters. It's time for a fun weekend and that means patios , Father's Day, free fishing, the Sound of Music Festival and more. Here are some ideas . The weather this weekend is looking mostly sunny after clouds clear late Saturday morning and stay away until Monday. You'll need to remember sunscreen, as Environment Canada says the UV this weekend will be nine or very high. The daytime highs are expected to reach 21 C, falling to 12 C overnight. Remember, the Linc is closed all weekend , so be sure to check your driving time well ahead. Surrounding city streets will be jammed due to the overflow traffic. DNA testing confirms the remains found in the river are those of seven-month-old Musa Iqbal; the search continues for the missing father and daughter. The Strathearne Avenue North mill will be shuttered amid a steel tariff war, affecting 153 workers. The east Hamilton wire drawing mill is the first major Hamilton plant closure since the start of a steel tariff war with the U.S. Police are still looking for the suspect in a crash-turned-carjacking. A prison sentence has been given to a Hamilton man convicted in a $32-million fraud. Convicted killer Maria Figliola has been granted absences 'for rehabilitative purposes.' Jayden Russell, 15, was killed in the October 2024 crash on Linc. Bakir, 31, was gunned down in his driveway in November 2018. Subscribe to our newsletters for the latest local content . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Everything you need to know about Burlington's huge, free Sound of Music Festival June 12-15
The 2025 edition of the free annual Burlington Sound of Music Festival runs June 12 to 15 in Spencer Smith Park and other locations in downtown Burlington. Here's what you need to know about this year's event, and how to learn more. There are 56 performances scheduled on three stages over four days , with headliners including Junkhouse, Big Wreck, David Wilcox, Steven Page, Tebey. For full information on this year's Sound of Music Festival and related events, including the midway and a complete schedule of performances, go to the festival website . The annual parade is scheduled for Saturday, June 14 starting at 11 a.m., outside the Royal Canadian Legion on Legion Road and Grahams Lane, proceeding east to Brant Street, then south on Brant, ending at the corner of Brant and Elgin Street. For more information, including a parade route map, check the parade page on the Sound of Music website . Burlington Economic Development and Tourism is increasing data collection efforts for this year's festival. Executive director Anita Cassidy said representatives will be on site throughout Sound of Music conducting surveys to gather visitor insights and better understand spending patterns. A summer marketing campaign includes digital advertising on GO Trains and in Toronto's Union Station encouraging visitors to take transit to the Sound of Music and other Burlington summer events. 'Tracking and reporting on the economic impact of festivals and events is a growing priority for us,' Cassidy said. 'We're working closely with the City of Burlington, festival organizers, and industry partners to develop a more comprehensive approach to measuring impact — particularly in terms of overnight stays, local spending, and business activity.' Data on local hotel room bookings is expected after the festival. Burlington Centre mall, First Student Canada and Sound of Music Festival have partnered to make festival parking easier . Park at Burlington Centre's parking lot, in the designated area off Fairview Street in front of the vacant Hudson's Bay store. Shuttle service will be available from Burlington Centre to Spencer Smith Park at Lakeshore Road and Elizabeth Street. Three buses are scheduled to run a continuous loop each day between downtown and the mall parking lot, during set hours. The service is free, but donations are welcome. Many visitors will find the free parking and shuttles particularly helpful with several road closures supporting the festival and related events, including the Grand Parade. The City of Burlington issued a statement summarizing road closures and impacts on parking and transit. Parade route streets will reopen as soon as possible after the parade on June 14. Vehicles parked illegally in the event area will be tagged or towed for emergency access. Lakeshore Road, from Elizabeth Street to Maple Avenue, will close June 13 to June 15 from 10 p.m. to midnight; and June 16 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the following streets are closed: Brant Street from Graham Lane to Lakeshore Road Elgin Street from Brant St to Locust Street Temporary parking restrictions will be posted to ensure clearance for emergency vehicle access and traffic flow. All parking restrictions will be enforced. Bus route detours in effect for Route 2 during the parade. Route 10, late-night route 50 and HSR route 11 will be on detours during the nightly closures. For detailed stop closures and real-time bus information please visit . Minor delays in the downtown core should be expected on all festival dates. Event Liaison, City of Burlington, 905-335-7777 , ext. 7704
Hamilton Spectator
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
YASSiN & Sean Terrio Bring Genre-Bending Sound to Sound of Music Festival
From June 12 to 15, 2025, Burlington will be host to the annual Sound of Music (SOM) festival once again. The festival has a long history; it began back in 1980 rather more humbly than its current form, as a marching band parade. Since then, scores of musicians, from big names to local musicians, have graced SOM's stages. On June 15, local artists YASSiN and Sean Terrio will join those ranks, performing on the TD Main Stage at 2:30 p.m. Zack Yassin and Sean Terrio have been releasing music since 2020. They met each other a year earlier by pure coincidence. '[We met at] a local venue in Oakville called the Moonshine Cafe,' Yassin said. 'Sean happened to be singing at an open mic for the very first time, and I happened to be going to see this venue to check out the open mic for the very first time.' 'When I walked in, Sean was singing, and I was like, I have to work with this guy,' Yassin continued. 'Before that, I was writing, producing, and managing a bunch of different artists, whether it was hip-hop artists, country artists, or pop singers. And I finally decided that I wanted to be an artist myself. Then I met Sean, and I had a few songs I knew his voice would sound perfect on, and we started working together.' Terrio said that before taking the stage that night, he had never performed publicly. 'It was really just on a whim,' Terrio said. 'I knew I could kind of sing, and I wanted to at least go to one open mic in my life. I definitely come from a pretty musical family, and I have some musical friends, but ultimately, I was really inexperienced and kind of raw.' Terrio said that he had done 20 years of 'quiet dreaming' before stepping on stage, and that he had to develop the more outgoing side of himself before embarking on this new career. The result of that development, and partnering with Yassin, is a sound that doesn't fit into any one genre. Their sound is soulful and bright, with hints of pop, blues, R&B, and even country. Yassin said that playing SOM for the first time is an exciting prospect. 'I spent my whole life going to the Sound of Music Festival, seeing The Trews, Walk Off the Earth, and so many other artists there,' Yassin said. 'So I'm extremely pumped to be playing it.' The duo put out their debut album Just Try in October of last year. Yassin said the streaming numbers for the album have been a 'slow burn,' but that they have been growing every day. 'We're pretty confident that in time it'll get like the respect that we think it deserves, and people will love it the way we love it, because we really slaved over that thing and worked crazy hard on it,' Yassin said. Yassin hopes that events like SOM will help get the word out about the album even more. The duo operates as independent artists and spoke about the benefits of not being signed to a major label. 'It's like people are more interested in our brand over our music, which we completely understand, we want to be entertainers,' Yassin said. 'But with music labels, a lot of the time we've had the experience of like, 'Okay, we'll sign you, but let's change everything about you,' and we don't like that. And I'm a very hands-on person in every aspect of the business.' Yassin said that to him, a label deal is an easy way out. 'It's just a fast pass to what you hope is something grand,' Yassin said. 'But now that's not even guaranteed with labels. So you might as well build your own team and be your own label.' Terrio said that signing with a label would feel like settling at this point. He also said that there are many skills that he wouldn't have learned had he not been forced to as a result of working independently. As YASSiN and Sean Terrio, the two often post comedic videos to their social media pages, many featuring Terrio performing impressions of public figures and celebrities. Yassin spoke about the genesis of this content. 'We're 31 and 30, we're not TikTok people,' Yassin said. 'But as independent artists, we're like, 'We need to figure this out to market the album.' And as we were trying to figure it out, we saw all these other things that other artists are doing on TikTok, like singing your song in your car and stuff like that, but it wasn't working for us. And we finally just said, 'Let's do something that just makes us laugh.'' 'It felt like we were forced, out of necessity, to get ourselves out there more,' Yassin continued. 'And then we realized, 'Oh, we actually love comedy,' and people seem to like it as well.' Yassin said that he and Terrio have always shared a similar sense of humour, so it was very natural for them to be funny on camera and in front of audiences. 'It's so nice not having to force a different online persona to get views,' Yassin said. 'It's literally just us, which we're grateful for.' Terrio said that his family moved around frequently in his youth, and developed ways to entertain himself in between making friends, one of which was impressions. YASSiN and Sean Terrio will be performing at Mills Hardware in Hamilton on June 6, as well as at the Sound of Music festival on June 15. Click here to find links to their music and social media pages. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Go-to summer festivals in the Hamilton area this year
With summer on the way, now is the perfect time to plan out what to do during the warmest time of the year. There are plenty of festivals to attend in Hamilton, whether you're interested in music, beer or comics. Here is what you can look forward to: Country fans can enjoy a weekend of performances, a bonfire, the R2i TuneUp Conference and the 13th annual awards ceremony at the Country Music Association of Ontario Festival and Awards. Jason McCoy, from the Road Hammers and Pure Country Radio, will host various acts, such as Andrew Hyatt, Sacha and Nations. Tickets range from $40 to $199. For more information, go to . The show will be held at The Music Hall ( 24 Main St. W. ) on Friday, May 1, and The Textile Building ( 10 George St. ) on Saturday, May 2. Awards will be presented on the festival's last day at The Music Hall. Walk Off the Earth plays at Burlington's Sound of Music Festival in 2017. The Hamilton Arts Council is hosting a week of art in June, featuring local artist performances and art showcases at venues around the city, including The Cotton Factory. There will be different exhibits, including a sound and video installation to explore Hamilton's industrial noise and a two-hour Caribbean-jazz-gospel-themed concert. For more details, go to . The annual free children's art festival is back in Gage Park ( 1000 Main St. E. ) in early June. The festival will feature workshops from local dancers, music and poets. For more details, go to . Big Wreck, David Wilcox and Junkhouse are a few of the artists set to perform at this year's Sound of Music Festival in Burlington's Spencer Smith Park ( 1400 Lakeshore Rd. ). The festival is free and will include a parade of marching bands, floats, performers and vintage cars on Saturday. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own folding chairs since bleachers will not be available this year. For more details on the festival, go to . Hamilton will host Ontario's biggest francophone festival for a weekend in the Gage Park bandshell at 1000 Main St. E. The event will include francophone concerts and family activities. For more details, go to . Lead dancer Christine Restoule of Dokis First Nation dances with others in the ring during the Soaring Spirit Pow Wow in 2023 at Battlefield Park. The Indigenous festival will have its 28th annual event in Battlefield Park in Stoney Creek to celebrate National Indigenous People's Day. Over three days, there will be workshops, ceremonies, live entertainment and the Native Arts, Craft, Trade and Food Show. There will also be sunrise ceremonies, drumming, dancing, music and art. For more details, go to . The Brott Music Festival is back for its 38th season, kicking off with a red carpet and music from the National Academy Orchestra of Canada before a Romeo and Juliet ballet performance, an immersive Beethoven symphony performance and Christmas musical show. Tickets are available for all performances at . This free festival is perfect for family and friends, full of music, entertainment, art and food. The festival will be held at Gage Park in Hamilton. For more details, go to . Matthew Good and His Band, Terra Lightfoot and Down With Webster will perform at the Pier 4 Park ( 64 Leander Dr. ) festival. Attendees will have access to hundreds of craft beers, ciders and cocktails. Tickets are $111 for the whole weekend, or $67 for each day. For more details, go to . Thirty food trucks will serve food from around the country at this free food truck festival in Gage Park ( 1000 Main St. E. ) in Hamilton. There will also be free children's games, tribute bands, cold beer and eating challenges. For more details, go to . Space Forain entertains attendees at Gage Park in 2018 during the opening night of FrancoFEST. This arts festival covers everything from live comedy to theatre to dance and film. There will be more than 350 performances. Tickets are $14 with the purchase of a $4 Fringe Benefits Button. Go to for more details. The Fiesta Extravaganza is the biggest Filipino celebration in Hamilton with a weekend of entertainment, cultural performances, celebrity guests and food. The festival will take place in Bayfront Park at 200 Harbour Front Dr. For more details, go to . This free festival, to be held at Gage Park in Hamilton, will feature live music, art, food and activities. The full lineup list will be released in mid-June. For more up-to-date information, go to . Heather Edgington, left, and Sharon Cate dance to the music of Ginger St. James at It's Your Festival in Gage Park in 2019. Enjoy different food, explore vendors and watch lion dancers in Bayfront Park ( 200 Harbour Front Dr. ) at this annual Asian culture celebration festival. For more information on the event, go to . The rib and beer fest will be held at CF Lime Ridge Mall ( 999 Upper Wentworth St. ) for $2 admission. Children under five years old are free. Hours are 4 to 11 p.m. on Friday, 12 to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 12 to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The festival will feature live music, including tributes to The Tragically Hip and AC/DC. For more information on the festival, go to . The festival will be return to Hamilton's Pier 4 Park in August. This year's theme is Reclamation, Unity and Healing. For up-to-date information, go to . Downtown Stoney Creek will showcase music, performances, food and drinks for this free two-day country music festival. The festival will happen along King Street East. For details on the festival, go to . Celebrate Latin culture at another free festival in Gage Park. Attendees can enjoy music, food, culture and activities. Visit for more details. The Dundas Cactus Festival will celebrate its 50th annual event along and off of King Street West. There will be music from four stages, family fun zones, pro-wrestling shows and BMX shows. You can also pop by the mobile video game trailer to play in a climate-controlled setting with up to 16 players. See for full details. The Peach Festival features an arts and craft section, amusement rides, vendors, a food court and live music. Grab a peach-filled pie, crepe, cobbler or sundae at Winona Park ( 1328 Barton St., Stoney Creek ). Go to for more details. The James Street North annual arts and music festival will return with performances, fashion and food. This year will be the Sonic Unyon festival's 17th year running. For more up-to-date information on the festival, go to . For lovers of superheroes, sci-fi, fantasy and pop culture, Hamilton Comic Con will offer exhibitors, comic books, movie cars, cosplay contest, celebrity guests and photo opportunities at The Hamilton Convention Centre at 1 Summers Lane . For up-to-date information on tickets prices and celebrity attendees, go . Cheyenne Bholla is a reporter at The Hamilton Spectator. cbholla@
