The MusiCounts School Music Funding Programs will fund 96 schools across Canada, supporting music education programs with the charity's largest investment to date, as programs nationwide continue to face budget cuts.
MusiCounts is stepping up for the future of music education.
The Canadian music education charity has announced a $1.4 million donation to support music education in Canadian schools, the biggest investment in the company's history. Through the MusiCounts School Music Funding Programs, 96 schools across the country will receive support for their music programs amid increasing budget cuts and deficits.
"Every year, we receive a staggering amount of applications from schools that operate on annual budgets of $500 or less. They are expected to support hundreds of students with this amount," says Regan Harney, executive director of MusiCounts. "At most, they can do minimal upkeep on instruments that haven't been replaced in years — it's not sustaining learning. A grant of $15,000-$20,000 can implement a full K-6 elementary music program, purchase new concert band instruments that will last for years, start a culturally connective program, or implement technology-forward learning. All of this will build practical skills in students."
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MusiCounts, which is associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and the Juno Awards, has established an extensive history of supporting music through educational institutions, awarding more than $20 million in instruments to schools over the past decade. Last year, MusiCounts made a then-record $1.1 million donation as part of the School Music Program and $500,000 through their Community Music Program.
The milestone investment also aligns with a big year for the charity, which is gearing up to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2027. The Juno Awards in Hamilton generated a record $17.2 million impact for the host city. MusiCounts crowns a teacher of the year with an award at the annual ceremony, gifting them a $10,000 prize and a grant for their school. But the investment in music education is year-round at local communities throughout the country.
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"An enriching music education does more than develop musical ability; it helps young people build the emotional well-being, interpersonal skills, and capabilities they need to thrive in life and work," Harney adds. "Nurturing the future of the Canadian music industry via an arts education can result in more jobs and economic growth — ultimately, communities thrive where there is music education. We need this now, more than ever."
One Winnipeg school has already benefitted from the initiative, with Faraday School in the city's North End receiving an $18,000 grant to develop its general music program.
"This grant fuels the imagination and the experience the kids can have," says Madly Friesen, a conductor and educator at the secondary school. "I want to build a class so amazing that the students can't wait to come in from recess."
MusiCounts is one of the Canadian companies driving change within the Canadian industry. Harney was named among the honourees on the inaugural Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 list last November, while Allan Reid, CARAS and MusiCounts president/CEO and Kristy Fletcher, president of MusiCounts and COO of CARAS, both earned a coveted spot on the Billboard Canada Power Players 2026 list.
