Sarah McLachlan School of Music comes to MacEwan University for underprivileged youth
Posted January 25, 2023 9:27 am.
At-risk and underprivileged youth in Edmonton are getting the chance to pursue their music dreams.
Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan is opening a music school at MacEwan University.
The Sarah McLachlan School of Music will offer free hands-on music lessons and mentorship for kids who otherwise would not have the opportunity to study music.
Lessons are designed to accommodate the various levels of experience among students.
“I strongly believe every child deserves an opportunity to discover who they are through music,” McLachlan told the crowd on Tuesday.
Sarah McLachlan at MacEwan University on Jan. 24, 2023. (Credit: CityNews/Elliott Knopp)
Edmonton is the third location for a Sarah McLachlan School of Music. There are already two schools in her home province of B.C. – in Surrey and Vancouver.
“I have a particularly warm spot in my heart for Edmonton,” said the singer-songwriter. “I’ve seen it time and time again firsthand the powerful sense of responsibility to support community that exists here in Edmonton.”
NDP MLA David Shepherd, a MacEwan music program alumnus, says his time as a student of the arts still plays an important role in his life today.
“I was fortunate my parents could afford that piano, they could afford to send me to music lessons and give me that opportunity to discover who I was and build that skill,” said Shepherd. “But there is far too many youth who do not have that privilege, and so what you have built here with your school of music, Sarah, is a wonderful thing.”
Around 150 students are already enrolled in the program with classes starting in the spring.
A musical performance at MacEwan university during a partnership announcement with the Sarah McLachlan School of Music on Jan. 24, 2023. (Credit: CityNews/Elliott Knopp)
