Sounds of the Next Generation (SONG) welcomed people to a virtual celebration on Friday, October 8, 2021, marking the addition of SONGtech, an innovative youth music and technology program, to its roster of free music and wellness programming. MPP David Piccini and Elizabeth Finnie-Hunt, an Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) volunteer, congratulated SONG’s team and heard more about how the one-year, $73,400 Resilient Communities Fund grant that the group received in late 2020 is already making a difference.
“I am pleased to celebrate the $73,400 investment from the Government of Ontario into SONG to build on their virtual programming,” said MPP David Piccini. “This funding helps ensure that children and youth continue to be able to connect through music. SONG is the only social development organization in Northumberland that actively seeks out children and youth. It is critical that we continue to support organizations that are finding new ways to engage and reconnect with their community. Thank you to SONG for their ongoing work.”
When the pandemic first hit, SONG almost cancelled its SONGtech program. However, thanks to funding from the Government of Ontario through OTF, SONGtech launched right when people were feeling winter’s isolation the most. Working with Chris Trimmer, PhD — a music psychologist who developed the program — it connected with young people through music. This easy-to-understand model has youth explore how music impacts mood, what it does for them, and has them create their own compositions. All of this was done using a format that allowed them to connect more deeply with their peers. Thanks to OTF’s funding, SONG was able to meaningfully reach a new age group that has been hit especially hard by the pandemic’s disruption and isolation. Funds were used to help with program staffing costs, improving wi-fi, and helping with online music, apps and some administrative costs as well.
“I think what SONGtech does is brilliant,” said Miles Bowman, Chair of SONG. “Our approach uses something we all know but too often ignore: music is instrumental in helping young people figure out who they are. By exploring how music features in their lives and what it means, young people learn why music matters to so many other aspects of their lives than just casual listening – and they build life-long skills in the process!”
Sounds of the Next Generation (SONG) is a free, socially inclusive music program for children and youth in Northumberland County. Through music, SONG members learn social engagement and development, inclusiveness and leadership, opening doors and helping them achieve brighter futures.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities, and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
