MUSICTHON 2024

For the past thirty-five years MRMTA teachers and students have been raising funds to support children’s music programming in Manitoba with the “Kids Helping Kids” Musicthon event. This year $6,089 was raised for United Way Winnipeg, in support of youth music programs. Thank you to each of the 147 students who stepped up on February 10th and 11th to share their music skills with poise and courage, the 13 teachers who helped with preparations, and to the many generous donors.

We are grateful for the support of Kildonan Place Shopping Center (venue), St. John’s Music (piano), and Long & McQuade (sound equipment). Without them, this event would not be possible!

With each passing Musicthon event, connections amongst colleagues and their studios as well as the wider community of Winnipeg grows stronger. In turn, our partnership with United Way Winnipeg continues to provide access to FREE music programming through their donor-funded agency partners, so that all youth may have the opportunity to experience the joy of making music. Stay tuned for details regarding next year’s event!


 

MUSICTHON 2023

Kildonan Place Shopping Center was humming with positive energy at the much-anticipated LIVE Musicthon event after two years of virtual. The music kept going for most of the weekend March 4 - 5, with a wonderful variety of instruments, levels and ages represented by participating students.

Thanks to many generous donations we raised a total of $8,774.70, supporting a variety of music programs facilitated by United Way Winnipeg donor-funded agency partners across Winnipeg, such as: Rossbrook House, Maples Youth Activity Centre, Kildonan Youth Activity Center, Mood Disorders M.A.D. Camp (Music, Art and Drama), Graffiti Art Programming and West Broadway Youth Outreach. Since 1990 MRMTA has raised $239,482.10 for children’s music programs in Manitoba.

We thank Kildonan Place Shopping Center for providing us with such a lovely venue, St. John’s Music for a beautiful grand piano, Long & McQuade for quality sound equipment and Classic 107 for support and promotion of Musicthon 2023. Thank you to all – 140 students, 10 teachers, 6 volunteers, parents, friends, families and even passersby – who stepped up and made this event a great success!


 

MUSICTHON 2022

Once again our community of MRMTA teachers, their students, families, and friends rallied together to share the gift of music through the 33rd Annual “Kids Helping Kids” Musicthon 2022. Performances were shared in a YouTube playlist, adapting to uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 related concerns.

This year MRMTA partnered with United Way Winnipeg, supporting youth music programs at a variety of their donor-funded agency partners across Winnipeg, including: Rossbrook House, Maples Youth Activity Centre, Kildonan Youth Activity Center, Mood Disorders M.A.D. Camp, Graffiti Art Programming and West Broadway Youth Outreach.

A big thank you to the 140 students and 16 teachers who stepped up to participate, raising a grand total of $5,495. MRMTA “Kids Helping Kids” Musicthon has worked alongside various registered charitable organizations over the past 33 years and to date has raised a total of $230,707.40 in support of children’s music programs in Manitoba. Thank you for your generous donations and support.

 

MUSICTHON 2021

“Music can change the world.” (Ludwig van Beethoven)

As music teachers we recognize the importance and benefits imparted by quality music programs during children's formative years, especially to those from lower income households who would otherwise be unable to afford or access it. MRMTA moved forward with plans for this year’s “Kids Helping Kids” Musicthon fundraising drive for inner city music in the midst of covid-19 concerns and restrictions. The enthusiastic and generous response of teachers, students and donors to Musicthon 2021’s virtual format is a wonderful reflection of how music does indeed change our world for the better.


Fun Facts – Musicthon 2021

  • 235 students participated in this year’s event.
  • MRMTA’s YouTube channel Musicthon premiere on February 7th 2021 featured 149 student performance videos. An additional 86 students participated via private studio events or student’s performance choice.
  • $9030 total raised will support music programs for children in the lower income demographic, including Tiny Tunes music classes in eight Winnipeg inner city daycares.
  • Since 1990 MRMTA Musicthon has raised $225,211 for inner city music!

Thank you to Classic 107 and CBC Radio’s The Weekend Morning Show for interviews that highlighted the Musicthon fundraiser. Thank you also to The Buzz Communications and Wes Keeley for graphics and a promotional video created for our event.

We are grateful to all who helped make this year’s Musicthon fundraiser a success! Check back in October for details regarding Musicthon 2022. If you have further questions or would like to donate to next year’s event contact Christina Hutton at [email protected].

MUSICTHON 2020

MRMTA’s Musicthon 2020 “Kids Helping Kids” fundraising drive, in support of inner city music programs, was a resounding success! Friends, family and shoppers passing by experienced quite the treat as music reverberated throughout Grant Park Shopping Centre the entire weekend of February 8-9, 2020. It was clear the gathering audience enjoyed the music as we could see people’s toes tapping and faces smiling!

Fun Facts - Musicthon 2020

  • 17 MRMTA teachers and 134 of their students participated, along with 11 dedicated volunteers
  • $6098.53 was raised on the weekend, surpassing our initial $5,550 goal.
  • This year’s proceeds will be donated to “Tiny Tunes” and “Little Miracles Music and Play” specialized music programs, benefitting over 300 children
  • Since 1990 MRMTA’s Musicthon has raised $216,162.06 for inner city music!

Thank you to Grant Park Shopping Centre for hosting us, St. John’s Music for providing us with a lovely grand piano for the weekend and Classic107 for highlighting our event on the radio.

Thank you to the businesses who donated prizes: Women’s Musical Club, Virtuosi Concerts, Landmark Cinemas, McNally Robinson, David’s Tea, Things Engraved, Cora’s and Tim Horton’s.

We thank each and everyone who helped make this year’s Musicthon a success as it was truly a community effort! Check back in October for details regarding Musicthon 2021. If you have further questions or would like to donate to next year’s event contact Christina Hutton at [email protected].

MUSICTHON 2019

On February 9th and 10th, 2019 we held our 29th annual Musicthon at Grant Park Shopping Center. Everything ran very smoothly as it was the second year in this venue. We appreciated the support of St. John’s Music as they set up a beautiful Yamaha grand piano for us under the skylight in the mall. David’s Tea generously offered complimentary tea at our table for the entire weekend, adding an extra warm and welcoming touch on a cold winter’s day! In the hustle and bustle of running errands and shopping many people stopped to watch and listen to the performances, donate money and also ask questions about our organization and how to find a registered teacher. 15 teachers, 12 volunteers and 116 students were involved in this event. The students enthusiastically performed and collected pledges from family and friends! Kudos to the two students who raised the top amounts: Ally Loyns $575 and Julia Whiteside $170! We did have a number of empty time slots which presented a challenge in keeping the music going. Since most of the funds raised come from the students’ sponsor sheets, we would like to encourage teachers to send even more students to this event next year! The total amount raised this year was $4329.90 The money raised will be divided amongst Margot Harding’s “Tinytunes” music daycare program and Joanne Diplock’s “Little Miracles Music and Play” as well as an “Emerging Artists” award at our upcoming 2019 Convention.

MUSICTHON 2018

This year we held our 28th annual Musicthon at Grant Park Shopping Mall. What a fantastic venue! Not only did we have a beautiful space, the piano resonated through the mall with the high skylight above us, but we were advertising for our teachers! Expect some phone calls because people were asking how they could find a registered teacher in their area! This event is so important for not only our students who perform, but for all our teachers to get us out in the community and showing them that we exist.

The Musicthon was shortened to two days this year and we did not have the help of Variety so we set up an open guitar case to accept any donations. While Grant Park Mall is not the busiest of malls, we still raised $396.75 in cash donations. From the 110 students that performed, they pledged $4192.60 for a grand total of $4589.35. Thank you to the 17 teachers who participated, to my wonderful volunteers and to the students and parents that helped raised money and awareness for our association and a great cause! Way to go Ally Loyns, student of Tiffany Wilson, for raising $325! She has won two free tickets to the Virtuosi performance “Palette of Colours” featuring the Chooi Brothers, Nikki and Timothy, and pianist Philip Chiu.

The money raised will be divided amongst Margot Harding’s “Tinytunes” music daycare program and Joanne Diplock’s “Little Miracles Music and Play” as well as an “Emerging Artists” award at our upcoming 2019 Convention.