The National Music Centre celebrated its 10th anniversary this Canada Day by hosting a variety of performances and musical exhibits at its downtown site for visitors to interact with, helping celebrate the history, culture, and importance of the Canadian and Indigenous music scene.
Admission was free for anybody who attended the event, which featured an all-ages sing-along from classic family entertainment act Sharon, Lois & Bram, Kue Varo & The Only Hopes, and the Rhythm Kats, a group of seniors from the Bow Cliff Seniors Centre that performs 1940s and 1950s classics with a variety of instruments.
Stephanie Hutchinson, the centre’s director of programs, says performances like the Rhythm Kats help make Calgary’s music scene both unique and special.
“They’re a passionate group of local seniors who play a large repertoire of music, and they love what they do, and it’s a great reflection of how music brings everyone together and has an enduring legacy throughout a lifetime,” Hutchinson said.
The music centre contains four different Canadian music halls of fame that showcase a variety of musical artifacts and equipment that visitors can experience to learn about the nation’s music roots, which Hutchinson says is uniquely diverse.
“Canada is a musical and cultural mosaic,” Hutchinson said.
“There are more than a hundred languages spoken in Calgary alone, and of course a place like this celebrates the greats that came before us, and those that made the enduring impact internationally.”
Hutchinson says an important aspect of the Canadian music scene is thanks to the many Indigenous artists and musicians who have embedded themselves in the country’s musical history.
The Speak Up! exhibit at the centre features a selection of Indigenous artists who have left their mark on preserving and expanding traditional Indigenous music and culture despite the suppressive effects of colonialism, and showcases forms of resilience and pushing boundaries through music.
In efforts to keep pushing boundaries and fostering Indigenous music, the centre offers a music incubator program – a week-long professional development initiative led by Indigenous industry veterans and artists.
“It’s an incredible way for Indigenous artists to come together and be amongst peers and mentors from their community who really can advance their musical career, because the music industry is a very complex industry and is always changing with new technology,” Hutchinson said.
Overall, Hutchinson says her goals working alongside the centre are to amplify the love, sharing, and understanding of music and to create an environment where everybody feels welcome.
“What I love about this place is that it celebrates the past, present, and future of music,” she said. “We love to inspire the next generation of musicians and music lovers.”
