Meet the 2022 MusiCounts Amplify Scholarship Recipients
September 26, 2022
It’s an exciting and dynamic time in the Canadian music industry, but it’s also a time with significant barriers to entry for young, aspiring professionals. If we wish to foster a music industry community in Canada that is welcoming, inclusive, and sustainable, we must invest in the next generation of our industry, break down the barriers we know exist, and empower them to take the courageous step to build a career in music.
11 inspiring young people from across Canada are receiving the 2022 MusiCounts Amplify Scholarship. These emerging music leaders, producers, and performers represent a future of Canada’s music industry that is optimistic, vibrant, inclusive, and diverse. These scholarships will have an immediate and long-lasting impact on these young professionals through a financial award and a mentorship program intended to provide a foundational understanding of the workings of the industry.
MEET THE 2022 MUSICOUNTS AMPLIFY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Miranda Maher, Edmonton, AB
“My goal is to become an ethnomusicologist with a specialty in Canadian Indigenous music. I hope that as a composer, I can collaborate with Indigenous communities to write Indigenous-inspired music, which will be taught to community and school ensembles to promote reconciliation and language resurgence. As a Métis youth, I feel strongly about giving all Indigenous people access to music programs because Indigenous people are largely underrepresented in Canadian music.”
Aby Stumpf, Peterborough, ON
“Music is my outlet to confidently express my voice and value in society. I want to learn how I can share my experience of music to empower other children and women to find their own success.”
Keon Jafanda, Maple Ridge, BC
“I dropped out of school at the end of grade nine and was couch surfing or in foster care for the next year or so. Part of the reason I didn't go to school before was because I'd get really anxious in class, sitting in a desk listening to someone talk at me. Music has given me confidence and showed me I'm good [at] something.”
Sierra Levesque, Pembroke, ON
“Music is a very important part of my life. This is due to the fact that it is what I love to do everyday, and I truly enjoy participating in every aspect of music from performance, to creation, to education, and production. I have used music to bring happiness to others.”
Jadzia Elrington, Toronto, ON
“I have been doing many things to try and position myself on the right path to achieving this goal of becoming a professional musical theatre performer... In the future, I hope to go to the University of Toronto and receive a degree in music.”
Selena Xu, Mississauga, ON
“I strive to become an inspiring leader in the music industry, bringing people together from all over the world for their shared love for music.”
Hanson Immanuel Joel Goldwin, Fredericton, NB
“I am a first-generation Canadian from India and have moved around my entire life, even after settling here. Throughout all the changes in environment, music has been one of the few constants in my life.”
Amelia Parker, Westville, NS
“Fiddling and classical violin has inspired me to want to pass on that joy of music to others, becoming more than just a hobby to me as it is a central part of my life. Performing is by far the greatest way to share my love for music.”
Riley Elliott, Dawson, YK
“Similar to most teenage girls, my aspirations tend to change almost daily. One of the few dreams that has always had a place in my career plans is working in the music industry. I am well aware of the fact that it is an industry that many people don’t succeed in so I know that if I want to make my dream a reality I have to take every opportunity I am presented with and use it to learn and take steps towards a successful career…”
Minnie Akeeagok, Iqaluit, NU
“I would love to travel around Inuit communities to teach youth and those who have forgotten how to throat sing and drum dance for the next generation to learn. I want to help revitalize Inuit culture in music and help people find comfort in traditional music.”
Grace Zhang, Kelowna, BC
“A lot of people say that they survived because of music, or it kept them going through a hard time, or that it’s their life and they don’t know what they would do without it. It has become a sort of cliche at this point, but I think this for good reason. It is a testament to how powerful music is, and I can say with confidence that I am a believer of all these things.”
