MusiCounts could not be what it is today without the support of our donors, partners, and community. Music is what drives us all — whether you grew up with music, work in the industry, or are simply a music lover. That’s why every July, we spotlight a variety of people who make music education accessible for youth across Canada.

We spoke with Dale Gago who works in marketing, communications, and events. His passion is music — so he tries to work on as many music-related projects as he can.

Dale organized NY80: A Celebration of Neil Young and His Music, which took place on November 12, 2025, and raised over $26,000 in proceeds supporting MusiCounts.

What was NY80 and why did you choose MusiCounts as a charitable recipient?

This was an event I'd wanted to produce for several years. A burning desire, really. I wanted to bring together Canada's greatest acts to celebrate Neil and his music on his birthday at Massey Hall, and with proceeds going towards a great cause. It was pretty much the culmination of the things I'm passionate about: music, the music of Neil Young, live performance, historic settings, and giving back. I'm really grateful it turned out so well and even better than I could have imagined.

When thinking about who I wanted the beneficiary to be, MusiCounts was at the top of the list. It's such a great organization with great people and I'm proud I was able to make a donation that will help school music programs across Canada. They were really great to work with.

Do you have ambitions for future events?

I'd love to produce more events like NY80. It was a lot of work, but really gratifying to see the results. So stay tuned.

Do you have any words of encouragement for anyone who wants to get involved with MusiCounts?

For anyone who wants to get involved with MusiCounts, I would say don't hesitate to reach out. They're a really great group of people who are great to work with and passionate about what they do. I'm proud to have worked with them on the NY80 event and hopefully I can do some more events together with them.

*This interview was edited for clarity.