Sony Music Canada announced the latest edition of the Sony Music Group’s Beyond the Instrument initiative. This program is dedicated to fostering music education and providing young people with access to high-quality musical instruments, technology, and industry mentorship.

In partnership with MusiCounts, Canada’s leading music education charity, Sony Music Canada hosted a special Beyond The Instrument event on March 27th in Vancouver, BC, ahead of the 2025 JUNO Awards. JUNO Award winner Aqyila joined youth from Ensemble Non Profit—a MusiCounts Community Fund recipient organization—to share her insights on the music industry, lead a Q&A, and tour Armoury Studios, one of Vancouver’s premier recording spaces. Aqyila and her musical director also walked the students through her songwriting and producing process, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how she crafts her music from concept to completion.

As part of this initiative, two BC-based schools, H. J. Cambie Secondary and Daaxiigan Sḵ’adaa Née, along with Ensemble Non Profit, have been awarded MusiCounts grants of musical instruments and production equipment, thanks to the support of Beyond The Instrument. This donation equips students with the tools they need to explore and develop their musical talents, and includes a range of traditional instruments and state-of-the-art music technology, ensuring that young musicians can engage in both performance and music production. The investment aims to break down financial barriers to participation, allowing more youth to benefit from the power of music education.

Aqyila shared her excitement about the initiative, saying: “Music has always been such a powerful outlet for me, and I know firsthand how important it is to have access to the right tools and opportunities. Seeing these students so passionate about music and being able to support their journey is incredibly rewarding.”

MusiCounts' vision is to give all youth access to the benefits of music education through their school or community, and the charity gives musical instruments and equipment grants to community organizations and schools across the country.

Sony Music Canada is proud to support music education and career development through Beyond The Instrument, reaffirming its commitment to nurturing the next generation of Canadian talent.

Since 2021, the Beyond The Instrument program grant aims to accelerate equity and access to cutting-edge music technology education for students in high-need schools, located in historically excluded communities. To date, the program has been active in Canada, California, Tennessee, Florida and London. Artist and songwriters that have served as mentors for the initiative include Cat Burns, Noah Cyrus, DIXSON, James Everingham, Lupita Infante, KayCyy, Adam Lukas, Sigala and Aqyila.