MUSICAL MOMENTS 2021

Musical Moments is a new initiative of The Musical Stage Company that brings musical experiences to local communities by harnessing the imagination and creativity of artists. After a year of isolation, disconnection, and shuttered performing arts centres, we dream of a summer where artists bring joy, magic and togetherness back into people’s lives through musical acts of creativity. Through a simple application process, we awarded $25,000 in grants to artists so they can develop, produce and execute dynamic ideas across Toronto neighbourhoods.

PHOTO GALLERY

An angled image of 3 musicians seated at a distance from each other and each playing a different type of guitar. They have music stands and sheet music in front of their seat, all surrounded by greenery in a hedged in garden patio.

An image of an outdoor front porch with several stone steps leading up to a white door. An Asian parent (left) is seated on the top step with a young toddler in their lap, smiling at Vicky Wang (right). Vicky is seated at the bottom of the steps on a concrete bench, smiling up at her audience, as she plays guitar amongst shrubbery.

Vicky Wang is standing in an open field of brown and green grass, smiling at the camera. She’s holding an electric guitar, plugged into a mini amp to her left, smiling behind a standing mic. Behind her (left) is a white sandwich board with graphics and large font reading, “MUSICAL MOMENTS.” In the distance is a tall tree line and a blue sky with wispy clouds.

An image of a handful of people standing along the walkway and in front of a red bricked home and driveway, their backs to the camera and facing Vicky (right). Vicky Wang is standing on the driveway, smiling at the camera while singing and playing her acoustic guitar.

5 white artists are seated in a distanced group, inside an empty church, with a wooden stage, pews and decor in the background. 4 of them are looking at the person seated in centre frame, and they speak. Everyone is wearing face masks with varying designs, and handling or next to a guitar of their own.

A close up of a white femme musician seated and looking down at their acoustic guitar, mid-strum. They’re in a soft lit room, and wearing a pattern blue mask with a sleeveless top and skirt, showing their tattoos.

2 masc presenting musicians are looking down at their sheet music. Left; a white musician is seated at a baby grand piano, and wearing a simple black mask, their curly hair in a bun. Right; a tall musician is standing and playing a lute, while wearing a plain white mask and hair short curly hair and black glasses.

A wide shot of a patio concert at an elderly care home, with a group of residents (and a few caretakers) in assorted chairs/wheelchairs watching. Brittany Miranda (right) is standing in a black dress, mask, and heels, singing into a standing mic between two speakers. The building’s red brick wall and tall windows are the backdrop.

7 residents and 2 caretakers are all seated on a large outdoor patio, mid-applause while looking off camera at a performer. Tall construction fences with multiple sun and butterfly decorations are behind them, greenery showing through.

Multiple residents are gathered on an outdoor patio of a care home, seated and watching 2 performers mid-dance, holding each other’s forearms. Brittany (left) is a mixed race artist with big, curly brown hair and a black dress on. Samuel (right) is a white artist with long hair pulled into a bun, and wearing black pants and a white patterned button up.

Graphic of "Safe travels" Stamp by World Travel & Tourism Councilbadge from

The Musical Stage Company has been awarded a #SafeTravels Stamp by WTTC (World Travel & Tourism Council), for adopting health and hygiene global standardized protocols.

With support from: William J.S. Boyle, C.M &

Credits

Venue

Frequently Asked Questions

Show Calendar

2021 ARTISTS

BEAT MAKERS!

ARTISTS INVOLVED

Luis Anselmi (he/him)
Camila Lozada (she/her)
Anastassia Irina (she/her)
Johnathan Nvita (he/him)
Mehek Cazi (she/her)

OVERVIEW

Create your own instrument, learn about rhythm, composition and perform! Our goal is to introduce children to simple music concepts and engage them in a way that will spark their creativity!

Click here to learn more about their camp!

PARTYPEOPLE

ARTISTS INVOLVED

Jord Camp (he/him)
Elizabeth Staples (she/her)

OVERVIEW

5 Queer people gather in a park.

They are guided by synchronized iPods and a performance-artist-club-kid-drag-creature from beyond, Jord Camp. They go on an interactive journey of dance, reveals and surprises.

Together, they choose what the future will look like.

Click here to learn more about their shows!

STREET PARTY

ARTISTS INVOLVED

Ian Goodtimes (he/him)
Lindsay Goodtimes (she/her)
Roxy-Jean Goodtimes (she/her)
Pepper Goodtimes (she/her)
Lowell Whitty (he/him)
Josh Bird (he/him)

OVERVIEW

STREET PARTY is a parade, a show & a celebration; a gathering of friends and neighbours led by The Goodtimes and starring everyone. Street Party is an opportunity for your community to get together with song and dance. It’s been a long time so Let’s All Party Together!

Click here to learn more about their shows!

1:1 CONCERTS

ARTISTS INVOLVED

Olivia Shortt (they/them)
Justin Massey (he/him)

OVERVIEW

Improvised songs created with unique prompts for a single audience member. What’s more exciting than a personal and intimate one-on-one concert? Performed by Olivia Shortt and Justin Massey.

Click here to learn more about Olivia’s work!

A MOMENT IN THE (SECRET) GARDEN

ARTISTS INVOLVED

Producer/Musician: Sean Yauk (he/him)
Director/ Musician: Katherine Cappellacci (she/her)
Arranger/ Music Director/ Musician: William Li (he/him)
Musician: Kryslyne Mai Ancheta (she/her)
Designer/ Assistant Producer/ Site Manager: Sophie Koehn (she/her)
Sound Designer: Sam Deeth (he/him)
Musician: Lydia Claire Wilton (she/her)

OVERVIEW

Discover a curious musical installation in an urban garden outside of 462 Wellington Street West in Toronto! A tiny team of artists descends upon the space on Friday evenings to bring it to life with musical storytelling, performing folksy classics from an iconic piece of musical theatre. Will they make the garden grow?

Click here to learn more about A MOMENT IN THE (SECRET) GARDEN!

THE SONGS OF MY ELDERS

ARTISTS INVOLVED

Brittany Miranda (she/her)
Samuel Turner (he/him)
Aaron Eyre (he/him)

OVERVIEW

This project aims to reconnect residents of long-term care homes with their loved ones through a personalized song and story experience. Live outdoor concerts weave together anecdotes of the attending residents with their favourite tunes, celebrating the past and creating more memories for the post-pandemic future.

BITTERJUICE PRESENTS: THE SAY YOUR PEACE SHOW – PART 1 + 2

ARTISTS INVOLVED

Tyreek Philips “B1GJuice” (he/him)
Aaron Diaz (he/him)
Yoshinori Aoyama (he/him)
Melissa Estor “xomellokitty” (she/her)
Ray Hammond “Ray HMND” (he/him)

OVERVIEW

SAY YOUR PEACE is an intimate outdoor event composed of live band performances, singing, and freestyle rap performances used to invite spontaneous collaboration and “jamming” of guest artists that will be invited and selected to represent Toronto’s young and diverse communities as an interactive audience. This event invites all artists to come out and remember the joy of “jam sessions” as a vehicle of promoting inclusivity in the culture and sector.

Click here to learn more about BitterJuice!

everyBODY DANCE PARTY

ARTIST INVOLVED

Greg Carruthers (he/him)
Sierra Holder (she/her)
Brittany Banks (she/her)

OVERVIEW

EveryBODY Dance Party is a 1-hour, socially distanced event for families to come together with their community and embrace dance as a form of joyful exercise (without a weight-loss focus). Participants will be led by professional dancers in diverse bodies, through dance routines that are accessible to all skill levels, body types and abilities. So grab your loved ones, a bottle of water and sunscreen and let’s celebrate all of the amazing things our bodies do for us!

Click here to learn more about their shows!

A SONG FOR YOU

ARTIST INVOLVED

Vicky Wang aka Earlybird (she/her)

OVERVIEW

A series of songs performed for next door neighbours in [Earlybird’s] suburban North York neighbourhood. Participants will also be invited to enjoy a longer acoustic show in the neighbourhood park at sunset.

Click to learn more about Earlybird’s shows on Instagram and Facebook!

COMMUNITY SONGBOOK PROJECT

ARTIST INVOLVED

Anthony Wallace (he/him)
Local Drop-in Artists

OVERVIEW

The Community Songbook Project will engage community members and local musicians from Francis Beavis Manor to hold a public performance for their community showcasing original songs drawn from the stories, experiences and personalities of the community. Through community engagement and song writing circles, music will be written by local musicians and then performed for the community.

SUPPORTIVE SOUNDS SERIES

ARTIST INVOLVED

Heather Clear Wind (she/her/they/them)

OVERVIEW

The Supportive Sounds Series will be a rare opportunity to experience nature in a new (and yet ancient) way that can help to bring you back home to yourself, to your spirit and to who you truly are – gently reminding you that you are a spirit having a human experience.

This will be a wonderfully restorative time for people to come (back) together to enjoy connecting and creating community, listening to Indigenous teachings and storytelling in the beautiful nature that surrounds and supports us daily.

You will get to experience the powerful healing drumbeats of the Indigenous big drum, be a part of Indigenous ceremony, and listen and share together in a compassionate and supportive space.

Click here to learn more about this project!