Providing musical experiences including music lessons, access to instruments, workshops, music career training and/or information sessions, involvement of musically talented mentors and opportunities for performance were the primary offerings of our Music Factory Programs, funded in part by the Alberta Safe Communities Initiative.

The Music Factory Programs took place in Stoney Nation (July 2010- August 2013) and Cold Lake (July 2010- May 2014), and in Calgary (June 2011 - August 2014). They were designed to enrich the lives of vulnerable, at-risk youth so that they may experience success, improve self-esteem, build confidence, develop team work and other job related skills, and ultimately break the cycle of poverty, unemployment, and dysfunctional behavior.

The primary intent of Legacy’s Music Works Program (August 2010 - August 2011) was to reach out to youth associated with Alberta Children and Youth Services, both in urban and rural settings, who have a passion for music and who would like to pursue a path that could lead to a career and/or education related to the industry.

As with our Music Factory Programs, Music Works programming were offered in existing community facilities right in the heart of where youth lived by partnering with like-minded individuals and organizations that brought skill, talent and resources to enrich the programming.

Music Works was funded in part through Alberta Justice – Proceeds of Crime.

Thanks to multi-year grant from Tervita, a leading North American environmental and energy services company, and grants from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Syncrude Canada and Nexen, The Legacy Children’s Foundation  has been able to establish a community-based Wood Buffalo site for our very successful music programming. This program, Instruments of Change, focuses on supporting financially challenged and at risk children and youth by providing musical instruments, the financial resources to pay for lessons from local, first-rate musicians and various music-related workshops that introduce them to the many career options available to them through the music industry.
“The program is more than just instructors teaching young people to play musical instruments - it’s the powerful mentorship relationship that keeps youth coming back for more.”

“The Legacy Gift of Music programs are such an amazing opportunity for youth looking to explore the world of music. It has been very inspiring to see numerous youth realize their potential and to form such meaningful and potentially long lasting relationships with such caring and talented artists - these relationships being the catalyst that helps youth get excited about their futures.”

The primary objectives of this program was to assist youth to complete their education and to stay on a positive life path.

This workshop is typically facilitated by 2 DJs and 1 or 2 Dance Instructors:
 

• DJ Jams - Having toured the country playing every major musical city in Canada Jams is fresh off a recent move to Calgary where she has been rostered with the 403DnB crew with plans to continue spreading the Drum and Bass, Jungle and Hiphop vibes nationwide.

• DJ Mittz - In 2009 Mittz started her DJ career in Edmonton and over the past 5 years, has gone from playing weekly night's for local promoters to playing music festivals deep in the Canadian Rockies. In 2012, she joined the talented DnB Girls roster

• Other DJs as arranged by DJ Jams

• Kaleb - A Calgary-based dancer, choreographer and teacher, Kaleb has performed with artists such as the Black Eyed Peas, Snoop Dogg and Julie Black. In 2004 he joined DJD's professional training program and continues to dance professionally. 

• Ryan - Ryan has travelled nationwide perfecting his skills as a dancer.  He has competed in competitions like the Freestyle Sessions Special Edition in Seattle as well as the Canadian National B-boy Competition in Calgary and a ton of other comps. “It's my life and I love sharing that same feeling with the world.”

• Other dancers as arranged by Kaleb or Ryan.

  
 DJ PROGRAM

• Equipment Knowledge

• Basic Scratching

• Basic Beat-matching

• Basic Mixing

• Stage Presence

DANCE PROGRAM

• basic knowledge of music form

• basic understanding of street styles and direct link to west African and jazz styles

• basic understanding of choreographic process and improvising 

• learning a piece of choreography to perform

 FINALE PRESENTATION

• Each student will have the opportunity to perform for the group a solo DJ routine

• Each student will have the opportunity to perform for the group a duo dance routine (choreographed) 

• Each performance will be recorded and provided to the students

Our most recent Drumming Workshop offering is a one day workshop with Sacred Fusion’s Trevor Nugent-Smith.  

This exciting workshop opportunity involves learning an array of interesting musical mediums such as hand drums, body percussion and boom-whackers. Participants learn the importance of team-building and cooperation while getting hands on experience with the instruments.

Trevor is an amazing facilitator who keeps the participants engaged by teaching a short history of the drums and then encouraging participants to experiment with different rhythms and beats that can be made with boomwackers and the djembe drums. Throughout the workshop the youth continued to add to their knowledge of the instruments and compile a song as a group. This song is then recorded and made into CD’s for the participants to take home.
 

This incredibly unique and entertaining exploration of resiliency is the creation of Troy Payne, a musically talented individual who suffered years of extreme physical and emotional abuse as a child and youth and somehow turned those experiences into a music infused/inspirational presentation that gives young people the opportunity to explore their own challenges and frustrations and to learn about the tools that helped him move beyond extreme despair and depression and a failed suicide attempt to helping thousands of youth from across Canada come to grips with the coping skills that will help them move forward and succeed in life.

In a 90 minute presentation format chosen by some schools, Troy encouraged, engaged and empowered young people to be proactive rather than reactive by presenting his life story, as told through the perspective of Kyle...by sharing Kyle’s life and memories Troy demonstrates how young people can channel their negative energy in a manner that encourages and shows young people how to break free of past abuses and memories.