The Rotary Club of Northumberland Sunrise is supporting young musicians by providing a one-time grant of $25,000 to Sounds of the Next Generation (SONG).
The club’s grant will help advance SONG’s mission to deliver free and socially inclusive after-school musical education to children and youth in Northumberland.
According to a media release, the funding reflects the club’s ongoing commitment to “fostering community development, supporting meaningful initiatives, and enhancing the well-being of residents in the region.”
“SONG has demonstrated exceptional dedication to empowering children and youth in our community by ensuring access to high-quality, free musical education,” said Nizar Hassam, president of the Rotary Club of Northumberland Sunrise.
“The grant will help SONG continue to build their musical community where children and youth can learn, create and be part of a team, while focusing on building transferable skills including social engagement, inclusiveness, and leadership. By partnering with organizations doing impactful, grassroots work, the Rotary Club of Northumberland Sunrise aims to ensure that resources reach those who need them most and empower local changemakers to lead solutions from within.”
SONG said it appreciates the donation and investment in the program.
“SONG believes in building the future of this community — a vision shared by Rotary Club of Northumberland Sunrise,” said SONG’s executive director Miles Bowman in a statement. “We are humbled and deeply grateful for their support of $25,000 that spotlights youth in that future.”
Through SONG, students in grades one through 12 can choose from an array of music programs — choir, drums, guitar, piano, rock band, SONGtech, and strings — in what’s described as a welcoming, close-knit community of young people from all backgrounds.
SONG uses music “as functional art,” Bowman told kawarthaNOW in 2024. “It is the best and most affordable tool to help kids (and adults) do and feel better. Among other things, evidence shows that exposure to music leads to healthy brain development.”
“Students in music have more and more diverse connections in their brain, they show higher achievement and, we think most importantly, show better emotional regulation. In a world where we seem to find more and more reason to disconnect from each other and ourselves, SONG’s use of music helps young people regulate themselves and connect with their peers and their community.”
The Rotary Club of Northumberland Sunrise, founded in 2000, supports local not-for-profit and charitable organizations that share a common commitment to fostering community development, supporting meaningful initiatives, and enhancing the well-being of residents across Northumberland County.
The one-time $25,000 grant was established by the club to celebrate 25 years of dedicated service and is designed to invest in the community’s future and create a meaningful, lasting legacy.
As part of Rotary District 7070 in southern Ontario, the club aims to advance Rotary’s mission locally and globally by promoting integrity, understanding, and collaboration to help communities thrive.
For more information about SONG and to learn about its music programs, visit songprogram.org.
