$40,000 IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS DONATED BY THE EVENKO FOUNDATION!

Bois-Franc-Aquarelle Elementary School in Saint-Laurent (Montreal) is strengthening its music program thanks to a major $40,000 donation in musical instruments, offering students optimal conditions to nurture their passion.

The school has chosen to integrate music as a continuous arts discipline from Grade 1 to Grade 6. To bring this vision to life, creating a fully equipped music room was essential to provide rich, diverse, and high-quality music education throughout students’ elementary years.

However, a major challenge stood in the way of this inspiring project: a lack of financial resources. Access to a variety of instruments was a significant obstacle due to a very limited budget.

Fortunately, the evenko foundation believed in this musical initiative and generously decided to offer the school a major donation of instruments, including:

4 sets of nesting tubano drums

4 sets of djembes

6 metallophones

7 guiros

21 “lollipop” drums (Remo)

21 Rhythm sand blocks

30 Yamaha headphones

22 Yamaha keyboards

4 sets of Boomwhackers

Thanks to this support, students will be able to explore a variety of instruments, including percussion and metallophones, while developing piano as their main instrument. A true mini music school will come to life within the school itself, offering children — especially those from underprivileged backgrounds — an enriching, inclusive, and accessible musical experience.

This gesture reflects the evenko foundation’s deep commitment to student success and the long-term sustainability of music education at Bois-Franc-Aquarelle.

The unveiling of this generous donation, co-hosted by Anne-Marie Withenshaw, spokesperson for the foundation, and Pierre Lapointe, the foundation’s guest artist, took place in the Bois-Franc-Aquarelle school gymnasium, in the presence of 300 music program students from Grade 1 to Grade 5.

Pierre Lapointe received a warm welcome and heartfelt thanks from the students. He was then treated to a beautiful surprise prepared by music teacher Marie Hottelet: a group of students performed a rhythmic percussion piece inspired by his song “Bannir d’autres lieux.” Moved by the tribute, the artist didn’t hide his emotion.

The event ended on an inspiring note with a Q&A session between Pierre and the students, during which they shared their passion for music and discussed the importance of music education.

“Music is a way of sharing and understanding what we feel — especially when you're a child and you don't yet have the words to express your emotions. For over 20 years, I've watched my songs travel and touch new generations. And knowing that, thanks to a teacher like Madame Marie, some young people will associate a moment of their lives with my music — that touches me deeply.”

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– Pierre Lapointe

“A huge thank you to the evenko foundation for this generous donation of instruments. Thanks to you, music will find a meaningful place in the lives of these children. Their smiles and perseverance will be the greatest proof of that. Thank you once again, from the bottom of our hearts.”

– Marie Hottelet (music teacher) and Maude Dumouchel (Principal of Bois-Franc-Aquarelle)

About the evenko foundation

Launched in May 2015, the evenko foundation’s mission is to provide all young people in Quebec with opportunities to thrive through music. The foundation believes that music education is essential to the social, psychological, emotional, and academic development of youth. Since 2016, as part of its Instrument Donation Tour, in partnership with SiriusXM Canada, the foundation is proud to have donated more than $1,444,000 in instruments to over 50 schools and organizations across Quebec.

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Source: evenko foundation

Nathalie Roberge | Executive Director, evenko foundation – nroberge@evenko.ca
Lindsay Coll | Press Attaché, evenko – lcoll@evenko.ca