Healing in Harmony Holiday Auction features items from Rush, Hip, Billy Talent
Now that American Thanksgiving is over, the mad dash to the end of the year is on — which means it’s time for holiday shopping.
Why not combine your shopping list with great musicians helping out those in need? The Healing in Harmony Holiday Auction runs through next Sunday, December 4, with all proceeds going to Make Music Matter.
Up for grabs in this year’s online auction are a Ensoniq ZR-76 synthesizer once owned by Oscar Peterson, a Signature Fender Jazz bass signed by Geddy Lee or signed guitars from Billy Talent and Cone McCaslin from Sum 41.
Looking for something a little easier to fit into your collection? How about some signed photos? The auction has plenty to choose from, including the Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, Daniel Lanois and the Trews. Or maybe vinyl is on the shopping list? How about signed albums from Corey Hart, City and Colour or Royal Wood? There are also items from The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Gordon Lightfoot, The Weeknd and Michael Buble.
The full collection can be found here.
David Bottrill, chair of Make Music Matter’s Board of Directors, is offering private mentoring sessions in this year’s auction, as is Juno-winning engineer Hill Kourkoutis.
“I’m so proud of my colleagues in the music industry who are coming together to make a difference,” Bottrill says. “We’re thrilled to have their support as we expand our work alongside Indigenous communities to address the generational trauma their members have experienced.
Bidding started on November 24 and by 5:30 p.m. on November 26, nearly $10,000 had been raised for Healing in Harmony, a music therapy program run by Make Music Matter. Music therapy has been proven to help treat a variety of awful situations, including trauma in conflict zones, anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. More than 10,000 people in eight countries have been helped by Healing in Harmony, giving people the opportunity to turn their experiences into musical pieces as a way of dealing with their trauma. They work with a trained therapist and producer to write, record and produce their songs, which are then released by Healing in Harmony to local radio, community concert, social media and streaming platforms to help lessen the stigma around sexual assault and violence, HIV/AIDS, poverty, mental illness, displacement and other events. All royalties from their musical releases are sent directly back to the artists and their communities.
Bidding ends at 8 p.m. EST on December 4 — good luck! Be generous!
