The Music Connect Project brings young volunteer musicians into care homes, hospitals, shelters, schools and libraries wherever we are — because music should serve a purpose, and every performance is volunteer based.
“As a universal language, music connects different people, connects the community, and connects different cultures.”
A Music Connect concert at Summerhill PARC, North Vancouver — saxophone, harp and guzheng for an audience of seniors. Inset: the concert poster from that afternoon, January 3, 2019. Photos from the project's own archive.
Connects people
Young performers and the neighbours they play for — strangers become an audience, then a conversation.
Connects the community
Care centres, hospitals, homeless shelters, schools and public libraries — music goes where it is needed.
Connects cultures
From Handel and Edelweiss to Chinese folk songs and the konghou — programmes cross traditions in a single afternoon.
Why we exist
Music should serve a purpose
We firmly believe music can positively impact people's lives. The Music Connect Project encourages young musicians to connect and serve the community through their talents in music creation and performance — sharing what they love with the people around them.
Like every project in founder Renée Qin's practice, it reflects a deep commitment to connecting people through music and shared experience — grounded not in the concert hall, but in community engagement: a seniors' residence after dinner, a hospital ward, a library on a Sunday afternoon.
Most of our concerts are free performances at schools, hospitals and homeless shelters, and most of our public concerts are donation based. All volunteers receive service hour certificates annually.
The same project, continuing on its own
The Music Connect Project began as the flagship outreach programme of the Vancouver Young Artist Society in British Columbia. The society has since been wound up as a legal entity, but the project itself continues independently — under the Music Connect name it has always carried, with the same musicians, the same venues, and the same 100 Concerts Challenge.
An outreach concert in a care-home lounge — grand piano and harp, played for residents where they live. Photo from the project's archive.
Programmes
Three ways we show up
The three programmes from the project's original site — concerts that go out into the community, lectures that open music up, and sessions that hand instruments to children.
01
Music Outreach Concerts
We perform frequently at care centers and hospitals. Our young musicians are high school student volunteers from the communities where we play — wherever we are.
Care centresHospitalsHomeless sheltersSchools
Most of the concerts we perform are free performances at schools, hospitals and homeless shelters, and most of our public concerts are donation based. Programmes are built for the room: a jazzy opener, a Handel concerto, familiar songs the audience can hum — and time afterwards to chat, because the conversation is part of the concert.
02
Library Lectures
Our young musicians organize lecturing events at public libraries to introduce their instruments — and different periods and types of music — to the public.
Public librariesFree eventsInstrument introductions
Workshop spotlight — “Sound of Harp.” A workshop and solo recital series presented at the North Vancouver District Library: Capilano Branch on March 18, 2018, and Parkgate Branch on February 11, 2018. Free events, registered through the library — part talk, part recital, with the harp explained string by string.
03
Music for Kids
We organize events at community centers focusing on music exploration for kids — trying sounds, asking questions, and discovering music by doing.
Community centresHands-on explorationYouth mentors
Our young musicians serve as mentors for children who want to play and learn an instrument. The poster shown here was drawn by one of our own young performers after a concert — flute, piano, harp, and a guest konghou — ending with the project's whole philosophy in a child's handwriting: “spread and share JOY!”
The challenge
The 100 Concerts Challenge
When the project launched at Summerhill PARC in January 2019, it was introduced to the audience by name: the Music Connect Project — 100 concerts connecting communities.
One hundred volunteer concerts in the places music rarely reaches — and as the project continues under its own name, the challenge is under way again, carried forward by every new concert, every new performer, venue and partner.
Summerhill PARC · North VancouverWesterleigh PARC · West VancouverMulberry PARC · BurnabyLouis Brier Home & HospitalNorth Vancouver District LibraryWest Vancouver Community Centre
Challenge statusUnder way
The challenge is under way. The concerts in the archive below are where it all began — and every new season we play carries it forward from here.
Three concerts, in the musicians' own words — first published on the project's News page.
Jan 3, 2019 · Summerhill PARC, North Vancouver
The first concert of 2019
Our Music Connect series opened the first 2019 community concert at Summerhill PARC, a lovely retirement home in North Vancouver. The day with pouring rain did not diminish our performers' love for music.
A large LED screen presenting a well-designed poster introducing the society right outside the multi-function hall was extraordinarily eye-catching. One resident after another came into the concert hall, and soon filled all seats. Ms. Allie Lacasse, the Active Living Manager, opened the concert by welcoming our young musicians and introducing the Music Connect Project: 100 concerts connecting communities.
The group introduced the performers and their instruments — flute, saxophone, harp, and a Chinese traditional instrument, the guzheng.
That afternoon's programmeThe Entertainer (flute & saxophone duet) · Handel harp concerto · Edelweiss · The First Noel · Hungarian Dance No. 5 · Chinese folk songs · Auld Lang Syne, to close the old year into the new
After the concert, many residents came forward thanking our young musicians. When the group reflected afterwards, they were motivated to continue bringing music to the life of our communities, and felt the importance and responsibility of bringing better music to the world.
Jan 5, 2019 · Westerleigh PARC, West Vancouver
A rainy night at Westerleigh
It was the last weekend before school reopened after the winter break. The rain continued, as it does in a Vancouver winter, and we were on our way to perform at Westerleigh PARC retirement home in West Vancouver.
The venue was a very open space with a large, comfortable restaurant area. It was just after dinner; on a wall not far away, flames in the fireplace added a touch of warmth and coziness, and a Steinway grand piano stood in the corner of the hall, looking elegant. A gentleman came forward as we set up: “I wanted to apologize — there is a very interesting movie on the second floor, it might divert some people…” We were moved by his kindness and courtesy.
Sharp at 7:30 pm, we opened with a flute and harp duet we arranged ourselves — Joe Hisaishi's theme from the animated film Castle in the Sky. Its graceful melody set the scene for the calm evening. What made the night more special: our two pianists had just landed the day before, after a holiday trip to France and Italy — and still joined us to perform, a spirit that inspired the rest of us.
One gentleman commented that his father used to play the zither, and it reminded him of childhood times with family. “If, each time, we could make some small positive impact — whether it is to reminisce a good memory, or to inspire some new ideas — our purpose of connecting the community through music would be fulfilled.”
Mar 10, 2019 · Mulberry PARC, Burnaby
Seven performers, one konghou — and JOY
After the mini-concert at the Seniors' Centre at Mulberry PARC, one of our young performers, Jade H., drew the whole afternoon from memory — piano, harps, flute and all.
“We had seven performers at the mini-concert in the Seniors' Centre. There was flute, piano, and harp performances, and also a special guest who is the only one in Canada who can play the Konghou. We really enjoyed performing and it was a great experience. We also got introduced to the Konghou and learned about its history.”
Her conclusion, in large letters at the bottom of the page: “I want to continue with these organizations and spread and share — JOY!” It remains the best one-line review the project has ever received.
“I wanted to thank you and your group so much for the amazing performance last week. I had so many residents coming up to me after the show exclaiming how much they enjoyed it. We would absolutely love to have you back sometime… Wishing you all the best with your 100 performances challenge!”
— Allie Lacasse, Active Living Manager, Summerhill PARC
Renée Qin — Canadian harpist & composer. CBC “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30” (2024); founder of Sound Palette.
Renée Qin is a Canadian harpist, composer and multimedia artist — named one of CBC's “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30” in 2024, with an Artist Diploma with distinction from the OAcademy Music Conservatory and a master's in computer science at Stanford, where she earlier earned her B.A. with distinction and honours in Music and Economics.
“She previously founded The Music Connect Project, which offered harp outreach concerts and workshops in schools and community centers across British Columbia, Canada.”— From Renée Qin's full biography, reneeqin.com
The project grew out of her years as principal harpist of the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra: the same young musicians who played the big stages began taking their instruments into care homes, libraries and community centres — and found some of their most attentive audiences there.
Today Renée's own work has expanded into multimedia performance with Sound Palette — but Music Connect remains the root of it: music first as a way of connecting people.
We recruit for two things: an executive team that runs the project, and performers who bring the music. All volunteers receive service hour certificates annually.
Executive Team
Event Development Manager
Contact communities that are in need of music services; plan and schedule event calendars.
Operations Manager
Recruit performers that cover a variety of areas.
Marketing & Publicity Manager
Develop social media and publicity strategy and plan.
Chief Editor (blog page)
Recruit bloggers, edit the blog page, and manage frequent updates and news.
Ready to join? Use the Sign Up form — tell us whether you're applying as a performer, for an executive role, to host a concert, or to volunteer in another way.
Performers — is this you?
You are between 12 and 21 years old
You like to play a musical instrument, sing, or dance
You'd like to perform for the community — retirement homes, care centres, libraries, or local events
If that sounds like you — or you'd like to join the executive team, host a concert, or help in another way — sign up below and we'll be in touch.
Fill in the form below to join Music Connect — as a performer, an executive team member, a host venue, or a volunteer. Your response goes straight to the project team.
Thank you!Your sign-up has been received — we'll be in touch soon.
Our fundraiser gift card program costs you no more than you would normally pay for groceries. Supporters purchase grocery gift cards at face value and get face value at the retailers — you spend nothing more than you normally spend, paying with gift cards rather than cash, debit or credit. The project benefits from the rebate or discount received from participating retailers.
Lessons for children and youth who otherwise cannot afford them
Instrument rentals
Snacks and transportation
Or support with time: join the team as a volunteer — every volunteer receives a service hour certificate annually.
Contact
Get in touch
Questions about concerts, hosting a performance at your venue, partnerships, or anything else about the project — send us a message here and we'll reply by email.
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