Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM) is a student-driven, inclusive, collaborative, and safe learning community. We provide free after-school music programs for young people with limited access to traditional music education.
overview
SCHOOL
Our Roots
Inspired by the potential of music to empower, motivate and transform lives, Sarah McLachlan founded the Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach project in partnership with Arts Umbrella in 2002 in order to address inequities in access to musical programming and experience.
In 2011, SoM launched as an incorporated charity. One of our most impactful and generous donors, The Wolverton Foundation, gifted us Vancouver’s permanent location and continues to sustain us with rent-free support, allowing us to offer a wide spectrum of music programming. In 2016, SoM opened additional locations in Surrey and Edmonton, further expanding our reach. Thanks to the partnerships with MacEwan University (Edmonton) and Douglas College (New West), which replaced Surrey, we continue to expand our programming in these areas with the support of these state-of-the-art facilities.
From our Founder
Music is a gift that is meant to be shared. I started the Sarah McLachlan School of Music over 23 years ago because I deeply respect and understand what music has given me. Music saved my life, and has been a constant companion, it’s brought me so much hope and joy, and has carried me through many hardships.
So many music programs have been cut from public schools over the years, leaving most kids without the opportunity to find connection and community through music. I believe in the powerful impact music education has on our children and youth.
Making music together provides a sense of belonging and being a part of something bigger than ourselves- Music gives us a language in which to hope and dream, create and love, and I want that for all children and youth, especially those who face multiple barriers to accessing musical education. I am so grateful for SoM, because for these children, it's a home away from home, a safe place to be free to discover who they are and a legacy of what music can do for each and every child.
Our Purpose
Building inclusive and barrier-free communities of musical learning where children and youth find their voice.
Our Mission
Transforming lives through the power of music.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT SoM
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WHAT TO EXPECT AT SoM |
SoM believes everyone has the right to make music. We welcome interested students of diverse abilities and life experiences to create music in communities of cooperation, compassion, and non-judgement.
Community music programs available to all
SoM nurtures the discovery of creativity and voice present within each student.
Creative expression
SoM provides students a space of safety, belonging, and positivity to explore their interests and passion for music.
Safe, accepting, and positive space
SoM engages our students, teachers, and staff to jointly build a lively, connected, and compassionate place of musical learning and expression.
Community co-created with students
SoM offers a unique approach to musical discovery in which programming is intentionally designed to meet the interests and passions of each student.
Student-centered approach to learning and development
SoM recognizes the historic and current barriers faced by many in our communities and actively invites and welcomes students of diverse backgrounds and individualities.
Accessible, inclusive, and equitable
Annual Reports
At SoM, we are continually inspired by the transformational impact that community music has on the lives of young artists. We invite you to explore our recent annual reports to see how our programs, students, and community continue to grow and thrive, all thanks to donor support.
Strategic Plan
Our three-year Strategic Plan has been developed through a collaborative input process involving our community of staff. We undertook a discovery process involving SoM’s leadership team, staff, and teaching teams to reflect on what we have been doing well, what opportunities we have to improve, and what dreams we have for the future of our School and community. Through this process, we have illuminated our Vision and Purpose, further defined the Ideals that guide all that we do and set out the strategic goals we have for our next three years of service and contribution.
Toward this goal, the next three years at SoM will continue our focus on enhancing the quality of the student and staff experience, while also readying ourselves to recognize and build upon new opportunities across our three current locations in order to broaden access to our programs. We will also continue to seek ways to build our organization’s capacity and systems, which are designed to ensure we are well-prepared to deliver our programs within a vibrant, fun and caring community.
