National Music Centre | Centre National de Musique

Remember when campus radio was where underground music came to life? Dig into Toronto’s campus radio archives from the early 1990s with David and Sydney Dacks at Studio Bell on Nov. 21. In A Radio Active Community, an experimental audiovisual experience, David digs into his digitized cassette library for the sound, while Sydney’s multi-screen visuals act as title cards for those who weren’t there and spark memories for those who were. Afros In Tha City founder Dooshima Kimberley Jev will host a conversation after the performance with: 📻 Toronto promoter and campus radio legend Kwame Younge 📻 CJSW Sonic Cycle host Kaamil Kareemi 📻 CIUT-FM volunteer David Dacks and visual creator Sydney Dacks This program is included with general admission. Plan your visit: bit.ly/4A0Qm4x

Ready or not, the festive season is almost here, and tickets are going fast for our holiday shows. 🎄 A Holly Jolly Jill Barber Christmas is filling up for Dec. 13 at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre. If you’ve been waiting to book, now is the time. Settle in for an evening with Barber and her quartet, who bring a nostalgic mix of holiday classics, original songs, and plenty of stories to go with them. 🔗 Get your tickets: bit.ly/3UiNTmm

Spooky season needs a soundtrack. 🎃 We asked folks to name their favourite #Halloween songs. Which one makes your playlist every October? Tell us in the comments.

Pine Creek First Nation melodic rap artist @YT_Chills wrote “Lost Spirit Night” about the shock of losing his cousin. Years later it became a catharsis and a reflection on finding light after one of the darkest periods of his life. Captured during the OHSOTO’KINO Music Incubator at the National Music Centre (NMC) in Calgary, watch the full performance on NMC Amplify: bit.ly/4zdSTZ4 Special thanks to TD for its support of NMC’s OHSOTO’KINO Indigenous Programming Initiative.

#Spookyseason is better with sound effects. On Oct. 31, Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, has #Halloween-themed activities for the whole family. 🎃 Drop in to PlayLab: Halloween Foley Fun from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, where you can use everyday props and instruments to create your own sound effects for a classic Halloween movie like 1929’s Mickey Mouse: The Haunted House. 🎃 Catch our Halloween Kimball demos alongside silent films. PlayLab is free on the main floor. Admission is required on Studio Bell’s upper levels. Head to studiobell.ca/whats-on to plan your visit.

Presented with Canada Bridges, the 13th annual A Youth Explosion (AYE) comes to #StudioBell, home of the National Music Centre, on Nov. 20. 🎶 AYE is a collaborative gathering where #Indigenousyouth and young adults connect with community and share their stories with a large and diverse audience. About eight to 12 Indigenous storytellers, ages 16 to 30, will take the stage. This year’s evening also features vendors and the Alberta debut of recording artist #LOV. 🔗 Get tickets: bit.ly/4yy1xAN

PSA: #StudioBell will be closed tomorrow (Oct. 27) for a private event. Every other day this week, we're open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Come explore five floors of musical exhibitions, whichever day works best for you. 🎶 Thanks for your understanding!

🗳️ Vote for NMC’s Jam Club in the 2026 @FieldLaw Community Fund Program. Jam Club is NMC’s free after-school program where youth build skills and confidence through music. Help Jam Club get a matching gift of $10,000. Voting closes Nov. 20: bit.ly/47ws2eT

Award-winning singer-songwriter @DonovanWoods is coming to Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, for two nights on Feb. 24 and 25. Since releasing his first album a decade ago, Woods has built a catalogue of rousing, acclaimed music that blends folk, country, and pop. An artist who isn’t afraid to bear his soul, his songs have resonated with audiences all over the world. Pro tip: Become an NMC Member today for a 15% discount and early access to tickets at nmc.ca/members. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10:00 am on Oct. 30 at studiobell.ca/whats-on.

Looking for something to do this weekend? #StudioBell, home of the #NationalMusicCentre, is full of ways to listen, explore, and make music together. 🎶 Whether you're bringing the family for some hands-on fun or settling in for a one-of-a-kind listening experience, there's something for everyone. This weekend at Studio Bell: 👇 🎛️ Saturday 11:30 am – PlayLab: Circuit Jam 🎛️ Sunday 11:00 am – Synth Soundbath: Buchla 200 Make it a full day by joining a Backstage Tour or a Greatest Hits Tour to discover the instruments and stories behind our collection. Head to studiobell.ca/whats-on to plan your visit.

“The majority of the music I write is just my own therapy. It’s my live journal.” For Tłı̨chǫ (Dene) singer-songwriter Stacie Arden Smith, songwriting starts with what she knows. In her song “60th Line,” the Yellowknife artist captures the freedom of setting off on an adventure and the comfort of knowing that home will always be waiting for her. Captured during the OHSOTO’KINO Music Incubator at the #NationalMusicCentre (NMC) in Calgary, watch the full performance on NMC Amplify: bit.ly/4idom6z Special thanks to TD for its support of NMC’s OHSOTO’KINO Indigenous Programming Initiative.

Honour Canada's veterans with a special day of music at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, on Remembrance Day. Admission will be free for everyone on Nov. 11. 🎺 The day will feature a performance by Marc Beaudin, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran and award-winning musician. A Warrant Officer with the Canadian Forces Music Branch, Beaudin has performed internationally and earned two Global Music Awards for his album Jazz Cafe de Cuba. #RemembranceDay at Studio Bell is supported by Veterans Affairs Canada. Learn more: bit.ly/4yDRtX1

We’re still feeling the energy from #Mudmen's Celtic-rock show at this past Sunday. The band brought their signature bagpipes, driving guitars, and East Coast kitchen party spirit to Calgary for a night full of good tunes and good times. Check out some photos from the night! 🎸🎶 📸: Aiden Latka

When school’s out on Thursdays, NMC Jam Club is in. ✨ #NationalMusicCentre’s free drop-in program gives youth ages 12 to 19 a variety of instruments to explore, a space for creativity, and a community of like-minded friends. Come anytime between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm, and see what you can create. Visit studiobell.ca/jam-club to find out more.

That’s a wrap on 100 years of Faust! 🎬 Thank you to everyone who joined us for three nights of F. W. Murnau’s silent cinema masterpiece, brought to life with a live score by multi-instrumentalist Chris Maric on NMC’s Allen Theatre Organ. Presented in partnership with @CalgaryCinema, this centennial celebration brought a century-old tale of demons, angels, and deals with the devil back to the big screen. Look back at Faust’s 100th anniversary! 📸: Jaxi Barton

Experience the vibrant rhythms of Latin percussion this Wednesday! 🎶 Join us on Oct. 21 at #StudioBell, home of the National Music Centre, for a special edition of Forever Young: Seniors’ Wednesdays in honour of Latin Heritage Month and presented with Jubilee Arts. Percussionist Luis Tovar will draw on his Venezuelan and Afro-Caribbean roots for an interactive musical experience celebrating the rich rhythms of Latin America. Admission is free for seniors 65+ and included with general admission for everyone else. Head to studiobell.ca/seniors to learn more.

What a ride it’s been since PlayLab opened to the public! 🥁 From hands-on activities and workshops to plenty of musical experimentation, we’ve packed a lot of play into this free, interactive space. Families, kids, and curious music lovers of all ages have been discovering how sound works the best way we know how – by making it. And we’re only getting started. ✨ Bring the family back on the weekend for new activities, workshops, and more opportunities to make some noise. Find out what’s on: bit.ly/4B3qRks 🎶 Song by Rattle & Strum.

A rare piece of music history is now on display at Studio Bell, home of the #NationalMusicCentre. 🎹 Check out this Oscar Peterson Signature Edition Grand by #Bösendorfer. On loan from Qualico Properties, it’s one of 12 ever made worldwide – and the only one in Canada! Peterson once said a Bösendorfer piano "spoke to him" the moment he touched it, and this instrument was created in his honour as one of the most accomplished pianists Canada has ever produced. Adding to its legacy, this piano was also played by late Alberta jazz pianist Tommy Banks. Visit this rare piano as part of Timeless: 100 Years of Oscar Peterson on now at Studio Bell until August 2027.

🎄 Le Noël d’Andy Kim, présenté par le Centre national de musique (CNM) et evenko, est de retour à Montréal le 5 décembre. Ce concert des Fêtes spécial mettra à l’honneur certains des plus grands talents musicaux du Canada et du Québec, tout en aidant le CNM à bâtir des ponts créatifs partout au pays. La programmation réunit les membres du Panthéon de la musique canadienne Andy Kim et Alan Frew, de Glass Tiger; la chanteuse acadienne et « reine canadienne du disco » Patsy Gallant; Neil Donell, natif de Montréal et ancien ténor principal du groupe Chicago; l’auteur-compositeur-interprète né en Nouvelle-Écosse J.D. Fortune, gagnant de Rock Star: INXS; la chanteuse et comédienne lauréate d’un prix Félix Joe Bocan; Fred Dionne, lauréat d’un prix de la CCMA; Katrine Sansregret, nommée aux prix Félix; ainsi que l’ancienne VJ de MusiquePlus Geneviève Borne, qui animera la soirée. Tous les profits seront versés aux programmes du CNM à Montréal ainsi qu’au programme de musicothérapie de la Fondation de l’Hôpital de Montréal pour enfants. 🎟️ Procurez-vous vos billets: bit.ly/3U0wTl6 🎄 The Andy Kim Christmas, presented by the National Music Centre (NMC), returns to Montreal on Dec. 5. This special holiday concert will celebrate some of Canada and Quebec's brightest musical talents, while helping NMC build creative bridges across the country. The lineup features Canadian Music Hall of Famers Andy Kim and @AlanFrew of Glass Tiger; Acadian singer and Canada’s “Queen of Disco” Patsy Gallant; Montreal-born Neil Donell, the former lead tenor vocalist of Chicago; Nova Scotia-born singer-songwriter JD Fortune, winner of Rock Star: INXS; Félix Award-winning singer and actress Joe Bocan; CCMA Award-winning artist Fred Dionne; Félix Award nominee Katrine Sansregret-Artiste; and former MusiquePlus @GenevieveBorne will host the evening. All proceeds support NMC's programs in Montreal and The Montreal Children's Foundation's Music Therapy Program. 🎟️ Get your tickets: bit.ly/3U0wTl6

Are you a teacher looking to take learning beyond the classroom? We've got a #fieldtrip that'll strike a chord with your students. At the #NationalMusicCentre, we bring Alberta’s curriculum to life through hands-on lessons led by talented musician educators. Students can explore, experiment, and discover exciting connections between music and the world around them. Inspire your class through the lens of music! Head to studiobell.ca/schools to book your field trip.