Mission
Wild Heart was born from the mission to create, provide, and instil a love of music within our communities on the North Island. We offer many of these opportunities to youth free of cost, so that they can experience the joy of expressing themselves in a safe and supportive environment.
Goals
Northern Vancouver Island is a diverse, welcoming and rugged place with talent hiding around every corner. Wild Heart Music is about offering individuals the opportunity to open and explore their musical interests.
“When we are wild, we are free.”
01.
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Foster creative expression and community through arts-based programs and outreach.
02.
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Create a safe, inclusive space that supports all persons with a love of music.
03.
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Provide free programs and opportunities for youth on North Vancouver Island
History
Wild Heart Music is a non-profit music program that has been bringing free choir lessons and vocal workshops to the youth of the North Island since 2013. In April 2012 after giving a performance in her home town of Port McNeill, singer/songwriter Georgia Murray was approached by many children expressing their desire to learn to sing or play an instrument. After discovering that music programs had been removed from the schools due to district wide budget cuts, Georgia and Deborah Murray along with members of the Port McNeill community had the idea to start a music program on the North Island that would be free to kids ages 5 to 18.
In October 2012, an online auction was held to raise funds to start this free music program with a goal of $5,000. Donations from The Fairmont Empress, Mission Hill Estate Winery, Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Pacific Coastal Airlines, Silk Road, The Wickaninnish Inn, Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort, 2 time Stanley Cup winner Willie Mitchell, The Tenors and more were the auction items featured to bid on and all money raised would go towards starting the Wild Heart Music program. After running the online auction for 10 days, the goal was well exceeded and the funds were raised to hire a choir director and start Wild Heart Music in January of 2013.
Free, after-school fall and spring choir programs with concerts were held during 2013 and 2014 with incredible directors Fran Jenkins and Stephanie Eakle and the program spread from Port McNeill to Port Hardy and Sointula. Summer workshops were also held bringing in vocal coaches from both Courtney and Victoria.
A second online auction was held in December 2014 and enough money was raised to allow Wild Heart Music to continue offering its free choir and singing programs to the North Island. The program is now just entering it’s 4th year.
One of the coaches who ran Wild Heart’s summer and fall vocal workshops is Joey Clarkson, a singer, songwriter and music coach from Courtney BC. Deborah Murray and Wild Heart Music approached several schools on the North Island with a proposal to have Joey Clarkson offer her workshop during school hours. The thought was that by having the workshop held during school hours, the most amount of kids would be exposed to the program. The proposal was accepted and now Wild Heart Music is active in Niss, A.J. Elliot, Sunset Elementary, Cheslakees, Sea View Elementary, Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Elementary and Eke Me-xi Learning Centre.
The program remains free to the youth and Wild Heart funds the sessions which have now been embraced by the North Island School District, bringing music back to the schools of the North Island.