What We Do
The Hammer Band organization has partnered with dozens of schools within at-risk neighbourhoods across the Greater Toronto Area.
Believing in the power of music and music instruction to help foster inclusivity, Moshe Hammer walked into a public school in the Jane/Finch corridor and offered to teach violin. Today, with eight other professional musicians, The Hammer Band reaches close to a thousand children, starting in grade four and going into high school.
Students take free lessons on donated violins in classrooms within the safety and security of their own school settings. As resources allow, and The Hammer Band continues to expand more students join every year. During the pandemic lockdown, our teachers also began on-line classes during the school year that continue to this day, and an annual on-line summer camp known as The Summer Jam! The Hammer Band plans to introduce hundreds more kids to violins, other instruments, musical performances and the power of musical education.
Ultimately The Hammer Band strives to provide musical education not only across Ontario, but across Canada.
Through learning music together, students learn the art of listening, focus, and work together in harmony as a community. Students are also allowed an outlet that has proven to assist in lowering stresses and the dangers of depression, assisting in long-term mental health.
Inspired by the strong desire to make a difference in underserved neighbourhoods, Moshe Hammer and his team of music teachers hope to offer students a creative outlet and help them work towards a bright future.
PROGRAMS
The Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto was graced with an unforgettable musical spectacle on March 17, 2023, as The Hammer Band took the stage to open for the renowned Canadian fiddlers, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and anticipation as the audience settled into their seats, unaware of the treat that awaited them.
The Hammer Band captured the hearts of the audience from the very first note they played and when their set was done, the audience erupted in applause, demanding an encore! The encore was a perfect conclusion to an unforgettable performance by these children of The Hammer Band!
Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, along with their family, took the stage next to continue the night of musical magic. Fantastic!
Students have shown us that they are more eager than ever to continue learning online, and our teachers have risen to the challenge. Our primary goal remains to provide our services to as many students as possible.
Whether you are a volunteer, supporter, donor, student or parent, we encourage you to reach out to us at [email protected] for more information on what we are doing to keep our teachers and students safe while continuing our important work.
We are thrilled to share that we were featured in a wonderful TV spot on CityNews in Toronto during the summer of 2020. Check out the video for yourselves:
They were confusing, anxiety-filled, and uncertain times for all of us. But this doesn’t mean that our important work stopped. Our services just look a little different during this time of uneasiness and uncertainty. Here’s what we did:
- Connected with students and encouraged them to use music and art as an outlet.
- Providing one-on-one and group lessons to any students that were willing and able to do so.
- Came up with creative ways to operate in a virtual environment, and
- Planned ahead for the years ahead to ensure we are able to continue our work both online and in-person.
These program changes were not easy, but our staff, teachers and students were incredible at adapting. Check out the following video of one of our teachers, Praise Lam, reaching out to her students with a positive message.
Finally, we would like to let you all know that we welcome donations of any size to help us prepare for the school year ahead.
SUMMER PROGRAMS
We are thrilled to announce that The Hammer Band will again be offering a virtual Summer camp to our students with The Hammer Band Summer Jam!
The Hammer Band Summer Jam will provide a musical experience through interactive games, fun activities, lessons, practice challenges and online concerts! We are committed to giving our Hammer Band students every chance to learn, thrive, have fun and be happy during this very difficult and isolating time.
Donate Now through the link above, to assist!
These summer classes will once again provide our students with the creative power of music and art. We look forward to teaching as many students as possible this Summer to make The Hammer Band Summer Jam a success.
The Hammer Band Summer Jam 2020 was a huge success. Over the 8-week Summer program, we had nearly 200 students participating in online classes and lessons. We also hosted a weekly zoom party where we had 50 students in one virtual session taught by a different Hammer Band teacher each week. In these parties we learned new songs, played games, had fun trivia sessions and more.
Finally, we sincerely thank our generous donors and supporters for making this Summer possible. Through our 2-month GoFundMe fundraising campaign we raised over $27,000 of our $30,000 goal, and we cannot be more thrilled. To show you just how much this Summer meant to our students, here are a few quotes:
“Since a young age, it has been an aspiration of mine to be able to play the violin. I heard it was good for the mind, I liked its repertoire the most, and it looked like a lot of fun. But, because of how costly it was, I wasn’t able to. Through the Hammer Band alone was I able to fulfill this dream. I also made quite a lot of friends through playing the violin, and the experience of learning together with my peers is invaluable to me. I am most glad that I was able to spend the summer continuing lessons and attending jams, especially during this era. It made my time at home feel a bit less depressing, and for that, I am grateful. The quizzes were one of my favourite parts, might I add.”
“My favourite part of the summer jam was to connect with all of the Hammer Band Students through out the GTA in a time where we can’t meet one-another in-person.”
“My favourite part of the Summer Jam was learning new songs and working with different students and teachers. I also liked all the jokes that everyone shared. I am excited for our next Hammer Band Lesson!”
“My favourite part about the Hammer Band summer jam was learning new songs like ode to joy with amazing teachers who are so talented. I am truly blessed that I got a wonderful opportunity to learn from these awesome teachers. Also it’s so cool how even through the challenging times we still came together and learned a beautiful instrument 🎻 . I am so sad that the summer jam has come to an end but I look forward to learning more. The summer jam was for sure one of the best things this summer and I’m glad that I took part in this. Thank you :)”
