As the summer blossoms, the charity is hosting a Mid- Summer fundraiser party - in Toronto at The Duke Live, (1225 Queen St. East.) The event promises to be full of great music, dance and loving support hosted by Canadian TV personality Michael Williams and Birdsong Foundation founder Margaret Konopacki. All songs performed are original songs created by Birdsong Artists subsidized by the Birdsong Foundation.

The line-up includes Poet and artist Robert Priest, D.M. Lafortune, Dustin Harder (a.k.a. Prairie Soul), Arif Jinha, Jordan Gow, Ashley Bell, Jhmal King, Dianne Samuels (a.k.a Bird of Paradise) and Bryant Didier with the Birdsong Village Band.

Voices Travel the WInd - Hey Na Na Na Ney 
Song by Dustin Harder - Produced by Birdsong New Music Foundation
Music Producer: Bryant Didier

Music series showcases up-and-coming artists, award-winning performers and renowned a cappella groups

TORONTO, ON, July TBC, 2025 – 2025 Summer Live Music Festival brings together an exceptional lineup of award winning jazz bands, contemporary a cappella groups, and one of Toronto’s premier DJs for an evening of unforgettable performances by the lake. As part of SummerSeries in Trillium Park, Summer Live Music Festival is a FREE, family-friendly music festival that takes place in Trillium Park at Ontario Place. The much-anticipated festival is the result of a partnership between SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival and EAA Emerging Artists Association (formerly Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival Inc.), two vital arts organizations that have designed this showcase to give emerging talent an opportunity to learn, network and perform alongside seasoned performers.

Photo Credits: Per Jahnke

With roots deep in the swampy blues of the American South and the haunting tones of Nordic folk, Cactai Road carves out a sonic path entirely their own. Based on the southern coast of Sweden, this genre-defying trio blends rootsy country blues with atmospheric soundscapes to create a musical experience that is both grounded and otherworldly.

Described as a Delta Space Trio, Cactai Road seamlessly merges the raw authenticity of roots music with bold sonic exploration. Their sound feels both timeless and immediate – as if they’re standing firmly in the rich soil of Österlen while reaching for the sky.

Photos and content submitted by Tracey Savein
© for Cashbox Canada

This new addition to our brand is a column dedicated to the night life (and some days) in the great city of Toronto, featuring live event photos. Tracey Savein brings an incredible eye (of the lens) capturing special moments in time. Because as the saying goes – A picture is worth a thousand words.

Any kind of photography, as I see it, is all about capturing motion and emotion. Whether the subject is raucous and rockin’ or the location is silent and still, if you can transport the viewer into a moment in time with an image and relay the energy of that moment, well, there’s your photograph – Tracey Savein

Toronto, ON — The Canadian Emerging Artist Music Awards (CEAMA) proudly announces the official launch of the CEAMA HOUSE Artist in Residence Program, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to artist development and industry mentorship for Canada’s most promising emerging talent. The program kicks off in Toronto with its inaugural 2025 Artist in Residence: ZOCHI, the Nigeria-born, Saskatchewan-based Afropop trailblazer, known across the country as Canada’s Queen of Afropop.

As the 2025 CEAMA HOUSE Artist in Residence, ZOCHI will receive a fully funded, one-year residency and development scholarship that includes housing, marketing and publicity support, artistic development, and full-service artist management through Black Exposed Entertainment. ZOCHI has also been officially signed to CEAMA HOUSE, a music development company — not a traditional label — built by legendary Canadian artists for the next generation of creators.

"Picture This!" With Tracey Savein
Photos and content submitted by Tracey Savein
© for Cashbox Canada

This new addition to our brand is a column dedicated to the night life (and some days) in the great city of Toronto, featuring live event photos. Tracey Savein brings an incredible eye (of the lens) capturing special moments in time. Because as the saying goes – A picture is worth a thousand words.

Any kind of photography, as I see it, is all about capturing motion and emotion. Whether the subject is raucous and rockin’ or the location is silent and still, if you can transport the viewer into a moment in time with an image and relay the energy of that moment, well, there’s your photograph – Tracey Savein

After an incredibly successful second year, Four Winds Music Fest is returning July 11–13, 2025, at Riverstone Retreat, Durham, ON and the stage is set for its biggest celebration yet. With a stunning setting, a community-focused spirit, and an all-star lineup of Canadian talent, the third edition of Four Winds promises a weekend of music, joy, and connection.

This year’s lineup features:
The Strumbellas, The Weather Station, Jeremie Albino, The Sadies, Cat Clyde, Ramon Chicharron, Wyatt C. Louis, My Son The Hurricane, Skye Wallace, Matt Weidinger, Conor Gains, Stephen Stanley Band, ONTARIANS, Melissa Payne & B. Knox, Cabin Fever, The Fraser Melvin Band, Jolie Anastasia Band, Choir Revolution, and Bambalamb!

Hosted on 136 acres of forest, farmland, and riverfront at Riverstone Retreat just outside Durham, Ontario, the festival combines outstanding music with sunrise yoga, saunas, swimming, camping, drumming, dancing, and more — a weekend getaway for music lovers of all kinds.

Detroit’s iconic rap crew D12 is heading north for a two-city takeover this August with the D12 & Friends: It Ain’t Nothing But Music Festival — a two-day celebration of legacy, loyalty, and lyrical firepower. Presented by Robbie G Presents and the International Touring Agency, this is more than a festival — it’s a full-on cultural moment for hip-hop fans from Alberta to Ontario.

Catch the shows:

• August 22, 2025 – River Cree Casino & Resort, Enoch, AB (18+ indoor festival)
• August 23, 2025 – Bush’s Watersports Park, Bala, ON (All ages, outdoor festival with camping)

Headlining both nights are D12, with their live band, delivering high-energy performances and a deep connection to their fans.

They're joined by a curated lineup that spans generations of hip-hop: Souls of Mischief, Onyx, Classified, Peter Jackson, Robbie G, and Eli Ble$$ed — son of late D12 founding member Big Proof — will all hit the stage to deliver a one-two punch of nostalgia and new school energy.

Photos and content submitted by Tracey Savein
© for Cashbox Canada

This new addition to our brand is a column dedicated to the night life (and some days) in the great city of Toronto, featuring live event photos. Tracey Savein brings an incredible eye (of the lens) capturing special moments in time. Because as the saying goes – A picture is worth a thousand words.

Any kind of photography, as I see it, is all about capturing motion and emotion. Whether the subject is raucous and rockin’ or the location is silent and still, if you can transport the viewer into a moment in time with an image and relay the energy of that moment, well, there’s your photograph – Tracey Savein

TORONTO, ON – August 1–2, 2025 – This summer, RUSHfest Canada lands in Toronto for a once-in-a-generation celebration of one of Canada’s most iconic rock bands: Rush. Taking place Friday, August 1 at Massey Hall and Saturday, August 2 at TD Music Hall, this two-day event marks 10 years to the day since Rush played their final concert in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015—and brings together fans, friends, collaborators, and tribute artists in honour of drummer and lyricist Neil Peart.

Curated by RUSHfest Scotland founder Steve Brown and Canadian superfan and music journalist Paul Beaulieu, RUSHfest Canada is more than a fan convention—it’s a legacy event with heart, history, and an extraordinary mission: all profits will be donated to Brain Cancer Research at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto in honour of Neil Peart.

“We asked ourselves what the most excellent thing we could do would be,” says Brown. “And it was simple: bring Rush fans together, celebrate their music in the venue where it all started for them, and raise money in Neil’s memory.”

Photos and content submitted by Tracey Savein
© for Cashbox Canada

This new addition to our brand is a column dedicated to the night life (and some days) in the great city of Toronto, featuring live event photos. Tracey Savein brings an incredible eye (of the lens) capturing special moments in time. Because as the saying goes – A picture is worth a thousand words.

Any kind of photography, as I see it, is all about capturing motion and emotion. Whether the subject is raucous and rockin’ or the location is silent and still, if you can transport the viewer into a moment in time with an image and relay the energy of that moment, well, there’s your photograph – Tracey Savein

Nine days of magic, 400 singers, nearly 1000 for workshops, thousands of audience members applauding and cheering, sold out concerts, connections made, skills learned, and joy shared. That was SING! 14.

SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival has become Canada’s premier a cappella festival (singing without instruments). This May was the 14^th Annual Festival, bringing together singers from many traditions, all with one focus – giving voice to the voice. From the 50-member barbershop chorus A Cappella Showcase to the solo looping artist David Lane, SING! showcased some of the best in Canadian unaccompanied singing.

There was something for every musical taste and budget. 

Montreal, QC Indigenous record label, Musique Nomade, is redefining what it means to be a record label in Canada. Moving beyond the industry-wide structure of facilitating the creation of and releasing music, the multilingual and artist-first label is also a service provider - one that uplifts Indigenous voices, removes systemic barriers, and reimagines how music can be created and shared. Through its holistic approach to artistic development and cultural representation through their values of fulfillment, relief, support, diversity, representation, and heritage, Musique Nomade has built an accessible system for Indigenous artists that embraces language, location, and genre.

From the family of Brian Wilson, “We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.”

Brian Wilson the co-founder and primary songwriter of the Beach Boys has died. The beloved musical auteur, who helped pioneer the studio-as-instrument, influencing generations of musicians in pop and beyond, was releaved in early 2024 to be living with a neurocognitive disorder akin to dementia. Wilson was 82 years old.

Montreal, QC Indigenous record label, Musique Nomade, is redefining what it means to be a record label in Canada. Moving beyond the industry-wide structure of facilitating the creation of and releasing music, the multilingual and artist-first label is also a service provider - one that uplifts Indigenous voices, removes systemic barriers, and reimagines how music can be created and shared. Through its holistic approach to artistic development and cultural representation through their values of fulfillment, relief, support, diversity, representation, and heritage, Musique Nomade has built an accessible system for Indigenous artists that embraces language, location, and genre.