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.

What's coming up in PlayLab? From dancing to circuit building, there's something new to discover each week. 🎶 Oct. 17 – PlayLab: Feet to the Beat – Move and groove to a new style of dance each session, led by longtime dance educator Kym Butler. This week's session will be a street dance class for all ages, featuring DJ Evgeniy (of Sargeant X Comrade). Sessions run at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. 🎶 Oct. 24 – PlayLab: Circuit Jam – Kids ages 9-12 build simple circuits and experiment with synthesizers, discovering how electricity becomes music. Drop-in run from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. All PlayLab programs are free on the main floor of Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre. 🔗 Plan your visit: bit.ly/4B3qRks

Cumberland House Cree Nation artist and motivational speaker Ger Carriere’s song “Can I Be Her” is a love letter to her younger self, who dreamed that she could one day be like the women she saw on her TV screen. It’s also an inspiring message to other women to dream big, believe in themselves, and go after what they want. Captured during the OHSOTO’KINO Music Incubator at the National Music Centre (NMC) in Calgary, watch the full performance on NMC Amplify: bit.ly/4jVFDn9 Special thanks to @TD_Canada for its support of NMC’s OHSOTO’KINO Indigenous Programming Initiative.

Congratulations to former NMC staff member Sarah Davachi, who has been awarded the Silver Lion at the 2026 Biennale Musica in Venice! She spent a decade with NMC, teaching and archiving data about our collection. We’re so proud of you, Sarah! bit.ly/4hZt1ZJ

Montreal-based electronic artist @tessroby has a new single out today. “Dream Q” was written and recorded during her 2024 residency at NMC, presented by Partake Brewing. We are spellbound at the result. Watch her self-directed video for the track: bit.ly/4B8ekfD

It's almost showtime! 🎬 One hundred years after it premiered, F. W. Murnau's #Faust returns to the big screen with a live organist in the room on Oct. 15, 16, and 17 at #StudioBell, home of the National Music Centre (NMC). Presented with @CalgaryCinema, the silent cinema masterpiece will be brought to life with multi-instrumentalist Chris Maric playing a live score on NMC’s Allen Theatre Organ. 🔗 Get tickets: bit.ly/3Wo0w0u Illustration: Leetia (Leechuts)

Ten years of AE West, and 12 new artists to meet. 🎵 Canada’s Music Incubator (@CMincubator) and the National Music Centre have revealed the 2026 cohort for this milestone 10th anniversary creative entrepreneurship session happening at #StudioBell next month. 🥁The 2026 AE West artists are: 🎵 Rapper Alick Mac 🎵 Country singer-songwriter Anna Lewis Music 🎵 Electronic folk outfit Education Party 🎵 Folk artist Erika Mae 🎵 Folk-soul musician Ila Barker 🎵 Indie-rocker Jessikah Babe 🎵 Folk artist Kearstin Pfeifer Music 🎵 Country artist Keira Myer 🎵 Singer-songwriter Leanne Lightfoot 🎵 Pop artist Miarlequin 🎵 Singer-songwriter SallieMae Music 🎵 Folk and garage-punk act Spencer Jo The program runs from Nov. 2 to Dec. 4 and wraps with the free AE West Artist Extravaganza Showcase at The @KingEddyYYC on Dec. 2, where each artist will perform. AE West is made possible with support from Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada, Stingray Music, and TD Ready Commitment. Manitoba Music and Manitoba Film and Music sponsor one Indigenous artist each year through the Vince Fontaine Legacy Award. Learn more: bit.ly/4jg4O3C

Mark your calendars! 🗓️ Grammy, Latin Grammy, and JUNO Award-winning artist #AlexCuba is coming to #StudioBell, home of the #NationalMusicCentre, on Mar. 17. Cuba blends funk and soul with pan-Latin textures, and his nearly 100 million streams show how far that sound has travelled. It's music that gets audiences singing along – no matter what language they speak. 🔗 Get tickets: bit.ly/4elT10c

This month’s edition of Synth Soundbath features the Buchla 200 on Oct. 25. It’s a synthesizer tied to Don Buchla’s pioneering 1970s-era designs, and a broader lineage of electronic music that treats sound as a physical, expressive medium. Bring a yoga mat or blanket and settle in for this deep listening session and education on another fascinating synth. 🔗 Get your tickets: bit.ly/47eJLaq

"Everybody has a light inside of them." For Pasqua First Nation rapper Big Tones, stepping into the studio while navigating grief brought a new wave of inspiration. The result is "Shine," a song about the light that lives in all of us and the importance of giving it room to glow. Captured during the OHSOTO'KINO Music Incubator at the National Music Centre (NMC) in Calgary, watch the full performance on NMC Amplify: bit.ly/4rWhuij Special thanks to @TD_Canada for its support of NMC's OHSOTO'KINO Indigenous Programming Initiative.

The next Liner Notes: Inside the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio tour will focus on @fleetwoodmac's Mystery to Me, a cult favourite for its atmosphere and strong individual songwriting. On Nov. 1, hear the album the way it was recorded – inside the legendary Rolling Stones Mobile Studio – with a guided tour through the album's history and the vintage gear used to make it. 🔗 Book your tour at studiobell.ca/whats-on/rsm.

We told you to plan ahead – and you listened! 🎶 The daytime performance of The @BarraMacNeils – An East Coast Christmas is officially sold out. Good news for last-minute planners: There are still tickets available for the evening show on Nov. 22, but only 20 remain! Expect soaring harmonies, fiery fiddles, and foot-stomping dancing from one of Canada's most celebrated Celtic family bands. 🔗 Get your tickets: bit.ly/4suYlCN

Still thinking about what an incredible few days we had at last week’s Alberta Music Cities Convention 2026. 🎶 It was so nice to connect with people from around the world who share our passion for music and its power to bring communities together. Thanks again to the partners and sponsors who helped make the convention possible: Sound Diplomacy, West Anthem, Alberta Music, the Government of Alberta, CKUA Radio, Spruce Meadows, Calgary Arts Development, Craig Senyk Initiatives, OCL Studios, the Scotlyn Foundation, and Walt and Irene DeBoni.

#SYNC 2026: Sound and Image Conference is coming to Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre (NMC). The conference will bring electronic music, digital art, live visuals, and video together for an event that goes from day until night on Nov. 14. 🎛️ Presented by Oscill8 and NMC, spend the day connecting with artists and industry professionals through workshops, discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on sessions. Then, as the sun sets, SYNC will shift into party modem, with live electronic music and immersive video art. 🪩🎶 🔗 Get tickets: bit.ly/4zlOjrH

National Music Centre (NMC) extends its condolences to the family and friends of #SassJordan, who passed away last week. The Montreal-raised singer was one of the great voices of Canadian rock. Beyond her powerhouse voice, Sass was known for her generosity. She gave her time and talent to numerous charitable causes, including BANC (Benevolent Artists National Charity) and The Andy Kim Montreal Christmas, which have raised funds for many not-for-profits including NMC. Having graced the stage at the King Eddy many times, as well as NMC’s performance hall over the years, Sass remains a presence in the building today, with a photo of her performing hanging in the Eddy lobby and a jacket she wore on display in NMC’s Idols and Icons exhibition. Sass absolutely knew how to make you a believer, and we’ll miss her dearly. Le Centre national de musique (CNM) offre ses plus sincères condoléances à la famille et aux proches de Sass Jordan, décédée la semaine dernière. Ayant grandi à Montréal, Sass Jordan était l’une des grandes voix du rock canadien. Au-delà de sa voix puissante, Sass était aussi reconnue pour sa grande générosité. Elle a consacré son temps et son talent à de nombreuses causes, notamment BANC (Benevolent Artists National Charity) et Le Noël Montréalais d’Andy Kim, qui ont permis d’amasser des fonds pour plusieurs organismes à but non lucratif, dont le CNM. Sass est montée sur la scène du King Eddy à de nombreuses reprises au fil des ans, ainsi que sur celle de la salle de spectacle du CNM. Sa présence se fait encore sentir aujourd'hui : une photo d'elle en spectacle est accrochée dans le hall du King Eddy, tandis qu'une veste qu'elle a portée est présentée dans notre exposition Idoles et icônes. Elle nous manquera énormément. 📸: Baden Roth