UNDER EMBARGO Media Advisory: Multiple JUNO Award Winners The Sheepdogs To Join MusiCounts and Surprise Saskatoon School With $10,000 In Instruments
**The below information has not been publicly shared and is under strict embargo until 11:00 AM on March 12, 2020**
TORONTO, ON – On Thursday, March 12, four-time JUNO Award winners The Sheepdogs will join MusiCounts and surprise the students at St. Michael Community School in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with a special acoustic performance. The platinum certified band will then unveil $10,000 in new instruments for the school from the MusiCounts Band Aid Program and participate in a Q&A with students.
St. Michael Community School is a designated Métis school of excellence, meaning that all programs actively incorporate Métis perspectives in both curriculum and classroom life. To-date, the MusiCounts Band Aid Program has benefitted over 1,200 schools across Canada and provides up to $15,000 worth of musical instruments and equipment to school music programs in need to ensure their ongoing success and sustained growth.
| Date: | Thursday, March 12, 2020 |
| Where: | St. Michael Community School |
| Time: | Media Check-In: 9:30 AM CST |
| In Attendance: | Kristy Fletcher, Executive Director, MusiCounts |
| RSVP /Onsite Contact: | Mackenzie Vandenberg |
About The Sheepdogs
The Sheepdogs are a four-time JUNO awarding winning band hailing from the Canadian prairie city of Saskatoon SK. In 2011 the band broke into the international music scene after beating out thousands of artists to be the first unsigned band to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. Since then, The Sheepdogs have achieved Platinum certification for singles “I Don’t Know” and "Feeling Good", Gold certification for the single "The Way It Is", and Platinum certifications for their LPs "Learn & Burn" and "The Sheepdogs". In the spring of 2018 The Sheepdogs released their 6th studio album, "Changing Colours", featuring hit singles "Hold Where My Heart Should Be" and "Nobody". Since then, The Sheepdogs have gone on to perform for tens of thousands of people, at more than 200 shows, across over 15 different countries. With no signs of slowing down, The Sheepdogs are set to enter the studio to begin working on their 7th Studio album.
www.thesheepdogs.com
About MusiCounts
MusiCounts, Canada's music education charity associated with CARAS and the JUNO Awards is keeping music alive in schools and communities across Canada by putting musical instruments into the hands of children that need them most. MusiCounts' mission is to ensure that youth in Canada have access to music programs through their schools and communities. MusiCounts celebrates musical excellence and achieves its mission through its Band Aid Program, the MusiCounts TD Community Music Program, the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award, Scholarships and other music education initiatives.
MusiCounts is funded by many of Canada's most dedicated individuals and corporate citizens including and especially The Leadership Circle, TD Bank Group, Bell Media, SiriusXM Canada, the Slaight Family Foundation, Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, and The London JUNO Host Committee. MusiCounts has been supported since inception by Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., Universal Music Canada, Warner Music Canada Ltd., JUNO Songwriters' Circle and JUNO Cup. MusiCounts was established in 1997 and has awarded over $14,000,000 in support of music education in Canada. These funds have benefitted over 1,200 schools and communities, supported over 400 post-secondary music program graduates, and honoured 14 extraordinary music teachers and three MusiCounts ambassadors.