Fundraiser in honour of Montreal music store manager helps give free lessons to young musicians

Véronique Richer says her son has "opened his mind to a whole different world" since picking up the drums last year.

"It's completely different from sports. He's more open, he's more mindful and he's even more focused," Richer said of her teenage son, Jessy.

Richer says her son's metamorphosis is thanks to Montreal's Vanier College Music School, which gave him a scholarship that covers the fees of his lessons.

"I'm a single mom, so anything helps," she said.

Jessy is one of roughly 100 young musicians who have taken music lessons through the school since it opened last September. He's also a recipient of one of dozens of scholarships provided through the school's Sheldon Sazant Memorial Fund.

Sazant, remembered by most as the beloved manager of Steve's Music Store, was a prominent figure in Montreal's music scene. He died of cancer at the age of 60 in 2020.

Alena Perout, dean of the faculty of music at Vanier, started the music school and the memorial fund in honour of her friend. She says any student who's committed to learning an instrument should get the chance. (Paula Dayan-Perez/CBC)

Alena Perout, dean of the faculty of music at Vanier, was Sazant's customer and friend. She spearheaded the music school and the memorial fund in his honour last year and since then, it has distributed more than $30,000 in scholarships.

"A lot of our musicians bought instrument from [Sazant], so he was a very well-known entity," she said.

"He gave everybody the opportunity to try things, he was always there to help … he was a bit of the spirit of Montreal when it came to music."

On Thursday, Perout hosted the first-ever Sheldon Sazant Memorial fundraiser. The event included live music from teachers and students at Vanier, as well as food and drinks. Proceeds went toward scholarships and subsidies for music lessons and instruments at the music school.

The event included a slideshow filled with photos of Sheldon Sazant alongside some well-known people, such as actor and musician Dennis Quaid, who dropped by his store. (Paula Dayan-Perez/CBC)

"If students are committed to learning the instrument, we will actually subsidize the lessons," Perout said of the music school's after-school and weekend music classes.

"For all intents and purposes, the lessons are free."

The goal was to raise between $20,000 and $30,000 to replenish the Sheldon Sazant Memorial Fund in order to continue supporting young musicians. The school offers lessons to people between the ages of four and 94.

'An opportunity for expression' 

Glen Ethier, co-ordinator of the music department at Vanier, was part of a group of amateur musicians — a total of 10 teachers and support staff — that performed onstage at the fundraiser.

He says the proceeds of the event went toward an important cause.

"Music brings an opportunity for expression. It's really, really important for [kids] to be able to find the mode of expression that allows them to get their feelings out," he said.

As an amateur guitarist, Ethier says he would have benefited greatly from music lessons as a child, but his parents couldn't afford it.

"That's what this fundraiser is for," he said. "To be able to help those kids."

Glen Ethier, co-ordinator of the music department at Vanier, says music can help kids express their feelings. (Paula Dayan-Perez/CBC)

Carmel Moran, 20, a fourth-year music student at Vanier, also performed on Thursday.

As a jazz pianist, he says he felt "really proud" of his school for offering subsidized lessons and for recognizing the importance of music.

"People tend to see music as something that's more of an ambiance thing or as something that's not really a complete thing by itself," he said.

"I would love if more people would see music as a complete thing, [like] a movie is."

Jazz pianist Carmel Moran, 20, is a fourth-year music student at Vanier. He performed as part of a trio at the fundraiser. (Paula Dayan-Perez/CBC)

Filling a gap

Melodie Hicks, a teacher in nursing at Vanier, describes the school's effort to provide musical education to young people as "phenomenal," adding music programs are "non-existent" in most high schools across the province.

"I think a lot of it is a lack of funding. I don't think it's a lack of interest from the students," she said.

"It's something that needs to be invested in and it's not happening right now."

It's one of the reasons Perout started the music school in the first place.

"We saw that there's fewer and fewer high schools that were giving music lessons and opportunities for music learning," she said.

Melodie Hicks, a teacher in nursing at Vanier, says music programs are basically non-existent in high schools. (Paula Dayan-Perez/CBC)

Coincidentally, the Vanier College Music School opened shortly after the McGill Conservatory of Music closed.

"We sort of filled out a void that was suddenly created," Perout said.

Now, she's hoping to expand the music program.

She says no matter their financial situation, any young musician who's committed to learning an instrument should get the chance.