Free Classes for Syrian Refugees

Having lived in Japan for five years, I know that moving to a new culture can be daunting under the very best of circumstances. I can’t begin to imagine the difficulties faced by the thousands of Syrian refugees arriving in our city over the past few months.

Two things that I think I can carry over from my experience living abroad:

1. Music is an excellent tool for learning a second language. Monkey Rock Music’s earliest roots are in the small daycare and kinder/elementary English school I worked at for the bulk of my stay in Japan. As a musician, I naturally brought my guitar into my classes – I even wrote my first kids’ song there, a little number called ‘I Can’t Fly‘.
2. Music is also great way to connect with a culture – I was co-guitarist and co-singer in a band for years, in which the four other members spoke only Japanese. They are still some of my closest friends, and Shiraishi – the other frontman – went on to form a band that is very active in Japan today, playing all over the country.

To help these families get the most out of their experiences in Canada, I would like to offer free enrolment in any of our classes, wherever space permits (and following our standard age guidelines). Any refugee families or their sponsors should email me directly for more information at john@monkeyrockmusic.com, or call 613 421-0590.

I have no idea how much interest this will generate, but will accommodate as many families as possible. Please start by checking our Spring Schedule to see if any of our classes work for you!

Cheers,

John King

Director

Monkey Rock Music Inc