Hamilton Music Collective (HMC) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2008 by a local group of musicians, educators and community supporters, who are passionate about music and believe in its transformative power to enrich lives and empower students. HMC’s mission is to invigorate the music scene in Hamilton through professional live performances, education, events, workshops and exhibits.

HMC is a founding member of El Sistema Canada, with ties to an internationally recognized music education program founded in Venezuela. In addition to El Sistema, HMC is a member of the Coalition for Music Education in Canada, a collective of arts organizations across the country that create strategies to improve the state of music education in Canada.

A key initiative of HMC is An Instrument for Every Child, a musical education program that introduces young people, including many disadvantaged children, to creative and improvised music, with instruction provided by professional musicians. AIFEC was founded on the principle that music has the potential to enrich every child’s social, emotional and cognitive development and should be accessible to all children in Hamilton. Support for the program, including the purchase of instruments, is provided through corporate sponsorships and partnerships, community fundraising events and concerts staged by HMC.