The Toronto Music Experience is an idea whose time has finally come, and renowned artists, industry leaders and music lovers alike are speaking up in support. These are just some of the hundreds of champions we have in our corner, helping to bring TME to life.
Carole Pope
Toronto has a rich musical heritage that I was lucky to be a part of. So many great musicians continue to come out of the city. It would be amazing to preserve and celebrate that scene in a Toronto music museum.
Oscar Peterson Estate
What a marvelous way to showcase, for the nation and the world, the rich legacy of music in Toronto, and the exciting future ahead.
Aysanabee
I came to Toronto from the north. I found my legs on the stage, I found my voice on the mic and I made a record that changed my life forever. I think it is time to recognize all the artists who have cut their teeth here.
Alex Lifeson
It is time Toronto had a meeting place where its rich music history can be displayed and enjoyed, where younger musicians can find inspiration by what has come before to encourage and drive what is yet to come. It is an exciting prospect for an exceptionally diverse music city brimming with talent.
Jim Cuddy
Toronto has always been a hotbed of music creativity. So much and so little of it documented. A Toronto music museum could tell the story for generations of musicians, writers and producers to come. It helps to know who came before you.
Michie Mee
It's high time for a music museum that features all the genres and showcases the whole rich history of recorded sounded in Toronto. A museum inclusive of all the colourful humans who have made good music in our city.
Joni Mitchell
Glenn Gould Estate
Glenn Gould, whose international fame is often more recognized outside of Canada, chose to work and live in Toronto because it had the creativity and ambience he valued.
Steven Page
The story of Toronto’s musical history is the story of Toronto itself: multicultural, exciting, problematic, rapidly growing, underestimated, overhyped, and, ultimately, important. From Glenn Gould to The Weeknd, the Cowboy Junkies to Leroy Sibbles, Gordon Lightfoot to Drake, Torontonians have shaped the cultural landscape of their times. The Toronto Music Experience will provide a great place to explore and celebrate Toronto’s musical past, present and future.
Molly Johnson
Our city is full of music stories that need to be told, and the Toronto Music Experience is exactly the kind of place to hear them.
Gordon Lightfoot
So many Canadian artists, including me, got their start in this city, which has always been the hub of the music business.
Robbie Robertson Estate
Robbie was born and raised and began his music career in Toronto and he took it with him down to the Mississippi Delta, to the birthplace of Rock and Roll, and back again.
Claudja Barry
Toronto has a storied history of musical talent that transcends genres, from soulful blues and riveting rock to captivating hip-hop and enchanting jazz, and especially disco, the genre on which today's pop music stands As the first woman of colour to receive a Juno Award as well as the first to reach a Top 3 position on the Billboard Pop charts, there's a wonderful sense of pride that comes with this achievement. Many others have followed in my path, and many more will come. By connecting the icons of the past with the innovators of today, TME hopes to inspire future generations of artists and music lovers alike.
Leroy Sibbles
Big up to the Toronto Music Experience team for keeping the history of Jamaican music in Toronto alive. I was a big part of establishing reggae in Toronto and it is great to see this initiative. It will help educate the youth about the history.
Sylvia Tyson
Toronto has always been a magnet for the best in Canadian musical talent for decades — a mecca for singers, songwriters and musicians of all kinds. It was a starting place of my own career in 1959, and the rich and diverse creative atmosphere I found in Toronto had an indelible effect on the subsequent direction of my writing and performing. The scope of TME is not just a museum, but an active, relevant, ongoing experience and a must-see destination for residents and tourists alike.
Bruce Cockburn
Toronto has such a history of giving birth to and nurturing great music that's been of both national and international importance, that I think the idea of having a museum that celebrates that history is a really worthwhile one. So I would urge anyone who's in a position to do so to support the TME.
Lorraine Segato
In every world class city you’re going to find a physical space that is representative of the importance of that city’s cultural history. So let’s do that here.
Shawne Jackson
Toronto has Always been The Major Music Hub of Canada! Reggae, Rock, Rockabilly, RnB and Country. You name it, Canada had and still has it all. It is time to properly promote, preserve and showcase our musical heritage. We need a facility worthy of the talent we are remembering and exalting.
Murray McLauchlan
Top ten reasons for not having a Canadian music museum in Toronto? There aren’t any! Canadian music has been second to none for decades and we need to document and celebrate that.
Deborah Cox
Toronto's musical legacy is not only extraordinary in scope and artistry, it is unique in the world due to our vibrant multicultural roots. We deserve a place like the Toronto Music Experience to honour our history, celebrate our successes and inspire new talent.
DJ Shub
Toronto’s diversity, energy, and deep music culture pushed me to level up creatively and professionally. Competing in the Toronto DMC DJ competitions helped sharpened my technical skills, stage presence, and competitive edge. Being part of the turntablist community surrounded me with DJs who took the craft seriously and pushed each other to get better. Performing in Toronto has had a major impact on my career, and gave me the confidence to carry my culture into bigger spaces while staying true to where I come from.
David Clayton-Thomas
Yonge St. (The Strip) was a hotbed of talent in the 60s. From King to Bloor, there were a dozen or more bars with live music. This is where artists who would later become world famous honed their craft. This was the birthplace of the “Toronto Sound.” It’s wonderful to see a museum dedicated to this amazing era.
Jully Black
Generations before us didn’t always get their flowers, but this is our moment to change that. We deserve to celebrate our art, our legacy, and our impact—right here at home. And just as important, we need to build a space where the next generation knows their contributions will be honored, too. Toronto’s music history is rich, and it’s time we give it a home.
Paul Shaffer
The Toronto Music Experience sounds marvelous to me — a tribute to Toronto and how influential it continues to be in music. It certainly was for me. From the classical music of Glenn Gould, watching the CBC and all the great R&B groups of the 1960s that influenced me so much. Now look at today: the biggest artists on the planet happen to be from Toronto. Toronto deserves a place like the Toronto Music Experience.
Dan Hill
I’ve written songs, performed and recorded around the world for close to 50 years. The more I travel, the more I realize that Toronto remains one of the most potent musical centers anywhere. Period. It would take several chapters to include all the towering musical talent that has been based out of Toronto.
Kobena Aquaa-Harrison
Toronto musicians have long made this city a vital destination. Visitors don't come to see the mayor, the beaches or blaring electronic billboards at Sankofa Square. They come to live in the vibes - the sounds of events like Caribana, AfroFest, Desifest and Latinfest. Diversity is a big part of the draw and what made the beloved Bamboo eventually outshine the legendary El Mocambo.
Alannah Myles
The Toronto Music Experience is long overdue for a city that has inspired so many to greater heights in the music industry than anyone might have imagined.
Dan Aykroyd
I saw Ronnie Hawkins backed up by Robbie Robertson at the Le Coq D'Or, Wayne Cochran & the C.C. Riders at the El Mocambo and Downchild Blues Band at Grossman's Tavern which was a major influence on the Blues Brothers. These inspirational shows contributed greatly to my development as a professional music showman and I heartily support the establishment of a place which permanently recognizes Toronto's vibrant music scene — past, present and future.
Keifer Sutherland
Growing up in Toronto in the late 70’s and 80’s was a magical time. I snuck into The Horseshoe to see my first show ever and was blown away by the raw energy. The El Mocambo was next... Not only did Toronto have a buzzing musical scene it was also incredibly diverse, a mecca for anyone who loved and was interested in music and it has always been that for me.
Nelly Furtado
The magic and importance of Toronto’s musical legacy is a story that must be celebrated.
Tomson Highway
I think the creation of such a facility to mark and celebrate Toronto's amazing contribution to the world of music is long overdue. The city bursts with music and musicians of all kinds and this fact should be blared out far and wide.
Dream Warriors
We grew up in Jane & Finch and in Willowdale. Those places were so diverse that you could hear everything from Led Zeppelin to Mahalia Jackson to Bob Marley. My process was like a puzzle: jazz rapping over reggae-influenced ska. That's why we support TME to preserve and celebrate the true diversity of the city's music.
Chantal Kreviazuk
I was born in Winnipeg, but the influence of Toronto on my musical life has been profound. I have lived, composed, created and performed in this profoundly fertile cultural hub. Toronto has been an incredibly vibrant and it’s time we celebrated the stories and successes of its extraordinary creatives – from the songs of Indigenous peoples to Toronto’s role in the Underground Railroad, from Glenn Gould and the Yorkville scene all the way through to Drake, The Weeknd and beyond. TME is a great idea. Bring it on!
George Stroumboulopoulos
Our stories don’t exist as isolated moments. They are each a part of the collection of memories and experiences that tell the tale of who we were, and I think it's enormously important to create a space where they can all live together. In part, so we can celebrate what incredible artists have already done, but also to have a place that feeds the imagination to inspire our next wave of musicians.
QuiQue Escamilla
The presence of rhythm and pulse in our lives may be traced all the way back to the beginning of human life in the womb. Our mothers' heartbeats are the first drum beats we hear and feel, and regardless of genre, language, tempo, or era, all people enjoy the soothing energy that music can provide. Before any other language, music is our species' built-in universal language. As a result, it deserves a special home that documents, records, and preserves its history and evolution across time.
Salome Bey Estate
Salome Bey helped shape the sound and soul of Toronto’s music community at a time when Black voices were too often overlooked. Preserving this history isn’t just about the past—it’s about ensuring future generations understand the foundation they stand on.
