Music for the People – A Cultural Experience - Communitas Awards

Amplify Consulting Inc.

Kamloops, BC, CA
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About Project

On September 8, 2024, the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc Powwow Arbour in Kamloops, British Columbia, hosted 'Music for the People—A Cultural Experience’. Now in its third year, the event showcased a spectacular blend of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists and featured the K̓wséltkten Farmers' & Artisan Market, showcasing Indigenous crafts, arts, cultural presentations, and traditional food.

"Seeing the community come together to explore and appreciate Indigenous crafts and traditional foods was incredibly meaningful and a great addition to this event," reflected event co-founder Margit Bandura. "It was a reminder of how important it is to connect with and celebrate each other's traditions."

Music for the People was conceived in 2022 with a vision to unite Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices in a shared celebration of culture, music, and storytelling. The event aims to foster harmony and reconciliation within the community, a mission that was deeply important to co-founder Rod Bandura.

What was different about this year's concert was that it also honoured the legacy of Rod "Little Sky" Bandura, who passed away in January of 2024. For artist and spouse Margit Bandura, this made the event more challenging emotionally.

"Performing this year without Rod was hard, but I have to keep going to keep his memory and legacy alive through music," said Margit, adding, "This year's concert embodied Rod's vision, acting as a bridge for those seeking connection and a respite from the world's challenges."

While admission was free to all ages for the event, in keeping with the spirit of giving and Rod's legacy, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS) was a beneficiary of part of the donations accepted. Based in British Columbia, Canada, this organization assists Residential School Survivors with counselling, court support, information, referrals, workshops, and more.

Providing a Community Service event of this scope takes dedication and resources, as well as knocking on many doors to obtain sponsorship from local businesses and the City of Kamloops, whose generosity ensured it was free to all. Although challenging, Margit was surrounded by friends, family, bandmates, and the community and powered through her grief to publicize the event, appearing multiple times on CFJC TV Today’s Midday program, CBC Radio’s Daybreak Kamloops, and even appeared as a delegation before Kamloops City Council and the Regional District of Thompson-Nicola.

As a result, approximately 1,400 people from Kamloops and surrounding areas attended the event on September 8, 2024. The Music for the People Facebook page reached 20,008 people and press coverage included 14 event-related published news stories.

Institutions like Harvard Health, the National Institute of Health, and the American Psychological Association agree that music significantly impacts people’s mental health, physical well-being, and social development. Writing for Science Survey, Angeline Rivera states, “Music provides a feeling of safety for so many people worldwide, even if they hold remarkably different identities."

The actual impact and service to the community of a free event designed to offer healing between Indigenous and non-Indigenous worlds like Music for the People defies a metric. However, local college radio station CFBX 92.5FM summarized it best, “The music was terrific, and the talented, costumed dancers put on an amazing show that complemented those sounds. There was a large audience that included numerous local dignitaries, other musicians and just plain “people.” I’m sure that is what Rod and Margit had in mind when they thought up this wonderful event “for the people.”