Connection, comfort, community …

Over the past year we’ve heard from all of you about how the music and hosts have provided solace, companionship, laughter and joy during very trying times.

You have done exactly that for us as well. Your support has carried us through this past year and we sincerely thank you. Our final on-air fundraising campaign wrapped up on Sunday night and more than 1,000 supporters helped us to raise just over $190,000.

We have accomplished so much together this year. You have supported local artists at a time when live performance came to a halt by helping us find creative ways to give them room to perform, provide compensation for re-broadcasts of past live performances, or provide honorariums for voice work and virtual visits. Over the last couple of weeks, you’ve supported dozens of artists and students who were able to perform once again in our Long & McQuade Performance Hall. If you missed any of these performances, you can experience them on the JAZZ.FM91 Facebook page.

You have supported online participation for the JAZZ.FM91 Youth Big Band and Jazzology, giving students throughout our community a place to come together and perform, even if it was through a computer monitor.

You have kept us motivated, invigorated and hopeful. Your phone calls and emails, feedback, laughter and questions reminded us that while we may have spent the last year physically apart from one another, we were all still together as a community. And your financial support helps us to realize our vision of making jazz accessible to everyone.

Summer is here and we’re experiencing a return to live programming and a prelude to a number of musical and community-based initiatives that you will hear more about as we move toward a new fiscal year in September. This includes the return of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival Summer Concert Series presented live every Friday at 5 p.m. ET. In partnership with the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, this year’s lineup is incredible, starting with Shakura S’Aida this Friday, July 2. We couldn’t do this without you.

So, thank you once again for your support. We wish you all the best for the summer and that you are able to reunite with families and loved ones — and eventually go out for live music and even visit us here at the JAZZ.FM91 studios. We’re honoured to be able to discover music with you.