March Break Kid's Morning Program
2026-03-16 09:00 - 2026-03-20 12:00 (America/Toronto) | 141 Park Street North, 141 Park Street N, Hamilton, ON, L8R 2N4, Canada
This March Break, dive into the world of music with our exciting morning program! Designed for kids ages 8–12, this week-long adventure (9am–12pm) lets students explore the art of songwriting, video, and music creation.
Students will get hands-on experience in our state-of-the-art music tech lab Soundhaus Studio, composing original movie scores on iPads and experimenting with a variety of traditional rock band instruments in a fun, daily jam-session. Working in groups with our experienced instructors in the beats lab and the jam room, students will develop their skills, learn how to create music solo and together, and leave with a song of their own to cherish forever. No prior musical experience is required—just bring your creativity and enthusiasm!
By the end of the week, your child will have made new friends, learned to express themselves through music, and gained the confidence to jam with others and create new material. It’s a fun, educational, and unforgettable experience that will inspire young musicians of all levels.
Daily Schedule:

9:00 – 9:15am: Drop off
9:15 – 10:15am: Session 1 (Beats Lab / Jam Room)
10:15 – 10:30am: Snack break
10:30 – 11:30am: Session 2 (Jam Room / Beats Lab)
11:30 – 11:45pm: Clean up, Group Activity
11:45 – 12:00pm: Pick up

Cost: $165 for five mornings (March 16 – 20 2026)
Location: The HMC Centre for Performance and Education at The Gasworks (141 Park Street North, downtown Hamilton)
Dates: Monday March 16 – 20, 2026

Writing Music for Movies & Video Games - Interactive Workshop
2026-03-17 13:00 - 14:30
Writing Music for Movies & Video Games
Sasha Szlafarski
Ages 13 – 19
Tuesday, March 17 – 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Sasha Szlafarski, a local composer for film, television and video games, will break down how he writes cross-genre scores for a variety of media. Then, students will use Ableton Live to begin creating their own virtual ensemble and original music. No experience necessary.

Join us for the third annual March Break Tech Week, offering musical fun for youth of all ages!

In our morning program, kids ages 8-12 will create their own movie scores and pick up a new instrument every day. Work with our skilled music instructors to learn new instruments and explore Garageband on the iPad.

Teens ages 13 – 19 can choose from a variety of 90-minute workshops. Learn how a professional composer writes music for film, experiment with live looping, and get hands on with Ableton Live. Co-write with pro songwriters and producers, and get a taste of the Musical Futures Production Program from HMC.

All programs take place at The HMC Centre for Performance and Education at The Gasworks (141 Park St N, Hamilton).

https://hamiltonmusiccollective.ca/programs/march-break/
About Sasha Szlafarski:
Sasha is a multi-disciplinary musician, producer, audio engineer, and composer based in Hamilton, Ontario. His work is marked by a strong emphasis on both sonic and emotional honesty, with a balanced appreciation for both complexity and understatement in music. Sasha began playing guitar at age 10 and quickly developed an interest in music production, teaching himself recording techniques. By middle school, he was engineering and mixing EPs for his bands. By high school graduation, he had released six EPs and toured internationally as a professional musician. He later pursued Film Scoring studies at the Berklee College of Music. After completing his studies, Sasha built a career as a composer, engineer, and producer for film, television, and commercial music, working with various filmmakers and studying under Toronto composer Donald Quan. His work expanded into sound recording on film sets and post-production mixing. In addition to his commercial projects, Sasha quietly produced music on the side for his close friends and colleagues who shared his passion for emotive music, unconventional orchestration, and layered storytelling. At the same time, Sasha advanced his engineering skills by working as a repair technician, specializing in guitars, amplifiers, recording studio equipment, and pedals, while also building his own gear. In 2021, he would eventually open Everything Hz, a professional recording studio, in Hamilton, Ontario. In 2023, Sasha joined the Hamilton Music Collective, where he designed and outfitted their new recording studio and music tech educational facility, Soundhaus, at the iconic Gasworks building in Hamilton.

How to Collaborate and Write Great Songs - Interactive Workshop
2026-03-18 13:00 - 14:30
How to Collaborate and Write Great Songs
Melissa Dutch
Ages 13 – 19
Wednesday, March 18 – 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Join songwriter Melissa Dutch in this hands on collaboration, where students will write and record an original song (topline) over a track! Experience the process and write lyrics and melodies together. Back by popular demand. No experience necessary.

Join us for the third annual March Break Tech Week, offering musical fun for youth of all ages!

In our morning program, kids ages 8-12 will create their own movie scores and pick up a new instrument every day. Work with our skilled music instructors to learn new instruments and explore Garageband on the iPad.

Teens ages 13 – 19 can choose from a variety of 90-minute workshops. Learn how a professional composer writes music for film, experiment with live looping, and get hands on with Ableton Live. Co-write with pro songwriters and producers, and get a taste of the Musical Futures Production Program from HMC.

All programs take place at The HMC Centre for Performance and Education at The Gasworks (141 Park St N, Hamilton).

https://hamiltonmusiccollective.ca/programs/march-break/
About Melissa Dutch:
MELISSA DUTCH is an ARTIST/PERFORMER/WRITER, and VOCAL COACH, specializing in contemporary pop, rock, soul, and indie genres, with a technical background in jazz, classical voice, musical theatre, and opera. She offers students a diverse and all-encompassing music education, or a specific focus on almost any genre. She has been running her registered private studio, MELISSA DUTCH MUSIC STUDIO, from 2016 to today, with a community of dedicated voices. Melissa has an active career as a solo gigging, writing and recording artist in Hamilton and the GTA. Melissa has been recording and releasing original music as a powerful vocalist and an honest poet & lyricist since 2020. Melissa’s dedication to holistic artistic growth has made her a passionate coach who believes in caring for the whole artist. She approaches instruction with a spirit of healing, acceptance, growth, and inclusivity (particularly for those who are neurodivergent and/or those on a mental/spiritual health journey with their art). The voice is our instrument, an extension of our natural body, the language of our heart, and an expression of our soul.

Live Looping with Ableton - Interactive Workshop
2026-03-18 15:00 - 16:30
Live Looping with Ableton
Adrian Duzyer aka DJ Ade
Ages 13 – 19
Wednesday, March 18 – 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Creating music alone is already fun, but imagine how much fun it would be to become the whole band? Live looping makes it possible! Layer your voice, instrument or grooves, and build a track quickly using this engaging live and studio-friendly tool. DJ Ade will demonstrate his original looping app which makes jamming solo more fun and flexible than ever. For all instrumentalists and vocalists, at any experience level.

Join us for the third annual March Break Tech Week, offering musical fun for youth of all ages!

In our morning program, kids ages 8-12 will create their own movie scores and pick up a new instrument every day. Work with our skilled music instructors to learn new instruments and explore Garageband on the iPad.

Teens ages 13 – 19 can choose from a variety of 90-minute workshops. Learn how a professional composer writes music for film, experiment with live looping, and get hands on with Ableton Live. Co-write with pro songwriters and producers, and get a taste of the Musical Futures Production Program from HMC.

All programs take place at The HMC Centre for Performance and Education at The Gasworks (141 Park St N, Hamilton).

https://hamiltonmusiccollective.ca/programs/march-break/
About DJ Ade:
Adrian Duyzer (DJ Ade) has been making beats since he fell in love with techno in the 90s. He’s produced dozens of tracks but, sadly, he’s still not famous. Over the past few years he’s been focused on producing deep dubstep and hip-hop, as well as performing live at underground parties that tend to get a little out of hand.

Open Jam For Youth
2026-04-04 13:30 - 15:00, 2026-06-06 13:30 - 15:00

Adam Kolker & Gary Versace Quartet (Jazz Concert Series)
2026-04-09 20:00 - 22:30
Hamilton Music Collective Presents:
Adam Kolker & Gary Versace Quartet
Thursday April 9, 2026
TICKET LINK
Following standout performances in 2024 and 2025, we welcome back Grammy-nominated NYC players Adam Kolker on sax/bass clarinet (Village Vanguard Orchestra, NYC) and Gary Versace on piano. Joined by Neil Swainson on upright bass and Terry Clarke on drums.

Adam Kolker (saxophone/bass clarinet)
Gary Versace (piano)
Neil Swainson (bass)
Terry Clarke (drums)
Series Tickets on sale Thursday January 8 2026 9:00am
Individual Tickets on sale Thursday January 15 2026 9:00am
Tickets: $45 / $25 (student)
Purchase a Series Ticket and save 15% on each show here.
Check out the rest of the winter series here.
Please choose your seats at check out!
Doors at 7:00PM, show at 8:00PM (two sets).
About Adam Kolker:
Adam Kolker is a multi-talented performer, composer and arranger. He performed and recorded with latin-jazz artist Ray Barretto from 1994 through 2002 (with whom he received two GRAMMY nominations). He also appears in New York City with groups including the Village Vanguard Orchestra, Fred Hersch’s “My Coma Dreams,” the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Bruce Barth, Judi Silvano, Lucia Pulido, and his own groups with John Abercombie and Billy Hart. He has recorded with Bruce Barth, John Hébert, Marty Ehrlich, The Story, Bobby Previte, Gunther Schuller, Bruce Saunders, Frank Carlberg, among others.
About Gary Versace:
Based in NYC, originally hailing from Cos Cob, CT., jazz pianist, organist and accordionist Gary Versace is one of the busiest and most versatile musicians on the international jazz scene, working with musicians such as John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Maria Schneider, Kurt Elling, Rudy Royston, Rich Perry, Mike Rodriguez, Regina Carter, Ellery Eskelin and Ray Anderson. Versace, along with bandmates vocalist Kate McGarry and guitarist Keith Ganz, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2019 for his work on ‘The Subject Tonight is Love,’ the band’s latest trio recording, and has performed on several other Grammy-winning and nominated recordings by composers John Hollenbeck and Maria Schneider. Currently Versace is the pianist in Schneider’s orchestra, and has appeared on dozens of recordings as a sideman on various labels over the years with nationally and internationally known jazz artists. Versace won the Jazz Journalists’ Association’s “Best Instrumentalist – Instruments Rare In Jazz (accordion)” award in 2018, the “Organist of the Year’ award in 2012, and is mentioned yearly in both the readers and critics polls in Downbeat and JazzTimes magazines. Before embarking on his performing career, Versace spent eight years as a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Oregon, and currently teaches in the jazz studies department at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.
—
Join Hamilton Music Collective for our winter jazz concert series, showcasing top Canadian and international musicians in jazz, blues, and improvised music since 2014. Step into our cozy jazz lounge at 141 Park Street, featuring a top notch sound system (brand new in 2020), wine selections, and an attentive audience. It all comes together in the perfect venue to hear world-class jazz in downtown Hamilton!
All proceeds from ticket sales support the An Instrument For Every Child (AIFEC) program.
For more information about the Hamilton Music Collective and An Instrument For Every Child visit: hamiltonmusiccollective.ca
Parking is available in the parking lots. Read more here: https://www.thegasworks.ca/parking/

Elizabeth Shepherd and Michael Occhipinti (Jazz Concert Series)
2026-04-23 20:00 - 22:30
Hamilton Music Collective Presents:
ES:MO (Elizabeth Shepherd and Michael Occhipiniti) Album Release Celebration
Thursday April 23, 2026
TICKET LINK
ES:MO (Elizabeth Shepherd, vocals, and Michael Occhipinti, electric guitar) returns with their genre-bending folk, R&B, and jazz sound, celebrating the new album Sunshine In My Bones.
Series Tickets on sale Thursday January 8 2026 9:00am
Individual Tickets on sale Thursday January 15 2026 9:00am
Tickets: $45 / $25 (student)
Purchase a Series Ticket and save 15% on each show here.
Check out the rest of the winter series here.
Please choose your seats at check out!
Doors at 7:00PM, show at 8:00PM (two sets).
About ES:MO:
ES:MO is Elizabeth Shepherd and Michael Occhipinti, two imaginative musicians who blend genres to create music that is uniquely their own. ES:MO fuses a love of songwriting with the inventive musicianship they’re known for as perennial Juno Award nominees and veterans of Canada’s music scene.
Michael Occhipinti’s huge palette of sounds and skill has made him one of Canada’s most respected guitarists, and pairing his talents with Elizabeth Shepherd’s soulful and ethereal voice and keyboard work stunned listeners on their debut, The Weight of Hope, which received a 2022 JUNO Award nomination (individually, Michael and Elizabeth have a combined 19 JUNO nominations). The album was built around the duo’s unique interpretations of songs by Stevie Wonder, Bruce Cockburn, Jackie Shane, Nick Drake, and others.
ES:MO is now finishing its second album, SUNSHINE IN MY BONES, a celebration of the duo’s own compositions built on hours of jam sessions, found sounds such as washing machines, improvised voice and guitar loops, and the magical connection Elizabeth and Michael share when they create music together. The lyrics explore everything from war crimes to cruise ship class warfare, love among tulips, and the need for human connection. Guest drummers Larnell Lewis, Jinu Isac, Tony Ferraro, and Marito Marques join Elizabeth and Michael, who play everything else. Look for it in March 2026.
In the meantime, their single If We Were Vampires, a stunning cover of Jason Isbell’s dramatic love song, has just been released on all streaming platforms.
—
Join Hamilton Music Collective for our winter jazz concert series, showcasing top Canadian and international musicians in jazz, blues, and improvised music since 2014. Step into our cozy jazz lounge at 141 Park Street, featuring a top notch sound system (brand new in 2020), wine selections, and an attentive audience. It all comes together in the perfect venue to hear world-class jazz in downtown Hamilton!
All proceeds from ticket sales support the An Instrument For Every Child (AIFEC) program.
For more information about the Hamilton Music Collective and An Instrument For Every Child visit: hamiltonmusiccollective.ca
Parking is available in the parking lots. Read more here: https://www.thegasworks.ca/parking/
