Submitted by Margaret Konopacki
Christmas has passed and we are off galloping into 2026 but still feeling the positive after-effect of the healing power of live new music and the belief that music can help people. We need hope in our lives, especially during our long cold Canadian winters, hence this retrospective on the Annual Christmas Concert now in its second year, from Birdsong New Music Foundation.
“Bringing you a little happy,” was hosted by comedian and artist Mae Martin and Birdsong Foundation charity founder, Margaret Konopacki to a sold-out crowd at Lula Lounge. This joyful holiday benefit-concert was produced to create funding to continue supporting new music production for people who have mental health challenges because the charity believes that music is the right “prescription” for better mental health. This view is also shared by many mental health organizations and hospitals that now use music regularly to help their patients.
Special guests at the concert (Lula Lounge Dec. 14, 2025) included the incredible Liberty Silver and alt-country artist Lori Yates along with new Birdsong artists produced by the charity and some repeat performers whose work rocked the house for two hours!
Artists included: poet and artist Robert Priest, Ottawa’s keyboardist and songwriter Allan Kinney, the soul of the prairie as he calls himself, Winnipeg’s Dustin Harder, songwriter and singer from Haggersville ON, Ashley Bell, Toronto’s songwriter and artist, D.M. Lafortune, the duo of Armand Anthony and Nicole McCafferty; new birdsong artists who call themselves Broadtree, Dr. Tansy Etro-Beko singing Kinney’s originals, and Charity music director and artist Bryant Didier who directs and performs in the powerful Birdsong Village band; a group of professional Toronto based musicians (Michael Kavalerchik on guitar, Aaron Caten on drums, Shelley Coopersmith on violin and Dionne Samuels and Wendy Medeiros (vocals).
The charity was established in 2018 in memory of David Martin (1987-2017) the founder’s son and close friend of Mae Martin who was a musician who lived with bipolar illness, and to help others like him publish new music for personal healing. (David was a Birdsong artist and his songs were recorded after his passing and are available on the charity’s website.)
Robert Priest comments: “Music filters through mental illness and it can relieve hopelessness. I believe that such an organization is incredibly helpful especially in today’s world because musicians very often can’t get enough finance together to publish their work. It’s easier for a poet as they just need a pen and paper, so the financial barrier shuts down hope and defeats the musician. Birdsong is the charity I believe that offers a ray of light; they have helped me.”
Artist Lori Yates comments: “I live on Queen St. West, and I see homeless, destitute, unhoused mentally ill people more than ever before. We turn people away at the hospital now; we have failed so many individuals yet with this charity they have taken a small piece of that demographic and created hope through music. Its rather incredible. Something happens to me on stage and other artists tell me the same thing; you can’t pinpoint it, but it’s a healing. What I experienced at the Birdsong concert performance was that miracle. I can’t describe it properly in words because it’s a vibration – it opened my heart and I was so happy to be a part of that incredible night.”
From the soul of the Prairie, Dustin Harder: “the opportunity to perform my original music with such a fantastic band at the Annual Birdsong Fundraising Concert truly filled my heart in a way that when I get feelings of despair from time to time, I can just stop and think about all the love in the room and it helps remind me that my life has purpose.”
Konopacki concludes: So much of our lives are out of our control yet with music we can tap into something hopeful or profound. I think everyone left that night, with a smile and a little piece of hope in their heart. I was astounded by the amount of out of towners who came to support our cause. We had people from Winnipeg, LA, Europe and other parts of Canada and I can’t thank our supporters enough; we can’t do this work without your generosity! Because of you, we are expanding and are able to produce new artists this year.
So my message for 2026 is that we are open for NEW applicants who struggle with mental health conditions, who would like to see their original songs produced by a top studio and producer and also possibly participate in live concerts such as this one. I would also like to thank the artists who have been with us from the start, who give of their talent and their time to create and perform for all of us and their own healing.
We are still getting emails and cards from people who tell me how much love was in the air and how the gathering and concert uplifted them! We will be back for another Christmas fundraiser in 2026.
We will be working with Kensington Sound which also has a beautiful intimate concert space where we will host musical evenings with our birdsong artists as well as musicians within the birdsong community and we will perform to a live audience. It’s an exciting time for us. Our Grant Application can be found on the website www.birdsongnewmusicfoundation.ca and it is an easy process. To those who love music and struggle, please take a chance and join the Birdsong artist family.
“And a final word to Mae Martin! We love you for your heart, selfless generosity and fun-loving beautiful spirit. Thank you for joining our birdsong family. You are remarkable.”
www.birdsongnewmusicfoundation.ca