HomeGrown Live Music Productions was founded in 2008 with a mission to:
- Facilitate community understanding and appreciation of live music
- Produce music festivals, showcases, and workshops
- Promote the community development of music and musicians
That same year, we launched our inaugural HomeGrown Live Music Festival as a celebration of live music in Kingston, and a fundraiser for the Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library (Joe’s M.I.L.L.). Since then, HomeGrown Live Music Productions has:
- Organized 14 festivals and over 1,200 performances raising more $130,000 in support of Joe’s M.I.L.L., as well as food donations in support of the Partner’s In Mission Foodbank
- Registered the organization as an incorporated non-profit (since 2013)
- Organized a 3-day event called “Plant the Seeds: Nurturing and Celebrating Homegrown Music”, which included fully-paid professional musical performances and developmental workshops (2018)
- Coordinated the HomeGrown Live Concert Series, which included seven performances, both in person and online via our YouTube channel, involving 22 Kingston-based musicians (2021/2022)
Core Values
HomeGrown Live Music Production’s core values are to:
- Believe that the sharing of music builds a sense of belonging and togetherness in our community
- Acknowledge and honour the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals.
- Commit ourselves to creating and maintaining an environment and supporting projects that respects diverse traditions, heritages, and experiences
- Recognize that diversity can drive creativity and strive for diversity on our Board and with the musicians, genres, and projects we support
- Recognize and strive to mitigate any physical, emotional, cultural, or financial barriers to the participation in the organization and its projects.
Current Board Members
Homegrown Live Music Production’s board is presently comprised of the following members:
Tom Stewart (Board Chair/President)
Moira Demorest (Officer)
Chris Morris (Officer)
Joel Yearsley (Officer)
Former Board Members
The following individuals have served as Homegrown Live Music Production board members:
Richard Burgman (Officer)
Roger Eccleston (Officer)
Anita Johnson (Officer)
Harold Card (Officer)
Rob Howard (Officer)