With special cooperation from Walk Off the Earth, a partnership between The Sound of Music (SOM) and the firm of Taylor Oballa Murray Leyland LLP, have joined the Taylor Family to proudly announce the annual Mike Taylor Music Education Bursary.
This award will help a promising young individual from the Burlington area pursue their dreams of a career in music and allow Mike’s life and legacy to live on for generations to come.
“Mike Taylor was a person who truly embodied the phrase life is for living”, says SOM executive director, Myles Rusak. “He was deeply passionate about family, friends, business and music alike, he poured his heart and soul into everything that he did and made a massive impact on the lives of people all over the world. We are grateful to have the opportunity to help cement his legacy in this community by giving back to the youth who would follow in his footsteps.”
Many people came to know Mike as the silent, stoic, larger-than-life “Epic Beard Man” that comprised 1/5 of Walk Off the Earth, but few were aware of just how kind, caring and compassionate a person he really was. Mike cared deeply about music education, and worked closely with charities like MusiCounts to help provide young people all across Canada with the opportunity to play, perform and learn about music.
The $1000 bursary will be awarded annually following a call for submissions. A panel consisting of representatives of the Sound of Music, Taylor Oballa Murray Leyland LLP and a member of Taylor Family will select a finalist to receive the one-time bursary.
This bursary is one further step towards fulfilling the Sound of Music’s new vision of being a true champion, year round, for the arts in Southern Ontario. We are proud of this commitment to our community and look forward to being a part of the future development of emerging artists in the region for years to come.
