Welcome to Our Musical Family

Feel the rhythm of our diverse community as we create harmonies of hope and togetherness, transcending borders and backgrounds.

The Music From Hope program is structured to help participants reflect their culture through music, aiming to help individuals from different backgrounds express themselves, network with their peers, and find sanctuary, resilience, and strength through music. We urge participants to overcome personal barriers and share their culture, experiences, and artistic backgrounds in a fun, playful manner.

Our mission is to bring music, the joy that music can bring, and the skills music can introduce to participants both from conflict areas and hosting communities. Our vision is to help participants acclimate and find new ways to communicate with their new communities. This program is also designed to help young students find new ways to communicate through music creation.

We extend our Gratitude to : Laurie Community music and Wilfrid Laurier University for including us in their film.
This micro documentary is part of the research project community music in Canada and the participatory, creative music hub project led by the Canadian new music network Deanna Yerichuk-Principal investigator - Samantha TaiTechnical - Director and research assistant- Amelia Basdeo Willie -Research assistant- Andy Drummond - Research assistant.

Meet the Artists

Our founders, Nour and Tarek, have been facilitating workshops since 2012 when their journey started in Damascus, Syria. The two taught various music and theatre workshops before moving to Lebanon to pursue training in post-conflict teaching.​ In 2016, they trained with Sounds of Change in a refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon. Since then, they have been facilitating workshops both in Beirut and Toronto for newcomer and refugee children and their families.


  • Founder & Facilitator

    Nour Kadaan began learning percussion in 2010 in Syria, which she then used in camps in Damascus and Lebanon, writing & playing music with children. She saw how music can help children express their feelings, overcome trauma, and find commonalities with each other through making music, playing rhythms, and creating simple songs.

    Nour is a core member of the Syrian-Flamenco band Diar, creating Arabic music infused with Flamenco flavour, an original genre that reflects the musicians' backgrounds and memories.

    Nour received the RBC Arts Access Award in2018 and 2019, and has since been focused on expanding the Music From Hope program to touch as many lives as possible.


  • Founder & Facilitator

    Tarek began his career as a musician in 2005, and has since been teaching music in Syria, Lebanon and Toronto. He received training in child and youth activities with the Sounds of Change Foundation in Beirut in 2016. He focuses on children and youth who come from conflicted or post-conflict areas, helping them integrate into their new homes.​

    Tarek began playing guitar when he was 14 years old, influenced by the artistic environment in Damascus. He mixes flamenco with traditional Arabic melodies to revive his heritage while paying homage to another.

    Music saved Tarek when he was jobless after fleeing his home in Damascus in 2013, giving him new hope and a source of inspiration. Once in Toronto, Tarek decided to make a living through music and saw its effect on his family, friends, and fellow artists.

    Tarek was honoured to receive two consecutive RBC Arts Access Awards and build skills as well as a community to grow the Music From Hope program.