The SHINE Music Bursary was inaugurated in 2010 and in its first few years it was known as the Jim Fay Music Bursary. The bursary was created by the friends and family of Jim Fay, a local (transplanted from Ireland) musician who died suddenly in October 2008.
Jim played guitar, mandolin and harmonica, and he was an ardent fan and performer of Celtic, folk and acoustic music. Jim was very involved in Toronto’s music community, and he consistently encouraged others to foster their musical pursuits. A music bursary designed to assist struggling young Toronto folk musicians seemed a fitting way in which to honour Jim’s memory.
Since its inauguration, the bursary has continued to grow and has evolved into the SHINE Music Bursary. Every year, we are very pleased and proud to be able to present a number of aspiring young musicians with a Jim Fay Memorial Bursary certificate, along with their much-deserved bursary award, as part of the annual celebrations at our SHINE fundraising concert, which takes place in March.