The annual charity Christmas concert raised funds and awareness for #NotInMyCity, with a special appearance by Tenille Townes
On December 4, A Not So Silent Nite returned for a 7th year of inspiring impact through local music and community engagement. Founded by Lyle Peterman, Morgan Melnyk, and Mallory Welechenko, Not So Silent Events aims to amplify the voices of local musicians while raising funds and awareness for #NotInMyCity.
This year’s event featured a surprise appearance by Tenille Townes, Canadian country music star and longtime supporter of the organization. Together, the community raised $75,000 for #NotInMyCity, the event’s highest total to date, bringing overall funds raised to $311,500.
Read on to hear Tenille Townes share her journey as an ally, and how music and advocacy have become part of her story.
An Issue Close to Home
The first time I heard about human trafficking in Canada was at the 2019 Canadian Country Music Awards, when Paul Brandt spoke about it while accepting the Humanitarian Award for his work with #NotInMyCity.
I understood human trafficking as a concept on a global scale, but hearing the statistics about what was happening right here in Canada truly opened my eyes. It was shocking, and it still shocks me. I was so moved that I sent Paul an email from my table that night, saying ‘I’m so in, how can I help? How can I speak up?’
It’s a really tough topic, and it can feel daunting to step into advocacy or become an ally. But taking the first step, being willing to learn, that’s what matters most. From there, we keep talking about it.
Advocacy as an Artist
For me, music is a safe place to talk about the challenging things that are weighing on my heart. That’s where my song Somebody’s Daughter came from. I was driving with my mom when I saw a young girl standing on the side of the interstate. I wondered what had happened to her—what turns her life had taken to lead her there—and why I was lucky enough to be where I was, while she was standing out there.
Live music feels sacred to me: everyone in the room is pulled together by a common thread of human emotion, feeling something together in real time. When I’m on stage, that’s the perfect opportunity for me to shine a light on issues like this.
Stories that Connect Us
One of my favourite parts of being an artist is when people come up to me and share how a song connects to their own life. Somebody’s Daughter, in particular, has led to so many meaningful conversations.
People have told me their sister is missing, or that they were that girl 15 years ago — but are in a different place now. What always stays with me most is when someone says the song made them think about their fellow human beings differently, and see people with compassion. That’s always been my hope with that song, that people would see each other more.
The Power of Gathering Together
Events like A Not So Silent Nite are essential because they allow people to learn about an issue like human trafficking in a deeply human way. You can read an article or see a poster, but hearing from another person, surrounded by people who are also learning and feeling impacted by the same message, creates something powerful.
I experienced that power firsthand when I was 15 years old.
I started a community fundraiser concert for Sunrise House, a youth emergency shelter in my hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta. On the day of the event, the shelter’s director told me they were forced to close their doors due to lack of funding, and suggested I could direct any funds raised to a different cause. I believed that it was more important than ever to come together as a community to support the shelter, so we went ahead with it.
That night, we raised $30,000, which was enough to keep the shelter open. We have continued to host the fundraiser annually, and over the past 10 years, we’ve raised more than $2 million for Sunrise House.
That experience taught me that big things can happen when people gather in the same room, and focus their love and attention in the same direction. That’s exactly what’s happening tonight at A Not So Silent Nite.
To learn more about how you can be an ally, and to stay tuned for future fundraising events, follow #NotInMyCity on Instagram or Facebook!
