About

Our Story

Music for Life

Footprints Music began in Toronto in 2009 – right in the middle of the worst recession in decades. While businesses were shutting down across the city, Alex Hobcraft and Rachael Shay made a gutsy call: to start a music school that did things differently.

CBC featured our launch, asking what it meant to open a business when the world was telling everyone to hunker down. We had a simple answer: people need music, especially during hard times.

The gamble paid off. Within three years, we’d grown to 200 students in Toronto – proof that families were hungry for a music school that prioritized joy over grades, connection over competition.

Coming Home to Hamilton

In 2019, we brought Footprints Music to Hamilton. We opened our doors just four months before a global pandemic would shut down the world.

It wasn’t easy. Hell, it was brutal. Building a new school in a new city takes time – time we didn’t get. But we’d already survived starting a business during the 2008 recession. We knew how to adapt, how to pivot, and most importantly, how to keep showing up for our students when quitting would have been easier.

We made it through. Not because we’re lucky, but because we refused to let our students down. CHCH-TV featured our story – a Hamilton business that dug in and survived when so many others couldn’t.

What We Believe

Music isn’t a race to the next grade level or competition trophy. It’s a lifelong companion – something that brings joy during good times and comfort during hard ones. Whether you’re 5 or 75, music should feel like an old friend, not a test you have to pass.

That philosophy has guided us for 16 years across two cities and countless challenges. It’s why students stay with us for years, not months. It’s why parents trust us with their kids. And it’s why we’re still here.

Still Growing, Still Here

We’ve weathered a recession, a pandemic, and every challenge that comes with building something meaningful. We’re still standing because we never lost sight of what matters: the student in front of us, the parent who trusts us, and the community that supports us.

After 16 years and two cities, we’re proud to call Hamilton home – teaching families that music isn’t something you do for a season. It’s something you carry with you forever.

Ready to Start Your Musical Journey?

Join the Hamilton families who’ve made Footprints Music part of their story.