HELP TYLER EVANS-KNOTT CROSS THE FINISH LINE TO MCGILL

Hi, my name is Janet Evans, and I’m fundraising for my son, Tyler Evans-Knott, a dedicated Anishinaabe flutist whose lifelong dream of studying music has become a reality.

This fall, Tyler will begin his journey at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music—one of Canada’s most prestigious music schools.

It’s a dream that began long before he ever picked up a flute.

Tyler’s love for music started in Grade 1 when he played his very first instrument. At nine years old, he discovered the flute—and from that moment on, he never looked back.

For the past 17 years, Tyler has devoted himself to music with extraordinary determination. He has practiced for two to five hours a day, moved across the country to pursue opportunities, performed with professional orchestras, composed original works, earned scholarships, and built his life around one goal: becoming a professional orchestral musician.

Then, just as he reached one of the biggest milestones of his life, everything changed.

Tyler has a rare physiological condition that causes his body chemistry to react with the silver plating on his flute. Over time, the instrument has tarnished and pitted from the inside out, affecting the keys, tone, responsiveness, and overall reliability. His repair technician confirmed what we feared—his flute had reached the end of its life.

For a professional musician, this isn’t simply cosmetic damage. It directly affects auditions, performances, confidence, and the ability to compete at the highest level.

A professional gold flute is far more resistant to the reaction damaging Tyler’s current instrument and provides the projection, warmth, reliability, and responsiveness required for conservatory training and professional performance.

Then something incredible happened.

After Tyler’s story was featured by CBC News, an accomplished professional flutist in Vancouver reached out with an extraordinary act of kindness—offering Tyler a professional flute so he could begin his studies at McGill this fall.

That generous gift has given Tyler the opportunity to start this next chapter.

Our goal is to help Tyler purchase a professional gold flute of his own—an instrument that will carry him through university, competitions, auditions, and the career he has worked so hard to build.

Tyler’s accomplishments already speak for themselves.

• He has performed as a featured flute soloist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at the historic Orpheum Theatre and participated in The Path Forward, a landmark collaboration between the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Coast Salish Host Nations.
  

He was selected as a fellow in the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Classical Indigenous Music Residency, where he composed and premiered his first original work.

He has also performed with the Victoria Symphony, Vancouver Island Symphony, and at Indigenous arts, cultural, and reconciliation events across Canada.

His dedication has earned him numerous scholarships, awards, festival honours, and recognition for both his musical excellence and his commitment to sharing Indigenous voices through classical music.

Tyler is also autistic. Throughout his life, he has faced challenges that might have discouraged others, yet music has always been where he has found confidence, purpose, and connection. His perseverance, resilience, and unwavering commitment continue to inspire everyone who knows him.

This fall, Tyler begins his studies at McGill while continuing to prepare for future orchestral auditions, competitions, and professional performance opportunities. Every one of those opportunities depends on having a reliable, professional-quality instrument.

Today, thanks to the generosity of family, friends, strangers, and supporters from across Canada, and the U.S. we’ve raised more than $12,000 toward Tyler’s goal.

Every donation.

Every share.

Every encouraging message.

Every person who believed in Tyler has helped bring him to this moment.

We are incredibly grateful.

If you’ve been following Tyler’s journey from the beginning, thank you for standing beside him.

If you’re discovering his story for the first time, we hope you’ll consider helping us complete this final step.

Your support isn’t simply helping purchase a flute.

You’re investing in a young Indigenous musician, in the future of classical music, and in a dream that has been 17 years in the making.

Every donation brings Tyler one step closer to owning the instrument that will carry him through the next chapter of his life.

Every share helps his story reach someone else who may want to be part of that journey.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for believing in Tyler.

With gratitude,

Janet Evans

On behalf of Tyler Evans-Knott

Victoria, British Columbia