A lifetime of music. Decades of giving to others. Now Maureen and Rick need our help.

Some people spend their lives making music.

Others spend their lives shaping the musicians who make the music.

Maureen Brown and Rick Gratton have done both.

For decades, they have been an important part of Canada’s music community performing, teaching, mentoring, collaborating and showing up whenever their fellow musicians and friends needed them.

Now, after a devastating series of natural disasters, they are facing one of the most difficult chapters of their lives.

Three disasters in succession.

First came the flooding.

Then a tornado.

Then another flood.

Their home became uninhabitable, forcing them to live in a hotel for more than three weeks while extensive water damage and mold were dealt with.

And then came another devastating reality.

Their basement contained decades of musical equipment belonging to two career drummers.

Drum kits. Microphones. Stands. Electronic drums. An amplifier. An acoustic guitar. And countless other pieces of equipment that represented not only significant financial value, but years of music-making and memories.

Some could not be saved.

Other equipment is now being painstakingly salvaged and sold as they try to recover financially.

Their insurance company has indicated that only approximately $7,500 of their musical equipment will be covered.

The losses go far beyond equipment.

Maureen lost early artwork that was deeply meaningful to her and can never be replaced. They also lost years of videos documenting performances and memories from both of their musical lives.

A lifetime of memories was literally put to the curb.

Rick Gratton is a legend in the drumming community.

For those who know the Canadian music scene, Rick Gratton needs little introduction.

Rick has been a major force on the Canadian drumming scene for decades. He has performed with some of Canada’s most respected bands and artists, including Rough Trade and The Boomers, and his reputation as a drummer extends far beyond Canada.

He is also an accomplished educator and author.

His acclaimed drum book Rick’s Licks has become a classic among drummers and was voted one of Modern Drummer magazine’s Top 25 Drum Books of All Time.

Rick also collaborated with renowned drummer Marco Minnemann on Extreme Interdependence, further establishing his influence as an educator and innovator in the drumming world. (Alfred Music⁠)

Hudson Music has described Rick as one of Canada’s leading drummers, noting the enormous respect he has earned from major musicians and the influence his books have had on generations of players. (Hudson Music⁠)

For countless drummers, Rick isn’t simply a musician.

He is someone who helped them become better musicians.

And Maureen has her own remarkable legacy.

Maureen Brown has been a powerful presence in the Canadian blues community for decades.

She was the first-ever winner of the Toronto Blues Society Talent Search in 1995 and has performed on major stages and with some of the country’s finest musicians. She has also been recognized repeatedly for her work as both a drummer and vocalist.

But perhaps what says the most about Maureen is how often she has been there for other people.

She has spent years performing at benefits, fundraising for worthy causes and helping others through difficult times.

She never imagined that one day she would be the person who needed that same community to rally around her.

Now she and Rick are facing the unimaginable.

The physical losses are significant.

The financial losses are overwhelming.

But the emotional toll has been just as devastating.

Both Maureen and Rick were already living with PTSD, and this experience has intensified that trauma. Maureen has described the exhaustion and emotional devastation of watching their belongings and memories disappear.

They are now also facing the difficult reality that they need to move.

Every time it rains, the fear returns.

They find themselves awake at night listening for another flood and keeping a submersible pump ready.

Even their beloved little dog has been affected by the upheaval.

After decades of building lives around music, home and community, they are now trying to figure out what comes next.

This is where we come in.

Maureen and Rick have spent decades giving to others.

They have played the benefits.

They have supported fellow musicians.

They have shared their knowledge.

They have given their music to their communities.

Now it is our turn to give back to them.

Funds raised will help Maureen and Rick with:

* Relocation and moving expenses

* Replacing essential household belongings

* Replacing damaged or destroyed musical equipment

* Temporary accommodation and unexpected living expenses

* Salvaging, transporting and storing their remaining belongings

* Expenses associated with rebuilding their lives after the disaster

* Caring for their beloved dog

* The many costs that come with starting over after a catastrophic loss

If you know Rick, Maureen or their music, you know what they have given.

And if you don’t know them personally, this is an opportunity to stand behind two people whose lives have contributed so much to Canadian music.

Let’s help these two remarkable people rebuild.

Let’s give them a little breathing room.

Let’s replace some of what was lost.

Let’s remind them that the music community they have poured so much into has not forgotten them.

Every donation matters.

If you can’t donate, please share this campaign. Send it to musicians, drummers, music lovers, friends and anyone who understands what it means to lose a lifetime of work and memories.

And please keep Maureen, Rick and their little dog in your thoughts and prayers.

Especially for safety.

For healing.

For strength.

And for no more heavy rain.

After everything they have given to others, it’s time for us to give back to Maureen and Rick.

Thank you!