Rebecca Binnendyk. Photo submitted

Hub Staff

Saugeen Shores native and Canadian singer songwriter Rebecca Binnendyk has not only been busy recording and releasing a new album but also a meaningful new philanthropic undertaking.

In a September 16 interview with Saugeen Shores Hub, Binnendyk began performing at the age of 18 and is well known in Saugeen Shores as the sultry voice of the Canadian Big Band. For many years, the singer crooned alongside sax player Charlie Bell, trumpeter Wayne McGrath, Binnendyk's former high school teacher; and singer Jeanette Steeves, Binnendyk's former voice coach.

In recent years the singer songwriter has made bold strides in their own musical career with a premiere album release in 2016 and the latest album “I Don’t Belong to You” available now.

“In my new album there’s a lot more confidence,” declared Binnendyk, “a lot more personal emotion in it, because the songs are written based on my life stories and conversations I’ve had with close friends.”

Binnendyk, who studied music at Wilfred Laurier University and now calls Waterloo home, changed octaves and enrolled in the Bachelor of Education program at Wilfred Laurier after an expedition to teach in China. As a qualified teacher, Binnendyk continued advancing in both her educational and musical careers.

Another strong passion in Binnendyk’s life is philanthropy work which has taken the Saugeen Shores native to Africa to teach music and sexual education to children. In 2018 Binnendyk traveled with Cathy Fenton, owner of Cathy’s Flowers ’N Treasures in Port Elgin, and Meryl Gilmore, Binnendyk’s Grade 6 teacher, to Uganda and raised funds to provide musical instruments to be used in a local school.

See: Travelling trio heading back to Uganda in February

These trips were a turning point for Binnendyk. After witnessing the struggles and the dire needs of the children she met in her travels, simply releasing music didn’t seem like enough. This revelation drove Binnendyk to embark on a new endeavour, one that merges the musician and the philanthropist within.

“I thought I could probably do greater good in the world if I used this platform to raise awareness about FGM [female genital mutilation] and child marriages,” Binnendyk stated.

Reaching out to Plan International Canada (PIC), Binnendyk contrived a plan to use her own voice to help give young girls theirs to speak out against child marriage and FGM.

With a goal of raising $75,000 for two critical PIC projects, which aim to end child marriage and FGM, Binnendyk will donate 20 percent of each ticket sale from an upcoming concert livestream. The funds will then be matched five times by the Canadian Government for a total of $15 per ticket going to PIC.

Binnendyk described how the deeply ingrained culture and lack of education in these developing countries prove to stifle opportunities to progress beyond these violating rituals. The venture to fund girls’ education through PIC has given the singer songwriter hope for the future, not only in these communities but the world over.

“We’re going to start seeing real legitimate world changes because the girls in these communities are going to become the leaders, going to become the educators, going to become the political influencers, and they’re going to have a voice again” Binnendyk concluded.

Binnendyk's livestreamed concert, which will take place October 3 from Waterloo, is aptly titled Defy Normal and is done in collaboration with Plan International. To reach her target of $75,000, Binnendyk will need to sell 5,000 tickets at $15 a piece. That $15 price tag includes a digital copy of Binnendyk’s newest album, “I Don’t Belong to You”.

“It’s fifteen bucks, that’s less than two coffees at Starbucks," Binnendyk said.

Binnendyk offered some horrifying statistics. 3.9 million girls annually are affected by FGM, 2 million girls under the age of 15 are impregnated every year and, if nothing is done to rectify the situation, 150 million girls under the age of 18 will be forced into marriage by 2030. The singer songwriter described the dedication of PIC to these issues and the noticeable changes thus far. PIC currently has a five year plan in place to end FGM and child marriages in the communities.

“This is attainable, the goal is attainable,” claimed Binnendyk. “It’s actually starting to change... and Plan International is committed to not leaving these communities until they’re completely sustainable, sustainable on their own with local people running it."

When congratulated on the accomplishments and bold endeavours, Binnendyk laughed and admitted it’s all a bit of a gamble. “I think I just choose courage over fear," the singer said. "That’s what I do over and over again, even in the midst of the worst times.”

To help Binnendyk reach her goal and get a digital copy of her new album, visit rebeccabinnendyk.com/making-a-difference.

To attend the show live, at the Jazz Room, Heuther Hotel in Waterloo, or to find out about other upcoming performances, visit rebeccabinnendyk.com/shows.

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