A month ago, Tyler Evans-Knott thought McGill was out of reach. Now, a donated flute and a scholarship have changed that.

The 25-year-old Anishinaabe flutist from Curve Lake First Nation in southern Ontario says he was not prepared for the support he received from strangers after CBC Indigenous reported in June that he had to decline his offer of admission to McGill University’s Schulich School of Music for this fall.

Evans-Knott needed a new professional-level flute but could not afford one. His old flute’s silver was eroding because of a physiological condition that makes his sweat more acidic.

His mother, Janet Evans, set up an online fundraiser hoping to raise about $16,000 to buy a gold flute with less risk of erosion so he could continue his career.

“I knew there would be some [support], I just didn’t know, like, how big of a response it would be,” said Evans-Knott, who lives in Victoria with his mother and sister.

In June, he received two different messages from strangers offering to donate a flute they were no longer using. He was able to accept a silver Muramatsu flute with a Powell head joint from a woman living in Vancouver.

“It’s like comparable or even slightly better than what I’m playing on now, which is just great to have an instrument of that level to keep me going through the fall,” he said.

McGill then reached out to reinstate its offer of acceptance into the music program.

“They were able to offer a substantial scholarship for the upcoming year, so that really changed things for sure,” Evans-Knott said.

Lloyd Whitesell, associate dean of academic and student affairs at McGill’s Schulich School of Music, said in an email that the school works to integrate high-level classical musical training as well as creating other life paths for students beyond performance.

“When we heard secondhand about his financial situation, both the school and McGill’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives reached out to him,” Whitesell said.

The donated flute and the scholarship have made it possible for Evans-Knott to accept his place at the music school this fall.

His mother said the change came quickly.

“It seemed like in a 36-hour span, we were going to McGill,” Evans said.

Evans-Knott said moving to Montreal on his own is “[It’s] nerve wracking, but also exciting.” He said he already has a few friends in the city.

“I’m just really excited to make music in a new city and a new scene, and just getting to know my different colleagues and mentors and people I’ll be working with.”

Evans-Knott and his mother are still applying for bursaries to help finance his upcoming semester at McGill, and they are still fundraising. They have raised $11,000 so far, which is not enough to afford a gold flute of his own.

“It kind of leaves you speechless,” Evans said.

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