A popular Toronto rock band is playing a show for UHN patients this week

With the recent success of their wavy ballad “Blame Brett,” Toronto all-girl rock band the Beaches have been busy touring the continent and playing for crowds numbering in the thousands. But, this Friday, they’re playing for a much more intimate audience. The group—comprising lead singer and bassist Jordan Miller, guitarist Kylie Miller, drummer Eliza Enman-McDaniel, and keyboardist and guitarist Leandra Earl—is performing for two of UHN’s music-healing groups, the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute’s TRI Hards and Toronto Western Hospital’s Singing to Breathe. The former jam together once a week, and the latter meet online every Tuesday to sing in an effort to improve their lungs’ vital capacity. Related: How Jordan Miller, the lead singer of the Beaches, spends a day off in Toronto

The TRI Hards were founded in 2023, when a Toronto Rehab staff member brought a ukulele to work. It evolved into a recurring live music session where patients and staff could unwind during breaks. Soon, the small band had an audience who found the music to be a powerful force in their recovery. Some patients who struggle with movement will dance, some with difficulty speaking will practise singing, and others just show up to enjoy the music.

When UHN reached out to the Beaches and asked if they wanted to get involved, the band was more than game to make some noise for the hospital network’s May 31 fundraiser—We Walk UHNITED, featuring Canadian singer-songwriter Tom Cochrane—as well as at UHN’s ongoing music-healing and therapy initiatives.

At Friday’s session, the Beaches will play both classic covers and their own tracks, and audience participation is encouraged. The band, known for singing about vulnerability and resilience, will have a chance to connect with listeners directly and inspire a different kind of comeback—the self-discovery that comes not from heartbreak but from the experience of injury and illness.