Future Sound 6ix: Connecting Youth and Music Industry in Toronto
Faculty of Music teams up with YWCA, Nick Nurse Foundation to run music workshops for youth
When Ellie Hisama was a professor of music at Columbia University, she founded a program called “For the Daughters of Harlem: Working in Sound” that brought together young, racialized women from New York City public schools to engage with music.
Now, Hisama, dean of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, is partnering with the YWCA on a similar project, bringing a group of racialized 14- to 20-year-old female-identifying and gender-nonconforming youth from local public schools to the University of Toronto’s Electronic Music Studio, where they’ll learn about music and audio production in two full-day workshops.
“I’m a big University of Toronto fan, a big Faculty of Music fan and I’m a big music fan – so this was a really good one on a lot of levels for our foundation to support. I think it’s a really cool, unique, cutting-edge project as well.”
- Nick Nurse, Toronto Raptors Head Coach
“Future Sound 6ix: Connecting Youth and Music Industry in Toronto” is being supported by the Nick Nurse Foundation, which is founded by Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse and supports social justice initiatives that improves the lives of children and young adults through music, sports and literacy.
“I was excited to come to Canada and I was told Toronto is incredibly diverse – which it is,” says Hisama, who joined U of T last year.
“I wanted to connect Toronto and U of T.”
With the guidance of professors, students and guest instructors, the workshop’s participants will focus on music criticism, music production and audio engineering. The workshops will culminate with a public performance showcasing the students’ efforts.
Read the full article by Mariam Matti on U of T News
Photo: Ellie Hisama, dean of U of T's Faculty of Music, appears on stage with Nick Nurse at An Evening for Music Vol. 2, which was hosted by the Nick Nurse Foundation (photo courtesy of Megan Chang)
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