WE ARE ALL MUSICIANS (WAAM) PROJECT

ABOUT

Project Overview

“We Are All Musicians” (WAAM) is an interdisciplinary research-creation project founded by Juno award-winning composer/performer, and Carleton University faculty member, Dr. Jesse Stewart.

The guiding philosophy behind the project is the idea that music is a fundamental human right: everyone deserves to have opportunities to make music, regardless of their level of musical training, income, age, or ability. To realize this vision, the WAAM project uses of a variety of innovative assistive and adaptive music technologies in conjunction with more traditional musical instruments to foster improvisatory musical exploration and interaction, particularly among individuals and communities that have experienced barriers to making music historically, notably children and adults living in low-income situations, individuals with disabilities of various kinds, and the elderly.

Primary Objectives

  1. To create inclusive environments for group music making, environments that respect and celebrate differences of various kinds: musical, cultural, physical, cognitive, social, gender, etc.
  2. To study the social processes and social effects of inclusive music making.
  3. To develop new models and new technologies for inclusive, community-oriented music making, and to refine existing models and technologies.
  4. To create and stage a series of high-quality, aesthetically compelling public performances that put into practice the ideals, concepts, models, and technologies associated with the WAAM project.
  5. To disseminate knowledge about inclusive music making through publications, presentations, workshops, performances, and audio and visual recordings.