•  In a few words, how would you describe yourself?

I’m curious, holistic, social and timid! Always in doubt, I love discovering that things aren’t the way I though they were. I’m curious about perception and new ways of getting to know the world, my environment and people.

•  Tell us a little about your background.

I have a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering and a master’s of science degree. As a self-taught musician and sound artist, in 2018 I took off on an exploratory journey in music and sound art, eventually joining the Université de Montréal Faculty of Music in January 2020. My goal was to bring together my artistic aspirations and my scientific training under the same roof and discover new approaches to music and sound art. I just now finished an advanced graduate diploma (D.E.S.S.) in digital music at the Faculty of Music and I’m hoping to start my Ph.D. or my master’s in the coming semesters. 

•  Why choose the D.E.S.S. in digital music at the Faculty of Music?

That program afforded me the freedom to explore sound and sound art in a broad sense. 

•  What do you like best about the Faculty?

Walking up the hill to get to the Faculty, the multimedia sector (SMM) for renting material, and the library. 

•  Among the teaching faculty, is there someone who especially inspires you?

Professor Nicolas Bernier, who, in one way or another, has always provided me with valuable advice, even before I joined the digital music program. His dynamic and holistic vision of what music is and what it could be has always been a source of inspiration. 

• Have you learned things at the Faculty whose existence or usefulness you would never have suspected before?

Of course! To name just one: the introduction to musical psychoacoustics opened up a whole world of creative ideas that was unknown to me before, and that led me to want to make music with the sounds that my ears make! 

•  For you, just what is digital music?

It’s using all the means, including technology, to push the boundaries of what sound could be as a medium and as an agent of perception.

•  What gives the UdeM Faculty of Music its special “color,” in your view?

I love the coexistence of tradition and avant-garde under the one roof and so close to each other. A five-minute walk can expose you to musical traditions that are hundreds of years apart. 

• Who’s your favorite artist, and why?

Miles Davis. Always on the “move,” but so distinct and cool. 

•  What are your inspirations?

My mother and my father.

•  In what way is your stay at the Faculty of Music influencing your life?

My time here has aligned my life with my vision and my passion: music and sound. That’s allowed me to concentrate on my work and to take simple – albeit concrete and solid –measures towards achieving a broader vision. 

•  In your stay at the Faculty of Music, you must certainly have come in contact with noteworthy people that are having an impact on your development…

Without in any way exaggerating, I’d say that every class and teacher has had a profound impact on my vision and my practice.  

•  Do you have an especially memorable moment at the Faculty of Music or else an anecdote you’d like to share with us?

At 11 p.m., after a long sound recording session in the Faculty’s basement studios, my classmate and I were stopped and cautioned by building security. We’d tried to record the noise of things being crushed or collapsing by tossing a lot of objects on the ground.

•  What advice would you give a first-year student?

Be curious and expect the unexpected! That’s just the beginning! 

•  What are the three most important qualities for a musician?

Curiosity, active listening, and discipline. 

•  Beyond music, what are your interests or passions?

Cycling, architecture, the movies and ice cream! 

•  What are your aspirations and plans for the future?

I hope to continue evolving in order to be the best possible, artistically and personally. I want to deepen my artistic portfolio and carry on with my studies on sound and its quality, as an agent of knowledge and perception.