Earmark / Michelle Lorimer

What got you excited about music at a young age? 

I think listening to my dad’s record collection was my first conscious entry into the world of music. He immigrated from India to Canada in the early 1970s, and had accumulated an eclectic collection of records, which he’d take delight in playing on what was then the best piece of furniture in our house, in my opinion: his Nordmende Boheme C Stereo record player/radio! I still remember being fascinated by this piece of music technology: the sound and feel of the buttons being pressed to choose “stereo” or FM/AM, and of course watching the mechanics of sound production: the needle dropping, the record spinning, and then poring over record covers as my ears took in the sound & music. The combination made for a powerful imaginative experience I feel, when I consider my earliest interactions with music. The most played & beloved records were Clara Haskil & Arthur Grumiaux playing Mozart’s piano & violin sonatas – something about the liveliness & grace of this combo’s interpretation never got tiring; and Harry Belafonte – whose range of tone & repertoire, from profound to hilarious, and whose honest voice with the gentlest rasp — always drew me in. I also grew up in church, where songs, hymns & choruses were always present. I think it was there I first saw a young woman playing the piano in a worship service. I remember that her name was Gloria. And I remember thinking that she had the best job in the world – to be able to sit at a piano, make music and share it with everyone. Shortly after that, at age six, my parents went all in and bought me an upright piano. I took to it immediately, began lessons and began composing whatever a six-year-old composes back then. Play & experiment were the most exciting things about making music in these early years; then and now, the possibility of creating something new was a delightful discovery. Sharing that discovery with others was another stage of delight. I don’t think much has changed at the core of composition for me – even with the training, discipline and formalities of a musical education.

What is a significant insight that a mentor shared with you that has guided your practice? 

A mentor/professor of mine at Humber shared something that has especially stuck with me, just before we graduated from our composition program. It was the fact that from here on in, as we pursued a career in music to whatever capacity & degree we were planning to, the path wasn’t straightforward, like it had been in school. Rather, it was more like tending a garden. You keep working at various elements in

the garden – planting here, there, watering, putting efforts into what’s beginning to grow, sometimes exploring new seeds & soil. And as you do, you watch for what’s growing, what’s beginning to thrive, and you tend to it. And you just keep doing this. Over time, you’ve kept up a creative life and are surprised at what’s grown, sometimes from places you didn’t expect. This approach has helped me navigate my own journey as a composer and I continue to find it helpful

What is the most important lesson you would share with your younger self in regards to your music?

I would remind myself to keep at the forefront of all my musical endeavors the fact that music is a great gift – a gift given to me, in that it nourishes me and helps me order my world and process my feelings — and also a gift for me to give to others. I’d encourage my younger self to stay true to the goal of connecting with others through music, to see music as a powerful tool for communication & connection, and to keep these natural convictions central no matter what the musical project

Tell me about a project/work of yours that you are particularly proud of. 

That would have to be my first commission: In 2023, Sonority Sisters Clare Semes (violin) and Kelly Zimba Lukić, (flute), invited me to compose a new piece for a larger relay-style work that they were commissioning for flute & violin. The commission featured the work of six Toronto-based women composers and stitched their work together into a larger relay piece called “6 in the Six,” a collection of diverse musical perspectives of Toronto. Born and raised here, I quickly thought back to a staple of my childhood and youth – travelling by TTC. And so, the seeds for my piece, “Commuting,” came from the ubiquitous opening chimes that mark the Please stand clear of the doors reminder that any Torontonian who’s travelled by subway is so familiar with. I loved exploring these two instruments in combination and trying to capture the fascination and bustle of a subway commute (this was more fascinating and less tedious when I was a child, mind you.) Working with Kelly and Clare was a dream; they were so friendly, understanding & helpful, and I couldn’t ask for more musical musicians to bring this piece to life as well as they did! I found the experience empowering and learned so much from it.