Composer in Residence : Emilie LeBel

I first worked with Soundstreams in January 2009 as part of your “Young Artist Overture” series, and then again in 2013 as part of the Emerging Composer Workshop. I value having a relationship with Soundstreams, because it’s an arts organization that builds enduring connections with artists, and invests in their artistic development over the long term. The Emerging Composer Workshop was a wonderful experience, as I learned a great deal from the workshop participants, and from our mentors, Juliet Palmer, R. Murray Schafer, and the Gryphon Trio. Everyone involved in the workshop was supportive and inspiring, and I felt encouraged to continue on my artistic path because of the time spent with these individuals.

I am excited to continue working with Soundstreams in this new capacity. It’s a unique opportunity to share my creative process with the public, and to document the collaborative process between all the parties involved in this special project.

I didn’t really seek out composition - it eventually found me. I was active in music as a trumpet player, and I also studied audio engineering and music production in school. However, it wasn’t until I was 25 that I started composing, and I don’t think that I ever decided in any sort of concrete manner that I was going to become a composer. Every day when I sit down to work, I simply make the decision to continue being a composer.

Jumblies Theatre does amazing work in Toronto, bringing a platform for creativity to members of the local communities where they work. They have done an incredible job of putting their mandate into action - encouraging all voices to be heard and thrive artistically. I feel very blessed to have this opportunity to work with, and learn from, the remarkable people in this organization, and the local community member participants. There is such value in the opportunity to learn from other artistic disciplines, through working in collaborative and interdisciplinary environments. Everyone has the opportunity to push their boundaries, and to be exposed to new ways of seeing, hearing, thinking, and doing.

Many of my recent creative projects have involved working in close collaboration with performers, as I have found working this way to be beneficial to the creative practice by challenging all the artists involved to negotiate their personal artistic practice, share praxis and production information while being equally invested in the creation and performance of the work. I imagine that this project will benefit from the collaborative process in similar ways.

I find it thrilling – hearing my musical imagination unite with the performers’ artistry, and how this combines with the energy of the audience. The sum is greater than all of the parts, and that is always magical. 

Favourite thing about Toronto: the vibrant and diverse arts community. Favourite thing about Missoula: the mountains and fresh air.