Welcome to Polyphony
Polyphony, noun: a style of musical composition employing two or more simultaneous but relatively independent melodic lines. (Merriam-Webster)
Polyphony: Diversity in Music fosters dialogue with BIPOC/racialized musicians, highlighting these individuals' voices alongside the works and people who inspire them. Throughout this exhibit, we seek to create a safe space for U of T students and faculty to equally engage with issues of diversity in music in a North American context.
A Note from FoMARA
The Faculty of Music Anti-Racism Alliance (FoMARA) is proud to present this digital exhibition in collaboration with the Faculty of Music Library. This exhibition will feature an exciting display of interviews with racialized students, alumni, staff, and professionals at the Faculty of Music and within the broader community as well as works and literature by BIPOC composers and scholars.
Historically, the contributions of Black and Indigenous musicians as well as musicians of colour to the arts have not been fully appreciated. Our decision to put on this exhibition was born out of a desire to acknowledge and celebrate the great diversity in backgrounds and perspectives that permeate western and non-western music. We thank our three Events Directors in particular - Rosemonde Desjardins, Claire Latosinsky, and Hillary Chu - for working on this project over the past few months. Through this exhibit, we seek to affirm the value of centering BIPOC voices.
Stephane Martin Demers, President
Nikhil James, Vice-President External
Adam Heagle, Vice-President Internal
Anika Venkatesh, Vice-President of Events
A Note from the Music Library
In support of anti-racism at the University of Toronto Libraries, the Faculty of Music, and in the larger Toronto community, the Music Library is committed to expanding its collection of literature and music by BIPOC musicians and scholars and making its existing collections of BIPOC materials more visible to its patrons. To that end, I am delighted to introduce this exhibition, which is a collaboration between our Music Archivist (Rebecca Shaw), our Graduate Intern (Elizabeth Robinson) and the Faculty of Music Anti-Racism Alliance (FoMARA). I commend their weeks of hard work to highlight the voices and works of marginalized composers, authors, and creators. My hope is that, through listening and learning, we can ensure the Music Library is a safe space for reflection, inquiry, and conversation.
I also invite you to visit our Guide to BIPOC Musicians and Related Literature.
Jan Guise, Head Librarian, University of Toronto Music Library