Music Making and Muslim Belonging in Canada

Date: Thursday, Feb. 1
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Quance Theatre, Education Building Room 1003, 28 Campus Dr., Saskatoon

Free and open to the public

About this event

Music scholarship can sometimes present a single story about the role of music and sound in diverse Muslim cultures. This portrayal limits how music educators and students understand Muslim cultures which, in turn, affects how Muslim youth might access music and sound as pathways for belonging. In this presentation, Dr. Janmohamed will discuss the essential role vocal practices play in Muslim cultures and propose an "enlightened encounters" framework to expand the single narrative. He will problematize choral singing, a predominant form of music education in Canada, while also exploring the possibilities of choral singing to scaffold identity formation. Dr. Janmohamed will share findings from his autoethnographic and narrative doctoral research, looking at how choral singing can support first and second Canadian Ismaili Muslims to translate their intersectional identities. Key findings include the role of: 1) Cross-cultural choral music and creation as pathways for connection and inclusive belonging; 2) Community-centred participatory music in creating safe sonic spaces for engaging diverse knowledge systems; and, 3) Culturally integrative vocal practices in reclaiming the inextricable link between culture, religion, spirit and life.

About the speaker

Educational consultant, singer, choir conductor, artistic curator and composer Dr. Hussein Janmohamed (PhD) is on a mission to foster unity, unleash creative potential and embrace diversity through the power of music. With a broad background in choral singing, he has performed with renowned choirs like Chor Leoni, the Phoenix Chamber Choir, the Elmer Iseler Singers and the National Youth Choir of Canada. As a choir conductor, he has led UBC Choirs, regional and national Ismaili Muslim Youth Choirs, the Nai Syrian Children's Choir, the Vancouver Peace Choir and more. His choral compositions bridging Muslim and Western cultures have been commissioned by organizations such as Amabile Choirs of London, Aga Khan Museum, the Esoterics and Classical Movements Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program. He is dedicated to youth development, and has been recognized with the Irene Miller and Koshkish Fellowship in Music at the University of Toronto and the B.C. Choral Federation Malcolm McDonald Youth Leadership Award.

FARLS is hosted by the University of Saskatchewan Department of Music. Learn more.

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