Skip to content

Arraymusic

Mission

Based in Toronto, Arraymusic has played a leading role in Canada’s diverse and creative contemporary music scene since 1972, acting as a laboratory for innovative work from artists from every corner of our community. Our 1,200 sq ft rehearsal and performance venue, The Array Space, is a welcoming creative hub supporting emerging and established curators, composers, musicians and multi-media artists from Toronto, across Canada, and globally. 

Values

  • Exploration

    Arraymusic creates profound and meaningful artistic journeys through a playful, respectful attitude – free of expectations, open to new ideas, and confident in discovering new horizons. We embrace daring choices, speculative investigations and ever-evolving collaborations for explorations and presentations across artistic disciplines and media. 

  • Connection

    Arraymusic’s programs bring diverse participants together to strengthen community and foster cross-pollination. We embrace, welcome, and encourage participants from all traditions, cultures, styles, disciplines, incomes, genders, and ages. 

  • Play

    Arraymusic provides the community with an artistic playground. A safe, affordable, well outfitted, accessible performance space with a toolkit of instruments and technology, supported by talented practitioners, to enable creation, presentation, documentation, distribution and collaboration. 

Programs

 Arraymusic’s core programming includes three annual series of Array Productions, curated by practicing artists who are leaders in their respective fields, in creative disciplines ranging from contemporary concert music to improvisation, multimedia practices, and beyond. 

Our outreach programming includes the Array Composer’s Workshop – our flagship professional development program for early career composers – and monthly hands-on workshops for adults and youth. 

The Array Space enables Arraymusic to support creative work from artists beyond our own productions, including a Resident Artist Program, regular workshops and salons, and multiple co-presentation events annually. Ongoing support from our funders allows us to make the Array Space available to Toronto’s broader artistic community at below-market rental rates for rehearsals, workshops, recordings, and performances – making Arraymusic and the Array Space a vital player operating at the nexus of Toronto’s performing arts sector. 

General Director – David Schotzko

As a soloist, chamber musician, and curator, percussionist David Schotzko is a passionate advocate for contemporary composers, having premiered over 300 works with percussion by composers from around the globe. He was a founding member of the renowned International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) in New York and Chicago and was ICE’s Program Director from 2002 to 2008.

Since moving to Toronto in 2010, David has served as Artistic Advisor for Ottawa Chamberfest, and curated programs for Arraymusic, Intersection, the University of Toronto, and more.

House & Production Manager – Matt Legge

Matt Legge is a recording engineer and producer from Nashville, TN. His engineering work includes major label and independent artists across a broad spectrum, though he is best known for his contributions to the country, rock, and Americana genres. Early in his career, Matt was fortunate to work with Taylor Swift on her multiple Grammy-winning album Fearless, serving as assistant and engineer on the song “White Horse”. The song would get Matt nominated for a TEC Award in Outstanding Creative Achievement in 2009, and it won Grammy awards for “Best Female Country Vocal Performance” and “Best Country Song” at the 2010 Grammy Awards, as well as being featured on the television show Grey’s Anatomy. This boost to visibility and his unwavering work ethic lead him to engineering for artists Peter Frampton, Ringo Starr, Ricky Skaggs, and Jerry Lee Lewis. His genre-blending style came from his childhood, tinkering with the family’s record players and tape recorders to create mixtapes and remixes of his favorite songs. This influence became evident as his career progressed and he felt more comfortable introducing his ideas into the process. In 2016, with only a few loose ideas written on construction paper and two weeks booked at Nashville’s Omni Studios, Matt and supergroup Hard Working Americans recorded the band’s second full length album Rest in Chaos. The album’s producer, Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), was especially welcoming of Matt’s input, having him stitch together ideas from their recordings along with found sounds which they crafted into a full length album. The album surprised many listeners with what the Boston Globe describes as a “Likably twisted strain of cosmic-hippie, gonzo-outlaw music” and “a major step forward for the band”, with Rolling Stone calling it “A fascinating roots-rock collaboration”. Also in 2016, Matt recorded Peter Frampton’s album Acoustic Classics. Billboard Magazine reported that Frampton overcame “Stubbornness and fear” to reapproach his classic songs in a way that gave the listener an intimate listening experience as if he were to say “”Hey, sit down, I’ve just written a song’ and I sit down and play you ‘Lines on My Face’ or whatever”. In 2018, Matt and his family moved to Denver, CO where he began producing projects ranging from indie rock to classical. “I want to give people something they’ve never heard, yet feel familiar enough with to accept” became the motto that influenced Matt’s production techniques. Rock critic Dave Marsh wrote of one of his records “I can tell you about its surface but I haven’t gotten to the bottom of it. I’m not really sure there is one.” Matt is excited to continue his audio experimentation at Arraymusic, and is looking forward to creating more magic moments with Toronto’s music community.

 

Board of Directors

  • Mark Wilson, Chair & Treasurer
  • Michelle Breslin
  • Kendall Kiddie
  • Laurie Kwasnik
  • David Lidov
  • Afraaz Adam Mulji
  • Michael Palumbo
  • Adam Tindale
  • Gayle Young
  • Tara Chown
  • David Asch

 

This policy outlines Arraymusic’s approach to artistic practice and the use of artistic statements, reflecting our commitment to fostering innovative, diverse, and engaging musical experiences while upholding fundamental human rights and freedoms.

APPLICATION

This policy and complaints procedure applies to directors, staff, and volunteers of Arraymusic and to performers, composers, mentors, lecturers, audience members and participants at Arraymusic led and/or controlled rehearsals, workshops, events, or co-productions.

POLICY

Arraymusic champions a dynamic and evolving artistic practice centered on the following principles:

  • Freedom of Expression: Arraymusic unequivocally supports the safe, free, and unfettered creation of artistic work, embracing diverse viewpoints and perspectives without censorship. We believe that artistic expression is essential for a healthy and vibrant society.
  • Respect for Rights and Freedoms: We uphold the rights and freedoms of all individuals. Artistic expression, while vital, must not infringe upon or cause harm to the rights and freedoms of others. This includes, but is not limited to, freedom from discrimination based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected ground or identifiable group.
  • Condemnation of Racism and Xenophobia: Arraymusic condemns all forms of racism and xenophobia. We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for artists and audiences from all backgrounds. We will not tolerate any expression of hate propaganda, hate speech, terrorist propaganda, or discriminatory views of an identifiable group or based on protected grounds in our programming or within the Array Space.
  • Non-Dissemination of Harmful Material: Arraymusic will not disseminate material provided to us that promotes or supports actions that infringe upon or cause harm to the rights and freedoms of others, including but not limited to, hate propaganda, hate speech, hate crimes, terrorist propaganda, and discriminatory content.
  • Legal Compliance: Arraymusic acknowledges that hate propaganda, hate speech, hate crimes, terrorist propaganda, and discrimination of identifiable groups or based on protected grounds are subject to provincial and federal civil legal action, and criminal prosecution under Canadian law. We will cooperate fully with any legal investigations or proceedings.

COMPLAINT PROCESS

This detailed process will help ensure that complaints are handled fairly, consistently, and transparently, protecting the rights of all parties involved and upholding the values of Arraymusic.

  1. Formal Submission: Complaints must be submitted in writing (email or letter) to the Designated Contact who is either the General Director of Arraymusic or, in the event the complaint is in regard to the General Director, to the Chair of the Board of Directors of Arraymusic.
  2. Complaint Details: The complaint should include: 
    • Name and contact information of the complainant (unless anonymity is requested and deemed necessary).
    • Name and contact information of the individual(s) or organization being complained about.
    • A clear and detailed description of the alleged incident, including dates, times, locations, and any witnesses.
    • Any supporting evidence (e.g., emails, recordings, social media posts).
    • The specific article(s) of the Artistic Practice and Artistic Statement Policy believed to have been violated.
  3. Response: In response to the complaint, Arraymusic will conduct an investigation and, if it concludes that improper conduct occurred in violation of this policy, take appropriate corrective action, which may include, but is not limited to, the removal of work, the cancellation of performances, or the revocation of rental privileges.
  4. Confidentiality: Except to the extent necessary to carry out the investigation or as otherwise required by law, handling of the complaint will be treated with confidentiality to protect the privacy of all parties involved. It is expected that those involved in a complaint investigation will ensure that the matter remains confidential.

REVIEW

This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure its effectiveness and relevance. Arraymusic encourages ongoing dialogue with artists and the community to uphold our shared values of artistic integrity, inclusivity, and respect for all individuals. If you have questions about this policy or require further information, please contact: [email protected] 

Equity is the single most important challenge in today’s contemporary music scene, and our work as artists, artistic directors, and curators cannot be separated from the social and political contexts in which we all live and create.  

As a legacy organization receiving operating funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, and numerous private funding bodies large and small, Arraymusic continues to benefit from the historical privileging of European art forms and the systematic suppression of marginalized voices. Much work has been done in classical music and contemporary classical music over the past half century toward achieving gender equity. However, as necessary as that work continues to be to promote women within our discipline, we have for too long overlooked the continued oppression of Black, Indigenous, and non-Black people of colour, of the LGBTQ2S+ community, and of the Deaf, Disabled, and Mad community.

Arraymusic has a relatively reputable history of inclusive programming, and our role as an artistic hub through our management of The Array Space has allowed us to actively support a diverse range of artists from a broad swath of Toronto’s cultural scene. We have publicly committed to gender parity in our own programming through the Canadian League of Composers Gender Parity Pledge, and over the last several seasons we have worked to include more work by composers from marginalized communities and to challenge the inherited values of the western classical canon. We offer Pay-What-You-Want ticketing to overcome economic barriers, and installed a ramp and elevator to enable access for people with physical disabilities. Nonetheless, without a specific commitment to a broader understanding of equity, we have continued to privilege whiteness over other identificatory factors.

Arraymusic has taken take the following actions:

  • We actively seek out Black, Indigenous, non-Black people of colour, LGBTQ2S+, and Deaf, Disabled, and Mad composers, and will prioritize the inclusion of their works across the balance of our programs.
  • We have established an annual fellowship for BIPOC composers to support their participation in our annual Array Composers’ Workshop: providing housing and transportation subsidies, as well as a per-diem to offset the substantial costs of spending a month living and working in Toronto.. 
  • We continue to seek to change the organization from within in the coming years, focusing on diversity in all hiring and recruitment decisions: from curatorial leadership to artists, staff, and board.

Most important: we acknowledge that we will inevitably fail at points in this process, and we commit to continually listening, learning, and improving. We invite you to reach out directly to us with comments and criticisms, and will be available via email at:

David Schotzko, General Director
[email protected]

Mark Wilson, Chair
[email protected]

We look forward to continued change, and to an ongoing public dialog with the many artists, audiences, peers, and supporters working for social justice in the arts and in the world.

To ensure the safety of all Array Space users we have adopted and enforced a strict Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Policy.

 

  1. FASCINATING READING ABOUT ARRAY’S EARLY YEARS:
    Eatock, Colin. “Arraymusic: the first fifteen years,” Three Studies, CanMus Documents 4 (Toronto 1989)

  2. WHAT THE CANADIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA SAYS ABOUT ARRAY’S BEGINNINGS
    https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/arraymusic-emc