Mapping Montreal Music

CJLO has recently endeavoured upon a new initiative: the Mapping Montreal Music (MMM) project. MMM will see the production of an 8-episode podcast series, whereby we’ll be mapping our city’s musical history, borough by borough. Tasked with the project are three new members of the CJLO staff: Music Journalist in Residence Sun Noor, Music Journalist Assistant George McFarlane, and Lead Web Developer Alana DeVito.

So the world can learn more about our new staff and what brought them to CJLO, we’ve asked each new member to fill out a short Q&A.

Sun Noor (Music Journalist in Residence):

1. Can you tell us about your relationship with music journalism?

I've always had a passion for music and art growing up. I also really enjoyed writing and storytelling and so I merged all of my passions together in high school and started making web zines, which eventually led to the creation of my blog, For the Record. The idea emerged from creating an outlet for my friend to discover new music and keep up with releases. Although I still enjoy writing features on artists and in-depth album reviews, I've been more focused on producing longform, research-heavy articles. To me, shedding light on interesting scenes and movements from both the past and present make for the best music discovery pieces. 

2. What interested you about this position and CJLO 1690AM?

I'm a big fan of Montreal music, storytelling and CJLO, meaning this role simply consisted of what I enjoy most. Volunteering at the station over the past year and curating cool playlists has been great. I'm excited to contribute to the station with the project. 

3. What do you hope to create with the MMM project?

I hope to create an audio experience through storytelling that will make listeners feel as though they can envision the places being visited. I've always wanted to create a documentary-style project on Montreal music, as there is so much to explore and uncover. I also hope to shed light on lesser known movements from the past and present while incorporating important discourse about the future of live music.

George McFarlane (Music Journalist Assistant):

1. Can you tell us about your relationship with music journalism?

I’ve always been interested in music journalism from an outsider perspective. As a gigging musician and fan of live music in general, obviously I would always go to shows and form my opinions on the acts that played. I never really put pen to paper and got those thoughts out of my head, though. Working with Sun has been great so far because it feels like I’m finally getting the opportunity to really show my love for local music. There’s also this annoying elitism that so often comes with music journalism, and it’s very heartening to see that there’s none of that at CJLO, and specifically with what Sun and I are working on. 

2. What interested you about this position and CJLO 1690AM?

I’ve been wanting to get involved with CJLO for a couple years now. Anytime there’s been a job opportunity, I’ve applied, and this time I guess the fit was right! Over the last year or so, I developed this intense fascination with local/campus radio stations, which made me want to work for one even more! I was also working as an audiobook editor over the summer, and I had been looking for more opportunities to create sound content for a while. CJLO in particular interested me because it’s so close to home. Not only is it in Montreal, but it’s for my university! All of the interactions I’ve had with people from CJLO have been nothing short of lovely, and it’s great to finally be able to contribute to that environment. 

3. What do you hope to create with the MMM project?

The MMM project is an opportunity to spotlight one of my favourite things in the world, local music. Since I’ve only lived in Montreal for a couple years, I don’t connect as deeply with the history of music here. In those few years, though, it’s been made abundantly clear that live music and Montreal go hand in hand. The reason I play music at all is because of a single student show in a dingy basement when I was fourteen, and all I want is to translate that incredible feeling into this show, and maybe convince some more people to go out and support their local scene!

Alana Marta DeVito (Lead Web Developer):

1. Can you tell us about your relationship with music journalism?

When I was a teenager I consumed everything I could about music and would buy armfuls of music magazines. It was a hugely important part of my life and actually what inspired me to become a musician and sound artist later on. Actually, before I became a musician I wanted to be a music journalist at a British music magazine…

2. What interested you about this position and CJLO 1690AM?

I had actually come up with the concept for an assignment in one of my CART classes (computation arts) – this idea that you could “hide” content in different GPS locations on a map and then allow people to explore their city to find these “gems” – and had just started to prototype when Francella approached me at my position at the Acts of Listening Lab at the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling to ask to collaborate on a project combining the music community and history of Montreal in an interactive, “soundwalk” form. It was perfect timing! I’ve always wanted to get involved with CJLO, so it was exciting when it fell into place!

3. What do you hope to create with the MMM project?

An exciting and innovative, new medium to explore music content while learning about your community. A new way for people to connect with the history, present and future of the creative, vibrancy of Montreal.