An award-winning musician, composer and writer who has been recognized as one of Canada’s best young jazz artists has joined the Brandon University (BU) School of Music.
Marika Galea is a multi-instrumentalist who will teach in the School of Music’s Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music Department. Best known as a versatile bassist, Galea explores the space between improvised jazz, narrative songwriting and hypnotic soundscapes in her work. In 2017 CBC Music named Galea among their 35 best Canadian jazz artists under 35.
“Marika is a fabulous musician and educator,” said Greg Gatien, Dean of Music at BU. “The energy and experience that she brings really adds to the School of Music, and our students will enjoy learning from her.”
Galea holds a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music and a Master of Music from McGill University. She has gone on to teach at Berklee and McGill, as well as at the McGill Conservatory, the Prince Edward County Jazz Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Her research interests include music performance, production and composition, inter- and multidisciplinary collaboration, and community building through improvisation.
“I look forward to bringing my extensive on-the-ground experience into the classroom as nourishment for students’ own artistic development,” Galea said. “The music industry and its role in our broader society are constantly changing. My purpose as an educator is to empower students to meet that challenge by building the fundamental skills and awareness they need to navigate their musical lives long after their time at BU.”
Galea’s projects have been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings. Supporting an impressive array of artists across the jazz, pop, rock, indie, hip hop, new music and experimental genres, Galea has collaborated on projects that have garnered nominations and wins for JUNO, Golden Globe, Academy, Polaris, Iris, RIDM and HotDocs Awards.
“I’m very excited to have Marika join us at BU,” said Eric Platz, who also teaches in the Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music Department. “Her work is top-notch and well-known in Canadian jazz circles. There’s a real spirit of collaboration in the School of Music, and I think that Marika will fit in with that very well.”
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