Jeremy Dutcher is a classically trained operatic tenor and composer who blends his Wolastoq First Nation roots into the music he creates. He returned to AV俱乐部 to co-headline the celebration marking the completion of the Arts Centre鈥檚 expansion.
鈥淚 always love coming back and performing at the Cohn. It reminds me of my days as a student at Dal,鈥� Dutcher says. 鈥淓very time I stand on that stage it allows me to reflect on the growth since those days.鈥�
His combined degree in music and social anthropology helped Dutcher find his voice鈥攍iterally and figuratively. He learned to sing with precision, power and control while coming into his own as an Indigenous artist who blends distinct musical aesthetics that shape-shift between classical, traditional and pop to form something entirely new.
During a stint working for the Canadian Museum of History after he graduated, Dutcher discovered voice recordings singing forgotten songs and telling stories that had been taken from the Wolastoqiyik generations ago. Back at his piano, feeling out melodies and phrases, he engaged in what he calls 鈥渄ialogue with the voices of his ancestors.鈥� These 鈥渃ollaborative鈥� compositions created bold and unique pieces that he brings to life through affective performances.
鈥淚鈥檓 doing this work because there鈥檚 only about 100 Wolastoqey speakers left,鈥� says Dutcher, who grew up a member of Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick. 鈥淚t鈥檚 crucial for us to make sure that we鈥檙e using our language and passing it on to the next generation. If you lose the language, you鈥檙e not just losing words; you鈥檙e losing an entire way of seeing and experiencing the world from a distinctly Indigenous perspective.鈥�
not only announced the successful conclusion of a $40 million fundraising campaign, but also the enhancement and expansion of a world class performing arts facility in Halifax.
The campaign enabled improvements in the form of new teaching, rehearsal and performance spaces. Now, Dal students will have more cross-disciplinary learning opportunities and will benefit from state-of-the-art rehearsal and performance spaces. Audiences returning to the Arts Centre will enjoy new features like an exterior garden, improved air quality and sound proofing, and they鈥檒l be able to attend additional performances in the building鈥檚 new Joseph Strug Concert Hall.
Dutcher says improving the Dal Arts Centre and having top-of-the-line places for young people to perform in the Atlantic region is important. 鈥淚鈥檓 really excited to be part of the celebration.鈥�
This story appeared in the DAL Magazine Spring 2022 issue. Flip through the rest of the Spring 2022 issue using the links below.