With over 1, 300 international students currently attending Wilfrid Laurier University and a Strategic Plan for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, it is apparent the university aspires to play host to a diverse and welcoming community of students.
One of the many ways students connect is through the arts, something that spans back to the very first cave paintings. But what kind of artistic expression can be discovered at Laurier?
With over a hundred countries and cultures diversifying Laurier’s campus, the variety of art found in Waterloo is rich.
In the Laurier community, bands, choirs and clubs naturally form over the semester. From the school’s competitive dance team, K-pop groups, visual arts club, ancient music society, cheerleading squad and photography club Laurier is flourishing with a social community of arts positive people. Two free use pianos are located in the concourse and underneath the main underpass of the music building. Both are consistently used by curious students.
One student highlighting Laurier’s musical talent is Amanda Braam, an indie dreampop singer with her band Amanda and the Paper Cranes. Amanda is learning about music therapy through Laurier’s music program while also performing around the Waterloo area.
“I love the music community around here. I feel like it’s the perfect size. We have a lot of musical diversity. We’re like a tightknit community and everyone’s very supportive and uplifting,” Braam said. “I was playing a gig counterpoint brewery in Kitchener just last week, playing music from this 90s Canadian indie band, very dad rock type vibes, then I saw some dude that was working in the back – he turns to me and gives me this look of ‘I know that song’, and I got that feeling of connecting with someone without saying anything.”
Another student lead band is Perchance, a band started by Jesse Jones, Roisin Polgar, Olive Ledroit and Joe Moric, a group of first year students in different majors who all connect through their love of music.
“Perchance can be summed up as a group of wacky people who share a mutual interest in music and good times. The band is a project brought on by a mutual love for alternative/indie rock of all forms,” the members of Perchance said.
When it comes to the behind-the-scenes of the music community, the members of Perchance highlighted their love for local venues, “going to watch local venues has been a great experience. Talking with members from performing bands after the show, and hearing they share a Laurier background is very motivating. The fact we could reach this same point if we keep up our efforts is very inspiring.”
On the Waterloo campus, posters can be found on the walls for various venues, festivals and concerts in the area. Posters like ‘Ladies to the Soul’ taking place from Nov. 21 to 28 at The Jazz Room starring Quisha Wint and her band can be found, or the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society (KWCMS) performing at the Martin Luther Community College on Dec. 8.
School affiliated events happen just as frequently. The ‘Forever Golden’ collaborative mural painting runs weekly at the Branford campus, allowing the community to take part in creating a new mural in celebration of the Research and Academic Centre in celebration of the campus’ 25thanniversary. Similarly, the Waterloo campus showcases many musical performances by students of the faculty of music throughout the year.
