Music is one of the most powerful forces on the planet; it can divide, influence, manipulate, enlighten or alienate us... but most importantly, it can unify us. Whether we listen to the radio, participate in a musical group, attend live shows, buy music, take lessons, or use music to embrace our heritage, we are all part of a musical community. Canada’s reputation as a cultural mosaic has shaped the development of Canadian cities into diverse cultural hubs with an immense amount of music spanning many genres. Windsor, Ontario, although only a small city of just over 200,000 people, is no exception to this.

Inspired by Canada’s 150th birthday, and Windsor’s 125th birthday, a small group of students at the University of Windsor wanted to show all that Windsor has to offer, and display its musical diversity. The City of Music project set out to find musical communities in the area and tell their stories as it relates to their roots, impact on the city (or vise versa), and current involvement in the broader community. By researching, interviewing, observing, and participating in these communities, we have come to a conclusion:

MUSIC IS ALIVE IN WINDSOR

Windsor has unfortunately gained a bad reputation in the past few decades because of the economic downturn and its impact on the automotive industry. However, this downturn only brought the community closer together, and Windsor is on the rise again! Experience any open mic night at one of Windsor’s many live music venues, and you will quickly understand that music is very much alive and well in this city. In the context of our project, we examined these communities to identify what unites them, and how they interact with each other. We could not possibly delve into EVERY musical community in Windsor and Essex County because there are just too many for such a small class; the exhibits on this website represent the musical communities in which we were most involved, as music students and performers in the area. Each musical community brings something unique to Windsor’s culture, and contributes to the region’s vibrancy. Click through the exhibits to learn about each community, its members, their activities, how to participate, and where to find them!

There is surely something for everyone in Windsor and Essex County, let us help you find your sound!