Hamilton's Okayest Accordionist just kind of wanders around the city playing accordion.
Driven to reclaim her love of music after surviving decades of direct and indirect anti-woman violence in the music sector, she now makes music purely for personal fulfillment. Through her "okayest" approach, she embraces imperfection and vulnerability as a way to tackle internalized performance anxiety and address her lived trauma rooted in cis-het-male-dominated Western music practices.
Perhaps unlike conventional street performers, her music is an intentional act of dismantling hierarchical, settler-colonial musical traditions. Through the accordion, she extends an open invitation to collective creativity, transforming strangers into active collaborators in spontaneous musical moments—all while acknowledging her privilege as a musician with access to resources.
With over 20 years of performance experience, she holds a Master’s degree in Community Music from Europe and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Music Education with minors in both Archaeology and Philosophy. She has worked for internationally recognized Canadian musical institutions and recently led a personal project on equity in the classical music sector, earning her a feature on a New York Times reviewed "must-listen" podcast series.
Hamilton's Okayest Accordionist is committed to breaking down systemic exclusions in artistic spaces, using her accordion as a catalyst for new connections. Her “performances” invite a radical reimagining of musical experience. With the goal of sharing music as medicine, she strives for ethical, inclusive impressions within a community-centered framework—always mindful of performative allyship and the commodification of social struggles.
She provides her expertise and labour in exchange for living-wage compensation only.
If you encounter her on the street—say hey!
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