Hey!

My name is Manny, and I’ve been a guitarist for as long as I can remember. I’ve always felt most at home in sonic environments, I can’t really explain it but it’s just always felt right.

I was obsessed with the guitar from a very early age, and somewhere down the line I found out that you could actually go to school for music. It changed everything — I went from playing in a progressive metal band to pursuing an education as a solo classical guitarist and it’s been an incredible journey that’s given me a perspective on music that I feel lucky to have experienced. This path landed me a spot at Yale for my Master’s where I explored a whole new side of my artistic expression and now, I’ve just completed my Doctorate of Music back home in Montréal. I think I’ve finally reached a point where I’m creating art that’s authentic to me — It’s true after all: sometimes it really does take a long time to sound like yourself.

After all this time, I felt I needed to look back to rediscover my childhood curiosity for musical exploration that I once had — to create for the sake of creating, far removed from pre-conceived notions or barriers. While I still do feel like a classical musician deep down, it exists in a world of so many inspirations and influences that shapes everything I create. The academic music environment I’ve existed in for so long has always presented somewhat of a disconnect from how I first experienced music. The high stress environment wasn’t always the healthiest, but it taught me a lot. I love the classical guitar and its amazing history of music but it hasn’t ever fully embraced modern innovation or non-traditional work and by doing so, it created a hierarchy of acceptable and unacceptable art.

I’ve learned to appreciate music for what it is, and I don’t want to be limited to a traditional 6 string guitar, performing the music of composers long since passed. I want to MAKE music - with found objects, with synths and machines, with my instrument, and with community. While I still don’t necessarily know where my art and I belong in this world, a few things are certain: I live for the space where music and tech meet, I'm obsessed with sound, and I want to show you what classical music COULD be.

Do you need a more in-depth and fancier version of my bio?