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2008-2009: French Translator

University of Guelph

Francois Mouillot spent 2006-2007 in the graduate department of Ethnomusicology at York University, and is currently working towards a master's degree in European Studies at the University of Guelph. His academic research focuses on the ties between popular and traditional musics, identity-building and nationalism in the Basque Country. He developed a keen interest in Basque and other cultural minority music and its significance in broader political and cultural contexts over the course of his Bachelor of Arts in Music at the University of Guelph. Francois plays the guitar and toys with a number of electronic and noise instruments. He has experience as an improviser through the University of Guelph's Contemporary Music Ensemble and several projects blending popular and experimental musical aesthetics. His other interests include philosophy, politics, travelling and surfing in his native land, France.

Improvisation implies a deep connection between the personal and the communal, self and world. A “good” improviser successfully navigates musical and institutional boundaries and the desire for self-expression, pleasing not only herself but the listener as well.

– Rob Wallace