Staff & Contributors – Wavelength Music – Toronto's Curated Concert Series

Meet the team that makes Wavelength happen.

Jonathan Bunce

Artistic / Executive Director

Jonathan Bunce (better known as Jonny Dovercourt) has been participating in the independent music community in Toronto — as a musician, writer, editor, presenter, organizer and advocate — since he was a teenager. In 2000, Jonny combined his experience in both the music scene and journalism to help co-found Wavelength Music; over the years, he led the organization from grassroots collective to professional non-profit arts organization and has been Wavelength’s full-time Artistic / Executive Director since 2014.

Jonny is the author of the book Any Night of Week: A DIY History of Toronto 1957-2001, published in 2020 by Coach House Books, with a spinoff podcast, walking tours and maps. He co-edited two volumes of Coach House’s acclaimed uTOpia anthology, and currently writes regularly for MusicWorks Magazine. As a presenter and arts administrator, he previously held senior roles at the Music Gallery and Images Festival. He was a 2017/18 Toronto Arts Council/Banff Centre Cultural Leaders Lab Fellow, and in 2013, was recognized with a “Vital People” Award from the Toronto Community Foundation. As guitarist, bassist or vocalist, Jonny has been a member of more than a dozen bands, including Several Futures, Republic of Safety, Secret Agent, and A Tuesday Weld. When not absorbed with music, Jonny rides his bike and thinks about writing sci-fi.

In 2023, he co-authored the Reimagining Music Venues study with Daniel Silver, Professor of Sociology at University of Toronto Scarborough.

Photo: Tim McCready.

Dave Henry

Production Manager

Dave has worked in the live music industry for the better part of a decade — from organizing small DIY events to managing large-scale, multi-day festivals. He is passionate about supporting and uplifting the local music scene by helping to create memorable experiences through event production and creative programming.

When he’s not working on events, he can be found flipping through bins at local record stores, exploring the city’s hidden nooks by bike, or at Taco Bell ordering a combo 3 (soft shell) with beans instead of beef, upgrade those fries to the fries supreme and a Dr. Pepper to drink, easy on the ice.

Shulie Smolyanitsky

Operations & Development Coordinator

Shulie’s experience in the creative and culture industries spans the public and non-profit sectors. Previously, Shulie was a Research Assistant for the Reimagining Music Venues study and continues to help out with Wavelength’s shows and back-end work. Shulie is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Geography at the University of Toronto, where she is part of the Cultural Economy Lab. In her free time, Shulie likes to explore Toronto on foot and search for the best New York-style bagel.
Photo: Charu Sharma

Lian McMillan

Marketing & Archival Coordinator

Lian (she/her) is a musician, producer and marketing professional with a passion for presenting art in alternative ways, emphasizing immersive and welcoming experiences. This has manifested itself through work with Wavelength Music, Labyrinth Ontario, Open Ears, and Femmepire in Hamilton.

In true 斜杠青年 form, Lian is co-founder and drummer of the band cutsleeve. Their music explores experiences with mental health, queerness and diaspora hardships, and has been featured on Exclaim!, NOW Magazine and CBC. Lian is also the co-host, writer and editor of the podcast Uncultured Twenties, which disseminates culturally significant media and interviews industry experts.

Photo: Greg Hewitt.

Em Damaschin

Technical Director

Another entry in a long tradition of DIY punks-turned-professional-gig-people, Em has worked in and around the live music industry for over ten years. With a background in studio engineering and music production, Em made the switch to live event tech work and FOH audio in the latter half of 2016, taking inspiration from the countless hardworking musicians that keep local scenes alive and vibrant in Toronto and around the world.

When not behind the soundboard at a Wavelength event, Em works alongside the rest of the Wavelength team to prepare for future shows, as well as freelance work as a touring audio engineer and tour manager for a wide range of Canadian and international artists, and as an in-house engineer at other concert venues across Toronto. Between gigs, Em can usually be found under a tree in a city park, engrossed in vintage sci-fi novels, sipping a lemon and ginger juice from Galaxy T&T, and eating beef momos from Loga’s Corner, doused in garlic sauce — often all at once.

Mike Mērnieks-Duffield

Production & Archival Assistant

Mike Mērnieks-Duffield is a musician and a Toronto independent music scene lifer from the tender age of 14. He is an in-demand session drummer who has toured North America extensively, has appeared on 50+ recordings and currently performs with many Toronto-based acts including Beams, Praises and Flowers of Hell. He values community and enjoys traveling, soaking up regional musical histories, connecting like minds and making bands from all over the world feel at home in Toronto. He attended his first Wavelength event in 2003 (WL148) and first performed for Wavelength in 2006 (WL278).

Roxanne Ignatius

Installation Artist & Set Designer

Roxanne Ignatius is a Toronto-based illustrator, costume designer and textile installation artist. Roxanne draws inspiration from folk arts, traditional textiles and weaving, creative collaboration and community, and the natural world and our place within it. As an installation artist for live comedy, theatre, and music events, Roxanne seeks out unorthodox collaborations across art forms, and finds ways to engage audiences and build community through visual art and installation. Past projects include a 20-foot knitted crepe paper scarf for the Wavelength Winter Festival, a portable vulva doorway installation for Maylee Todd, and a 300-square-foot immersive blanket fort set for Caterwaul Theatre. Her wearable textile art has appeared in music videos by Brave Shores, Keys N Krates, and Jeremy Dutcher.

www.roxanneignatius.com
instagram.com/fritzyritz

Stephen Lindsey (General Chaos Visuals)

Lighting and Projection Artist

Inspired by the psychedelic, immersive visuals at the shows of his favorite band, Hawkwind, Steve Lindsey founded General Chaos Visuals in 2000 alongside fellow prog-rock fan Eric Siegerman, and since then has provided distinct backdrops to over 600 Wavelength shows. The images used on his hand painted gels are entirely abstract, using techniques he personally developed to give his imagery its unmistakable look. General Chaos’s visual artistry serves to draw attention to the artist in a busy environment, enhancing what the artist is trying to put across. General Chaos considers it his privilege to see and present the music of so many amazing talented musicians.

Although some may be concerned his still growing collection of projectors points to deeper issues, Steve considers his 40-year-young collection of projectors a must to keep pace to present visuals that do justice to the bands and halls that lucky Toronto audiences get to enjoy year-round.