About

Damaris Schmucker

My early memories are of music. I vividly remember the nights when my mother sang for me while we watched the night sky, as I drifted off to sleep. I remember recorder lessons, and being forced to practice for a whole hour (probably ten minutes) every day! I remember sitting in church and fidgeting to pass the time. I picked up the hymnal and started leafing through it. I felt amazed that something as complex and beautiful as music could be written with nothing but a few lines and dots. 

My family and I moved from Paraguay to Canada when I was a child. I found it hard to move continents; I did not know English and I struggled to understand the culture. But there was one language that stayed with me in the rather chilly Winnipeg winter that followed our move, and of course that language was music. I sang a lot. I loved singing. 

Soon my parents made sure to get me a piano and lessons. I was firmly placed on a path of musical learning. I joined my school’s band program, and I learned the flute. I took music exams, played in festivals, and went on to study music and education in university. I have worked with choirs and bands in Manitoba and Ontario. I currently teach music in the public school system. Music is my connection with the community.

Community is at the heart of who I am as a musician and as a person. I love how music functions to build friendships, express who we are, and challenge us. I love bringing people together to make fabulous music while having fun and feeling good about ourselves.

With East of the Don Chorus, I love directing a choir that prioritizes relationship building, community engagement, and musical learning.