“Let’s make it up as we go along!”

“Sounds Like Us”—presented by the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation (IICSI) and the Campus Friends (CF) program—brings professional musicians into collaboration with community members of varying developmental and physical needs through a series of fun and playful improvisation-based workshops.

This event celebrates a semester of music and community making with a final public concert!

Campus Friends is an initiative that offers post-secondary experiences on the University of Guelph campus to adults with varying developmental and physical needs.

A partnership between Community Living Guelph Wellington and U of G’s Experiential Learning Hub, this program has run on campus since 2016. Twelve participants take part each year, along with more than 20 mentors.

Typically, students attend Campus Friends one day per week during the year for up to three years. They take part in activities including academic and learning opportunities, volunteering, athletics and special events.

“Sounds Like Us” draws upon IICSI’s 12+ years of co-running “Play Who You Are” workshops with KidsAbility that have offered all participants—from new musicians to the very experienced; from music afficionados and scholars to first-time listeners—revelations about the links between music and community-making, improvisation and individual/community well-being, sound and self-expression.