We are excited to announce Future Sound 6 as one of the recipients for the 2024 Access Programs University Fund (APUF). Future Sound 6 is a gender-affirming and inclusive program that creates opportunities for musical skills development among young BIPOC women, and BIPOC trans and gender-expansive youth in high school.

The initiative was launched in 2022 as a pilot project, inspired by the “Daughter of Harlem” program that was developed at Columbia University. The two-day workshop welcomed approximately 12 high school students to the University of Toronto Faculty of Music to learn more about various components of music including songwriting, audio engineering, microphone techniques and music sampling. Participants also had the opportunity to create their own electronic music, build community and organize a public performance.

Supported by the Access Strategy and Partnerships Office and donors, and in partnership with the YWCA Toronto Girls’ Centre, the program has been expanded to cultivate pathways for equity-deserving youth to higher education. Led by the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Director, alumni and current graduate students are providing music education based on specific interests and skills YWCA program participants wish to strengthen. The program also focuses on the connection between music and wellness, supported by Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work students. The program is offered regularly within the Girls’ Centre in Scarborough, with visits to the faculty’s Electronic Music Studio, and a culminating concert showcasing their work to loved ones and the broader community.

We are proud to be a partner, supporting through the Access Program University Fund (APUF), and look forward to the program’s continued success.

February 26, 2025