Alumni Profiles
Madly Friesen (CMU '20, BMus) - Bringing New Sounds to Faraday School (Winnipeg School Division)
At Faraday School, the music room is a place where students explore creativity through music, dance, drama, and movement. Teacher Madly Friesen creates opportunities for students to express themselves, collaborate, and find a sense of belonging through the performing arts.
Starting their second teaching year at Faraday, Friesen is already celebrating significant milestones. Students won the CBC Music Class Challenge with their original song, "Rise to the Challenge", and the school received an $18,000 MusiCounts Innovation Grant to expand its music program.
CMU alumnus gives new voice to historic Métis anthem
CMU alumnus Erik Gillespie spent last year working as a restaurant server, but this summer he took on a tall order of a different kind: updating a 200-year-old anthem of the Red River Métis for a new generation.
The historic anthem, "La Chanson de la Grenouillère" ("The Song of Frog Plain"), is one of the best-known pieces of Métis oral tradition. It was composed by Pierre Falcon, a Métis fur trader, poet, and songwriter, following the Victory at Frog Plain on June 19, 1816.
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Alumni in their own words - Jacqueline Sookermany (CMU '15)
Where has life taken you since you left CMU?
During my studies at CMU, I developed a deep passion for prisoner justice and prisoner abolition while working for Correctional Service Canada at Stony Mountain Institution in their Programs department for my practicum. After I graduated with my four-year Arts and Sciences degree, I took a job at EPIC Opportunities, working at one of their day service locations. I hadn't previously considered working in the disability sector, but I found that I loved the work. I was able to support people in finding connections in their communities that were meaningful to them, expanding their hopes beyond employment. In this role, I was able to learn more about the world of disability justice and advocacy, which solidified my passion for the disability sector. After a few years, I took a position at Initiatives for Just Communities (IJC) in their disability outreach program, Touchstone, and it was at IJC that I began to think about pursuing a Master of Social Work. I moved to Victoria, BC, to complete my master's degree. My work in disability and corrections had left me skeptical of the social work profession. Over the course of my studies, I had the opportunity to see that social work is making bold strides toward becoming a field where people with lived experience are directly influencing the policies that shape their services, and that many social workers are actively working to decolonize the profession. My journey has led me back to the place where I decided social work was the correct path for me—IJC—as Director of Services for their Winnipeg programs. I am currently overseeing four programs that span work in disability support and advocacy, community education, and restorative justice. It is a bit dreamy to have a role that allows me to engage in many of the sectors I am passionate about.
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CMU alumna carries family tradition into a new generation
Kaylene Blackwood (CMU '26) started playing the steel drums when she was five years old. There's video footage of her as a child performing in the Caribbean pavilion at Folklorama, Winnipeg's annual multicultural festival that celebrates diverse cultures through pavilions featuring food, live entertainment, and cultural exhibits. All you can see are her little feet standing on a stool, her arms barely reaching the instrument. Now at 26 years old, she is the leader of her ensemble and plays an integral role in the Caribbean pavilion both on and off the stage.
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CMU alumnus is transforming patient care through music one year after graduation
Just one year after graduating from CMU with a Bachelor of Music Therapy, Loghan Puhach is working in what he calls "a dream come true."
Upon completion ofhis internship at Riverview Health Centre in Winnipeg, Puhach successfully advocated for the creation of a full-time music therapy position. Today, as a Certified Music Therapist, he brings comfort, connection, and healing to patients and their families while helping expand access to music therapy across the health centre.
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