Demo: The Hart House Music Magazine

Demo is a music publication written, edited, and designed by students at the University of Toronto. Demo is a subcommittee of the Hart House Music Committee, a student organization that brings together and promotes professional and aspiring musicians in an inclusive learning and sharing environment. Demo was conceived and created in 2006 by a member of the Music Committee. Demo highlights campus performers and examines music, musical culture, and pop culture locally, nationally, and internationally through an artistic and academic lens. We offer students the opportunity to engage and explore their passion for music and its ties to issues of social justice, community building, and self-discovery. We bring a student voice and a student perspective to artistic issues both on- and off-campus. Contributors engage critically with the art-world, but also take time to share and celebrate the music they love. Demo is envisioned as a place where students can meet friends and peers with similar passions, as a site where students can practice their writing skills and find their voice on the page, and as a community of students who support, share, and gently cajole each other into producing a yearly print issue and a vibrant online presence. Demo’s purpose is to provide a space for students to explore the intersections of art, community, and academics on their campus and in their city. Students are encouraged to learn about their environment and utilize the opportunity to write/interview and research music as a way of understanding themselves and their surroundings and to develop their leadership capacity.