“I like thinking of my work as a kind of storytelling, and sometimes the medium to tell that story is not always just rooted in sound or music. It sometimes needs some physical body, and sometimes needs words. I've ended up working with dancers and theater artists and visual artists too, and so I think I've ended up with the title of multidisciplinary artist, but I definitely always come back to sound and thinking about how we listen to things and engage with things from a sonic perspective,” Olivia Shortt reflects. She lives in Toronto but grew up in North Bay, Ontario, a member of Nipissing First Nation through her father and a citizen of Ireland through her mother. After living in Northern Ontario with her family, she moved to Toronto to study music and get into the arts professionally.

Shortt studied music at the University of Toronto. She plays saxophone, sings and uses electronics. She studied classical music but branched out more after meeting artists in different genres and mediums. After university, she did administrative work for the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance. She’s made connections across artistic disciplines in the city.

Over the years, Shortt has worked in arts administration, she did a producing internship for a year and she has spent time creating her own art as a performing artist. She has done sound design for theater, she has had an exhibit in video art, she’s working on a sound installation, she’s worked for a community radio station, plays saxophone and creates experimental music. She has worked front of house at venues, working as an usher, a floor manager, ticket seller, bartender, popcorn maker and has essentially pursued anything that seemed interesting.

Thinking about how she hopped from job to job, she says, “I had a lot of questions about what was important to me, and I was trying to figure that out. I didn't really have the answer for a long time, so it was good to meet lots of other people. Humans are so social. I think I just learned a lot by being around different people.” Being in customer service taught her a lot about clear communication and about herself.

Shortt’s advice for Indigenous people considering leaving their home community is based on her own experience. What she found most beneficial was talking to a lot of people and getting their perspectives and hearing about their university experiences, hearing what interested them, what they enjoyed, and what they found hard. She knew she wanted to pursue music and she gathered a lot of information about where to apply. While people will offer advice, Shortt recommends making your own decision about what is best for you and what sounds exciting.

When it comes to overcoming obstacles, Shortt found it helpful to have supportive people around to talk to. She has a therapist who has been someone she has been able to confide in for a long time. Outside of therapy, having other people she can connect with when she feels stuck who she trusts and who support her has been helpful. “I think it's really healthy to have people you trust and support you,” she offers. She has also found dealing with things a bit at a time to be helpful to avoid overwhelm. Spending time reflecting on challenges and even accomplishments can be a useful exercise.

“I think our brains do react to music so differently than everything else in our world.”

To maintain one’s wellbeing, Shortt suggests participating in mentorship programs. She suggests following organizations related to your area of interest to find opportunities, resources and funding opportunities.

Now a multi-disciplinary artist who plays with music, dance, visual art, and sound, Olivia Shortt left Northern Ontario for Toronto to pursue her dreams and study music. After working in the arts in so many different roles, she has learned about people, communication, creation and herself. Growing through mentorship, connection and experimentation, she is constantly learning and asking and answering new questions.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.