I want to start a quiet revolution.

I'm interested in my surroundings, people's stories, and human empathy and connection. I'm not scared of differences and believe that each meeting is a chance to consider someone else's reality. I shy away from those who are close-minded, judgmental, and petty, though I'll still be civil about it.

Canada is my birthplace, but I live, work, and create in Helsinki. I teach Sound Art and Sonic Arts at the local university and love that I get to share my excitement with others on a daily basis. My forte in this field is teaching experimental listening practices.

I'm married to a sweet and atypical Finn who's a motion graphics designer and VJ. We have a little home in the centre that we share with our houseplants and two chill and funny Siberian cats, Muru and Lilo.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I participate in Couchsurfing by trying my best to remember that each and every person I meet is just as full of complexities, worries, and the desire for love as I am. I shouldn't be afraid of any of them because of their differences.

Interests

noises
perfume
hand-written letters
hugs
thunderstorms
looking people in the eye
really long walks
languages and linguistics
being quiet
listening
music music music
odd films
trees and wind
curious old knickknacks
people with big hearts
making food together
learning about non-human creatures
tea tea tea
literature
poetry
basically everything experimental in the arts

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC
There's just so much to listen to...I've kind of stopped categorising and just kept listening. I have a degree in music composition and an MA in sound in new media, so I know how much I don't know!

MOVIES
I kind of watch anything these days. Favourites include Fassbinder, Tarkovsky, Svankmajer, Guy Madden, and von Trier. I like beautiful, melancholy, or a bit dark and twisted.

BOOKS
Russian short stories; American authors like David Foster Wallace, David Sedaris, and Rebecca Solnit; UK authors like James Joyce and Thomas Hardy; poetry like Whitman, Rilke, Neruda, and more contemporary North American poets; dreamy stuff like Garcia Marquez, Marukami, Gunter Grass, and Calvino. History and art history stuff like Simon Schama. I read a lot of sound-related stuff as a regular part of my day-to-day: ask me anything about it and brace yourself for a nerdfest.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My daily life excites me more than the highlights, though there's been some excellent moments of grandiosity from time to time. If someone spends their life trying to be fruitful, compassionate, and honest, perhaps that's pretty amazing already.

Teach, Learn, Share

Share your life, a meal, a story, a glimpse.
Teach me something you didn't know you could teach me.
Ask me about music, about noises, about art.

What I Can Share with Hosts

living life
all of the above-mentioned interests
cooking of all kinds (I'm vegetarian but know a little about a lot)
laughter and smiles

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Finland

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