About DOMINIONATED

Administrative Team

MACKENZIE CAMERON (he/him)
Co-founder, Executive Producer Podcasts/Social Media
Mackenzie Cameron is a co-founder of DOMINIONATED, a lover of music, a pusher of buttons, an early riser, an amateur musician and a full-time listener. It’s all gravy.
Toronto ON

JIM DI GIOIA (he/him)
Co-founder, Operations Manager, Contributing Editor
Jim started the music blog Quick Before It Melts in 2006. In 2016, he ended it and co-founded DOMINIONATED, its spiritual successor. He's served on the Polaris Music Prize jury since 2009 and on the Prism Prize jury since 2013. He never says no to poutine. Like ever.
Niagara Falls ON

TIA JULIEN (she/her)
Senior Editor
Tia Julien is a writer, musician, and graduate student of ethnomusicology. When she’s not writing sad songs, Tia is studying spoken-word poetry, freelancing as an educator, and getting a little too personal on her blog.
St. Catharines ON

GEOFF PARENT (he/him)
Managing Editor
Geoff Parent is an aspiring writer/musician who lives in Toronto. He hopes to one day complete the gene sequence of dinosaur DNA using that of a frog’s in order to open a prehistoric biological preserve off the coast of Costa Rica. He plays drums in a band called Somersaulter.
Toronto ON

MACKENZIE CAMERON (he/him)
Co-founder, Executive Producer Podcasts/Social Media
Mackenzie Cameron is a co-founder of DOMINIONATED, a lover of music, a pusher of buttons, an early riser, an amateur musician and a full-time listener. It’s all gravy.
Toronto ON

JIM DI GIOIA (he/him)
Co-founder, Operations Manager, Contributing Editor
Jim started the music blog Quick Before It Melts in 2006. In 2016, he ended it and co-founded DOMINIONATED, its spiritual successor. He serves on the Polaris Music Prize and Prism Prize juries and he never says no to poutine. Like ever.
Niagara Falls ON

TIA JULIEN (she/her)
Senior Editor
Tia Julien is a writer, musician, and graduate student of ethnomusicology. When she’s not writing sad songs, Tia is studying spoken-word poetry, freelancing as an educator, and getting a little too personal on her blog.
St. Catharines ON

GEOFF PARENT (he/him)
Managing Editor

Geoff Parent is an aspiring writer/musician who lives in Toronto. He hopes to one day complete the gene sequence of dinosaur DNA using that of a frog’s in order to open a prehistoric biological preserve off the coast of Costa Rica. He plays drums in a band called Somersaulter.
Toronto ON

Editorial Team

MEGHAN BORTHWICK (she/her)
Contributor, Editor
Meghan grew up in Toronto and is currently based in Banff. She studied philosophy in Halifax, but rather than become a philosopher she chose a career in the Canadian music industry. She has played both the Google and Excel spreadsheets in past gigs with Polaris Music Prize and Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. She aspires to learn drums.
Banff AB

ALYSSA GELATA (she/her)
Contributor, Editor
Alyssa had a tough time deciding between music and writing so now she does both. (Sometimes at the same time!) She’s a bassist to her core and probably drinks too much coffee.
Waterloo ON

MACKENZIE SMEDMOR (she/her)
Contributor, Editor
Mackenzie Smedmor is a musician, broadcaster, and writer based in Montréal. She fell in love with Canadian music when she started volunteering in community radio at age 15. She has served on the Polaris Music Prize jury since 2018, and she's a proud Aries.
Montréal QC

LAURA STANLEY (she/her)
Contributor, Editor
Laura is a freelance writer from Toronto. Her work has appeared in Exclaim!, NOW, Bandcamp, She Shreds, No Depression and more. She has a lot of feelings.
Toronto ON

MICHAEL THOMAS (he/his)
Contributor, Editor
Michael is the founder of the now-defunct Canadian music blog Grayowl Point, and will probably never stop loving Canadian music. He is a court reporter who also does improv in his spare time and enjoys talking about comedy podcasts and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Vancouver BC

MEGHAN BORTHWICK (she/her)
Contributor, Editor
Meghan grew up in Toronto and is currently based in Banff. She studied philosophy in Halifax, but rather than become a philosopher she chose a career in the Canadian music industry. She has played both the Google and Excel spreadsheets in past gigs with Polaris Music Prize and Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. She aspires to learn drums.
Banff AB

ALYSSA GELATA (she/her)
Contributor, Editor
Alyssa had a tough time deciding between music and writing so now she does both. (Sometimes at the same time!) She’s a bassist to her core and probably drinks too much coffee.
Waterloo ON

MACKENZIE SMEDMOR (she/her)
Contributor, Editor
Mackenzie Smedmor is a musician, broadcaster, and writer based in Montréal. She fell in love with Canadian music when she started volunteering in community radio at age 15. She has served on the Polaris Music Prize jury since 2018, and she's a proud Aries.
Montréal QC

LAURA STANLEY (she/her)
Contributor, Editor
Laura is a freelance writer from Toronto. Her work has appeared in Exclaim!, NOW, Bandcamp, She Shreds, No Depression and more. She has a lot of feelings.
Toronto ON

MICHAEL THOMAS (he/his)
Contributor, Editor
Michael is the founder of the now-defunct Canadian music blog Grayowl Point, and will probably never stop loving Canadian music. He is a court reporter who also does improv in his spare time and enjoys talking about comedy podcasts and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Vancouver BC

Contributors

ANTON ASTUDILLO (he/him)
Contributor
Anton is a writer born and raised in Manila, Philippines. He moved to Vancouver as a teenager committed to playing drums with anyone he could find. You can find him reading a novel or struggling to learn to kickflip.
Vancouver BC

BORNA ATRCHIAN (he/him)
Contributor
Born and based in Vancouver but raised in Halifax, Borna has experienced two thirds of Canada’s coasts. With brief contributions to Discorder and Grayowl Point, he now struggles to meet publishing deadlines at DOMINIONATED. He also plays the guitar and keys so hit him up if you’re a Vancouver band on the verge of becoming famous.
Vancouver BC

MICHAEL BEDA (he/him)
Contributor
Michael Beda was born and bred up in the whimsical northern town of Timmins, Ontario. He is a national champion in Quidditch (seriously, ask him about it yourself), and has taken a seat behind the drums in a variety of groups in different townships.
Toronto ON

SAM BOER (he/him)
Contributor
Sam is a twice-concussed, vegetarian son of librarians who has toured Canada but loves the comforts of home. He writes music (Samson Wrote, The Lifers), writes about music (Exclaim!), and talks about music (Lyrically Speaking podcast). He hopes you’re having a great day.
Guelph ON

MAUREEN CHOW (she/her)
Contributor
Maureen likes to move around the country. Reasons include (but are definitely not limited to) music, jobs, an obsession with change, all things pop culture, and at the moment, grad school.
Vancouver BC / London ON

SCOTT GUBB (he/him)
Contributor
Scott has been involved with music through promotion, production and management since high-school and hung-up on music as long as he can remember. He does not play any instruments.
Timmins ON

ADAM INNISS (he/him)
Contributor
Adam is a journalism student based in Halifax Nova Scotia, but he hails from Guelph Ontario. He enjoys playing the kazoo and singing loudly off key. Visit him in Halifax and he’ll take you dancing at some crappy blues bar..
Halifax NS

JON NEHER (he/him)
Contributor
Jon plays in too many bands, but he’s working on that. Jon also wants people to talk about the music they listen to in greater detail and he’s working on that too, whether it’s through his work as an artist, as an educator, or as a writer.
Regina SK

MYLES TIESSEN (he/him)
Contributor
Myles was born and raised in southern Manitoba and after finding his way to the big city, snatched a degree in Communications & Media. Since Winnipeg is ice for seven months of the year, Myles spends much of his time at concerts in bars or a friend's house chatting about newly discovered records and shit-talking Kim Mitchell. Based on his fellow contributor's bios, you probably already guessed he listens to pretty much any type of music. Oh, he also has a deep passion for science fiction novels.
Winnipeg MB

VICTOR VIGAS (he/him)
Contributor
or someone who doesn't play any instruments, Victor has a pretty extensive range of music knowledge. He is a journalism student and fiction writer out of Montreal looking to write something new every day.
Montreal QC MB

THOMAS WILLIAMS (he/him)
Contributor
Thomas is all about the sonic exploration. He will listen to anything – anything at all. Exploring the depths of whatever he can get his hands on. He also went to something called jazz school and plays bass.
Toronto ON

HILLARY JEAN YOUNG (they/them)
Contributor
Hillary has their doctorate in contemporary music performance, which is about as useful as it sounds. Hillary works for a record label during the day and spends the rest of their time either making, listening to or talking about music. Hillary is from Victoria but is currently living in Toronto. They really miss the ocean.
Toronto ON

ANTON ASTUDILLO (he/him)
Contributor
Anton is a writer born and raised in Manila, Philippines. He moved to Vancouver as a teenager committed to playing drums with anyone he could find. You can find him reading a novel or struggling to learn to kickflip.
Vancouver BC

BORNA ATRCHIAN (he/him)
Contributor
Born and based in Vancouver but raised in Halifax, Borna has experienced two thirds of Canada’s coasts. With brief contributions to Discorder and Grayowl Point, he now struggles to meet publishing deadlines at DOMINIONATED. He also plays the guitar and keys so hit him up if you’re a Vancouver band on the verge of becoming famous.
Vancouver BC

MICHAEL BEDA (he/him)
Contributor
Michael Beda was born and bred up in the whimsical northern town of Timmins, Ontario. He is a national champion in Quidditch (seriously, ask him about it yourself), and has taken a seat behind the drums in a variety of groups in different townships.
Toronto ON

SAM BOER (he/him)
Contributor
Sam is a twice-concussed, vegetarian son of librarians who has toured Canada but loves the comforts of home. He writes music (Samson Wrote, The Lifers), writes about music (Exclaim!), and talks about music (Lyrically Speaking podcast). He hopes you’re having a great day.
Guelph ON

MAUREEN CHOW (she/her)
Contributor
Maureen likes to move around the country. Reasons include (but are definitely not limited to) music, jobs, an obsession with change, all things pop culture, and at the moment, grad school.
Vancouver BC / London ON

SCOTT GUBB (he/him)
Contributor
Scott has been involved with music through promotion, production and management since high-school and hung-up on music as long as he can remember. He does not play any instruments..
Timmins ON

ADAM INNISS (he/him)
Contributor
Adam is a journalism student based in Halifax Nova Scotia, but he hails from Guelph Ontario. He enjoys playing the kazoo and singing loudly off key. Visit him in Halifax and he’ll take you dancing at some crappy blues bar.
Halifax NS

JON NEHER (he/him)
Contributor
Jon plays in too many bands, but he’s working on that. Jon also wants people to talk about the music they listen to in greater detail and he’s working on that too, whether it’s through his work as an artist, as an educator, or as a writer.
Regina SK

MYLES TIESSEN (he/him)
Contributor
Myles was born and raised in southern Manitoba and after finding his way to the big city, snatched a degree in Communications & Media. Since Winnipeg is ice for seven months of the year, Myles spends much of his time at concerts in bars or a friend's house chatting about newly discovered records and shit-talking Kim Mitchell. Based on his fellow contributor's bios, you probably already guessed he listens to pretty much any type of music. Oh, he also has a deep passion for science fiction novels.
Winnipeg MB

VICTOR VIGAS (he/him)
Contributor
For someone who doesn't play any instruments, Victor has a pretty extensive range of music knowledge. He is a journalism student and fiction writer out of Montreal looking to write something new every day.
Montreal QC

THOMAS WILLIAMS (he/him)
Contributor
Thomas is all about the sonic exploration. He will listen to anything – anything at all. Exploring the depths of whatever he can get his hands on. He also went to something called jazz school and plays bass.
Toronto ON

HILLARY JEAN YOUNG (they/them)
Contributor
Hillary has their doctorate in contemporary music performance, which is about as useful as it sounds. Hillary works for a record label during the day and spends the rest of their time either making, listening to or talking about music. Hillary is from Victoria but is currently living in Toronto. They really miss the ocean.
Toronto ON