As a non-profit arts organization, Wavelength Music is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Meet our hard-working and dedicated Board members.

JENNIE PUNTER

President

Jennie Punter is the editor of Musicworks (est. 1978), a respected arts and culture magazine that explores innovative artists, practices, and ideas in music and sound art. She oversees Musicworks Society of Ontario Inc., a Toronto-based non-profit organization with a small staff, many contributors, and board of directors. Her ongoing conversations with arts communities and participation in public events have helped increase the visibility and growth of Musicworks.

Jennie has been covering the Canadian film and TV industries, and the SXSW and TIFF festivals as a correspondent to Variety since 2008. She was a weekly contributor on pop music and film for the Toronto Star (1992-2002) and The Globe and Mail (2002-2013). During that time she was a staff editor and writer for Music Express and IMPACT magazines, and contributing editor to Flare magazine. She is an active member of the Toronto Film Critics Association; she edited Our Words on Film (2017), an anthology of writing by its members.

From 2000 to 2012 Jennie was an active documentary field producer, researcher, and writer. Her arts journalism is included in various anthologies. Jennie started her career at the Kingston Whig-Standard, where she was an arts and entertainment writer and copy editor for four years. She studied classical piano for 15 years. She is a cyclist, mom, gardener, reader, and avid record collector. She previously served as secretary and chair of the West End Parents Daycare board of directors (2009-11).



Riaz Charania

Vice-President

With over 10 years of experience in communications, marketing, advertising, and event planning, ranging from media relations in the Canadian music and film industry, event planning for HBO Canada, international sales at the Ontario Science Centre, and marketing at Myseum of Toronto, Riaz brings a wide range of experience from many different sectors. Raised in Calgary, Riaz moved to Toronto in 2007, and worked as a music publicist with StageFright Publicity and independently as a publicist and band manager. Riaz continues to develop a strong passion for this city, as well as for community engagement and storytelling. On any given night you can find him taking in the many cultural offerings Toronto has to offer.

 



Matt Longo

Secretary

Matt grew up in the west end of Toronto and was raised on a musical diet of the Beach Boys and Huey Lewis. After picking up the guitar and attempting to write music twice as loud and half as catchy as these artists, he has played in numerous musical outfits, performing around Ontario to tens upon tens of people. Currently Matt is a lawyer with the City of Toronto specializing in land use planning matters and attempts to keep up with new music created in or passing through our city.

 



Chris De Castro

Treasurer

From sharing underground hip-hop house mixtapes from his DJ cousin in grade school, to having his own radio show at CKCU and making zines at 16, to finding himself catching bands in abandoned warehouses while dodging fireworks exploding from a drum kit, Chris de Castro has been involved in independent underground music for more than a couple of decades.

Moving to Toronto in 2001 to attend Sheridan College for animation, and working in VFX, Chris became involved in the Toronto music scene working on videos for Maylee Todd, Valerie Gore, Azari & III, Brendan Canning, Shad, Drake, Lights, Maestro and many many more. He has also been involved in other video and large installation works for the CFC, NFB, Nuit Blanche, Much, and MTV, including controlling the lights on the CN Tower, Niagara Falls and Parliament with your mind during the 2010 Olympics.

During this time, Chris met his wife at a Sunday Wavelength show on the Sneaky Dee’s dance floor, and proposed at ALL CAPS! on Toronto Island. Wavelength has been a major part of his life and music in this city.

Chris is currently on board of The Hand Eye Society and is excited to join Wavelength and help connect creative communities in the city and develop innovative artworks.



ANGIE DE MEDEIROS

Director at Large

After working for several years in the non-profit arts and culture sector as a Production Specialist at Harbourfront Centre, Angela De Medeiros joined Universal Music Canada’s Label Services team in 2016. As a Label Manager, she works with a diverse independent label roster that includes Anthem, Crystal Math, Cadence, Coyote, Deadbeats, Glassnote, Indica, Royal Mountain, SideOneDummy, and more. De Medeiros has lead artist marketing campaigns for artists like Julia Jacklin, Sloan, Spiritualized, PUP, Half Moon Run, and, most recently, Grimes. She also works to advance Label Services’ priorities with Caroline International teams.

Outside of her work with Universal, De Medeiros is always looking for ways to experience new music. She has volunteered for and attended Canadian Music Week and NXNE multiple times, has attended many Wavelength-curated shows, and is looking forward to bringing her insights and passion to the Board!



Sally Lee

Director at Large

A member of the Wavelength Board since 2016, Sally has worked in Toronto’s nonprofit arts sector since the late ’80s, including serving as Executive Director at the Reel Asian Film Festival and the artists’ rights group CARFAC Ontario. Other organizations she’s been involved with as staff or Board member include TIFF, Soulpepper Theatre Company, Workman Arts, the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT), the Images Festival, the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre (CFMDC), Artists for Peace and Justice Canada (APJ), Samara Canada, the Pan Am Path, BorderLines Magazine and the Women’s Press. She currently has an active consulting practice working with clients such as Polyphonic Ground/Small World Music, Canadian Coalition of Independent Media Arts Distributors/VUCAVU, Toronto Biennial of Art, Reel World Film Festival, OCADU, and others. She is a Toronto Arts Council Cultural Leaders Lab Fellow and currently sits on the boards of Wavelength Music and the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. She also sits on various committees and working groups at the Toronto Arts Council, Reel Asian, Access Copyright, Work In Culture, Trinity Square Video, and others. An active member of Toronto’s independent music community since the early ’90s, Sally plays bass and sings in the band Long Branch. Previous bands include Chicken Milk and Korean band Third Line Butterfly, as well as Venus Cures All and The Magnetars, both of which participated in Wavelength shows during the Sneaky Dee’s era.



LIBYDO

Director at Large

Libydo is a collaborative dance performance artist based in Toronto. He established himself early in his career in the breakdance scene and then ventured outside it to collaborate with indie rock band The Salads, hip-hop artist K-os and R&B singer Zaki Ibrahim just to name a few. Libydo continues to bring his skill set and crossover many genres currently collaborating with turntablist/composer SlowPitchSound. Together as a duo they combine improvisation with music, dance and projected visuals to create a unique and entertaining experience. With clever visuals tricks, multi-media, turntable compositions and Libydo’s unique approach to dance, they consistently take their audiences around uncharted territories.



MARIA-CARMELA RASO

Director at Large

Maria-Carmela Raso is a Reykjavík-based musician, curator, and sound artist. Though most of her time is now spent in Iceland, she was planted in Toronto for many years and still has roots in the city and music community. As a musician, Maria-Carmela has performed and worked with those such as the Element Choir, Tanya Tagaq, Kontraband Kollektif, Wavelength faves Most People, and her very own project MSEA. Since living in Iceland she has been involved extensively with the music and art community, from record abel Bedroom Community, to experimental art/music venue Mengi. She was co-curator at Ekkisens Art Gallery, sound designer for a VR multisensory experience during Design March, composer for a video installation of ‘Medea’, and is also the curator of a monthly Reykjavík music series called “can’t think just feel” at Loft Hostel, focusing on a cohesive, all genre inclusive evening. She is feeling real juicy about being a part of the Wavelength team and is sure that there will be some burgeoning international relationships in the months to come.

 



ARIANNE TONG

Director at Large

Arianne Tong is a resident writer for the queer culture hub YOHOMO, and a Toronto-based stand up comedian and aspiring comedy writer. She hosts the comedy wellness podcast Group Therapy, as well as the Girl Gang Cabarets variety show. In her professional career, she has worked as a marketing manager at Bell Media for HBO Canada and Crave, and communications manager for Virgin Mobile.