Title: Founder & Director
Email: ryder@robertwilliston.com
I began the Canadian Music Discovery Project in 1988, inspired by a deep passion for preserving and celebrating Canada’s rich musical heritage. What started as a personal endeavor to build a Canadian music database from my private collection has grown into an extensive archive of around 120,000 Canadian music artifacts, arguably the largest private collection of Canadian music.
From 1990 to 1992, I hosted The Peaking Canuck Show on CiTR in Vancouver, British Columbia, where I was trained by the legendary Human Serviette. On air, I combined all-Canadian music with Canadiana Mixing - a unique blend of Canadian historical audio soundbites. This distinctive approach to storytelling through music has been a defining feature of my work ever since.
In 2009-10, I published 200 Canadian artist discographies on ItCameFromCanada.com, an early iteration of my effort to share this cultural treasure trove with the public. In 2010-11, I reissued rare and previously inaccessible Canadian music for streaming, featuring artists such as Artok, Borealis, Dr. Philter Banx, Folklords, Neil Merryweather, and many more. Today, The Museum of Canadian Music features nearly 3,000 artists, with a significant portion of music available exclusively on this platform.
Every day, I am humbled by the breadth and depth of this project. It has been shaped not only by my dedication but also by the contributions of countless musicians, Canadian music enthusiasts, and fellow collectors. Their invaluable information and shared love of music have been instrumental in bringing this project to life.
While much has been accomplished, there is still a long way to go. The journey of preserving and celebrating Canada’s musical legacy continues - one note, one record, and one story at a time.