Every July, MusiCounts highlights our donors and partners that support our mission to make music education accessible across Canada. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to those that help make MusiCounts what it is today.

Meet Louise Gauvreau a.k.a. DJ MAUS — she designs and makes her own jewelry, and donates some of the proceeds to MusiCounts in memory of DJ Angel Moraes.

How did you get into DJing and jewelry-making?

I fell in love with jewelry-making when I went to Mexico. It was my first trip ever in my life. When I was 19, I took my backpack and I left. I came back seven months later and in the last four months, I met a lot of artists that made jewelry and they taught me everything.

So when I came to Montreal, I was like, “Okay, this is what I want to do”. I was focused on this. I didn't have the money to take classes. But I knocked on every door, even stores, they would laugh at me and say, “What do you want?” I was like, “I just want to learn”. And one man took me under his arm. His boutique was called L’Art de Pulcinella on Duluth Street and I learned everything about how to make casting, and really worked with silver.

Then I discovered DJing because I was already into music and I was a dancer, and so I just dove into mixing. My style was very specific, because there are not many women. I always try to push the doors and it went very well for me. So my career went very, very fast. I started to travel the world, and then I would think about jewelry again and I've always had these two passions back and forth. Sometimes I have to push one away to focus more on the other, but jewelry always comes back to me.

What part of MusiCounts’ mission do you resonate with the most?

I love the fact that it helps children have the opportunity to learn an instrument although they might have difficulties in their lives, or maybe they don't have money to learn an instrument and to be part of a great community. It resonates to us because we're also DJs and musicians.

Tell us about how you help raise funds for MusiCounts? What's your experience been like?

I raised money through my jewelry business that is inspired by musicians and artists throughout my life and career. For example, I have earrings called Nina because I was always inspired by Nina Simone, and I thought that it would be some kind of jewelry that she would wear. I have other earrings that are called Rebel Rebel, like David Bowie.

When DJ Angel Moraes passed away, I realized that I was working on this angel wing that could be either a pendant for a bracelet or necklace and his name is Angel. And I was like, “My god, this would be amazing to do in the memory of Angel Moraes”.

While I was working on the design, I was talking to his best friend Isabelle and she reminded me that he created speakers because he was also a very famous DJ, but he was mostly known for how good-sounding his speakers that he was building were.

Only three months before he died, he created a mini version of the big speakers he created back in the days for very well-known clubs like Cello in New York, Stereo in Montreal, and won awards for the best-sounding clubs. And so he created a mini version, called the AM mini stacks, so people could enjoy very high quality sound in their own house. She said he did that in support for MusiCounts Band Aid Program. I was like, “Are you kidding me? Because that was one of the programs I was looking at to donate in exchange for doing something for Moraes”. So maybe I knew MusiCounts in the back of my head. But Isabelle gave me permission, and she's like “I'm backing you 100%”. So every angel wing sold, $25 will be donated to MusiCounts.

Do you have any words of encouragement for those who are looking to fundraise for MusiCounts? Why should they partner with MusiCounts?

I think it really has to come from the heart, it has to come naturally. If you want to donate to children, there will always be a way to donate. You can create clothes and give back, you can do this through events. There's so many possibilities to just put the word out there and ask people to look at your projects and give even $10, or the minimum with $25 so they can get rhythm sticks. This is already a lot for a child who wants to at least start, take the classes and play with an instrument.

I gave back mostly in the past through events, and just not too long ago I organized a cabaret on March 8th to women in shelters for International Women’s Day and so all the artists that were booked were women. I realized that if you are an artist yourself and you have the possibility to shine, and have a stage, it doesn't cost you anything to at least inform people about causes. Just $5 from every ticket you sell. There are so many possibilities.

Thank you for thinking of me and I love MusiCounts. You've always been so nice to me. Every time I call or email, your team is really amazing.

*Interview condensed for readability.