Gina Gardiner & Friends with Darcy Ataman

DARCY ATAMAN, M.S.C., O.M., FOUNDER

As founder of Make Music Matter, Darcy Ataman has dedicated his work to bringing an alternate form of music therapy to survivors of conflict and trauma. He developed the innovative Healing in Harmony program in partnership with Nobel laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege and continues to scale the innovation that has served over 14,000 individuals in 9 countries around the world.

Ataman graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He has worked internationally as a music producer, collaborating with countless artists and engineers, including Shelly Yakus, Levon Helm, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, resulting in several Juno nominations. In 2019, Ataman co-founded A4A Records and Publishing with legendary producer David Bottrill, creating a groundbreaking publishing model for artists living in extreme poverty and conflict zones.

As a music and video producer by trade, Ataman continues to collaborate with creatives around the world, including a continued partnership with celebrated producer and photographer Platon and The People’s Portfolio, for whom he completed the score for the documentary film ‘My Body is Not a Weapon’.

In February 2023, Ataman unveiled the short film ’Ukrainian Artists United’ at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The project he co-created showcases 11 artists in Lviv and their experience living through war. The launch event on the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion would become the most successful exhibit launch in the museum’s history.

Ataman was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross in July 2020 by the Governor General of Canada for his outstanding humanitarian work. In July 2022, he received the Order of Manitoba for his dedication to enriching the lives of vulnerable populations in conflict and post-conflict zones. Ataman was awarded the Platinum Jubilee Medal for Manitoba in April 2023 in recognition of his contribution to the province.

A contributor to the Huffington Post and various other publications, Ataman has also been a guest lecturer at Oxford, the University of Winnipeg, and a range of international events, speaking to the long-lasting impact of music and its ability to re-stitch the soul.

Website: https://makemusicmatter.org