Teacher Profile: Cameron Wilson

About Cameron Wilson

Cameron (he/they) is a percussionist, composer and interdisciplinary artist currently living in Atlanta, Georgia. As an advocate for art that centers healing, their work aims to act as a mediator between human communities and the land that sustains them, often through exploring the knowledge of plants and fungi.

Born in Augusta, GA, Cameron grew up playing a mix of funk, fusion-rock, jazz and classical music. Being in the hometown of James Brown and playing in groups led by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon paved the way for rhythm to be a key part of life before moving to Michigan in 2017 and being influenced by contemporary-classical music, minimalism, electro-acoustic music, and traditions of free improvisation derived from Chicago groups such as AACM and Sun Ra.

Cameron has a BFA in Percussion Performance from the University of Michigan, where their principal teachers included Joseph Gramley, Doug Perkins, Michael Gould and Stephen Rush. They are an eager collaborator with dancers and movers, having worked as a dance accompanist at UM SMTD and collaboratively with ArtlabJ Dance, Amy Chavasse and Olivia Johnson.

As an eco-artist, Cameron's land stewardship practice is inseparable from their creativity. They have studied Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western Science, leading them to work at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and develop a thorough knowledge and experience with native plants, mycology, and Deep Ecology. Moving to Detroit solidified this knowledge, and learning from the food justice capital of the world has taught Cameron about incorporating this knowledge into community work.

They are a founding member of slapslap, America’s favorite avant-rock post-funk performance art quartet comprised of two electric bassoonists and two drummers. When not creating art, Cameron can be found nestled in next to a large hemlock tree, meditating, or baking sourdough bread.