Music can look and sound like a lot of things. It can be a classical composition performed by an orchestra; it can be a young child discovering the sounds their hands make on their toy drum, and everything in between. Musicians often try to achieve perfection in their craft, but it’s often the imperfections or obscurities that help us find connections. 

That drive for connection and purpose through music is what has brought the 2025 Musical Artist in Residence to Calgary Public Library. 

“Who Cares” is a collective that was formed in 2020 between violinist Laura Reid and flautist Jiajia Li. By combining their technical training with a more unconventional style, Laura and Jiajia have embraced a unique approach to creating and sharing music. They are also the first duo through the Library’s residency program. 

Merging two diverse musical backgrounds 

Jiajia and Laura come from two very different musical backgrounds. 

Jiajia grew up in a musical family. With their expertise, they helped Jiajia discover the intricacies of music and even helped her pick an instrument to play. 

“To be honest, my parents picked the flute for me because of my small hands. I just went with it,” Jiajia says. 

Her parents were right — Jiajia is now a professionally trained flautist and has studied music in China, Germany, and Canada. 

Laura, on the other hand, didn’t grow up around professional musicians but was drawn to music as early as she can remember.  

“There's been a steady trajectory of music training and then developing my professional career from a very early age,” she explains. “When I was eight, I started studying with a violin professor at the University of Saskatchewan.” 

Their musical and academic journeys led both musicians to the University of Toronto. Jiajia and Laura met during a course that required them to create a contemporary music ensemble — something that was much different from their previous classical training. 

“Who Cares” about perfection? 

It was later in Calgary where Jiajia and Laura crossed paths again and really connected. 

“This memory and history of being in a new music ensemble helped create opportunities for us to do something further in this realm,” Jiajia explained. 

In 2020, “Who Cares” came to fruition. 

Like many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged Jiajia and Laura to adapt and make changes. They embraced experimentation and imperfection, blending classical music with a contemporary style.  

“It was lowering the stakes without lowering energy, enthusiasm, and interest. This was crucial for any sort of experimentation or really doing anything new,” Laura recalls. 

The way they shared music also shifted. Instead of live performances, “Who Cares” primarily shared videos.  

“We thought, ‘who cares’? We're just in this time, we’ll embrace it and present it online with this DIY approach, trying to make music videos ourselves,” Jiajia says. 

This project allowed them to try new things and be okay with making mistakes. They discovered that perfection isn’t needed for music to resonate with an audience. 

Continuing to connect at the Library 

While there are no longer restrictions for public gatherings, Jiajia and Laura say that the longing for connection remains. They continue to find creative ways to connect with the community, which includes being the 2025 Musical Artist in Residence at the Library. 

“The value of public library spaces — community access, education, intergenerational spaces, accessibility, information — really fit this project in terms of wanting to question tradition in meaningful ways and engage with community,” Laura says. 

Along with being able to visit “Who Cares” during their office hours, you can enjoy interactive community performances. This unique experience will allow the audience be part of the performance.  

To book a one-on-one consultation or register for a program with “Who Cares”, visit our website. 

Residencies at the Library 

There are six residencies at the Library throughout the year. The Musical Artist in Residency program is the final residency of 2025. Through this program, the Library has hosted many exceptional musicians.