DJ Pipnaqan

By day, Tyler Morrison is the Communications Coordinator for Mi’gmawei Mawio’mi Secretariat, but by night or on the weekends, you can catch him as DJ Pipnaqan at community events, weddings, and birthday parties. With a passion for music, tech, and community connection, Morrison has built a career reflecting creativity and engagement.  

Morrison pursued Digital Video Production at Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario. The program not only focused on video production, but also on audio engineering, photography, and small business management. “The skills translated directly into both professional and entrepreneurial environments,” he explains. “It wasn’t just learning how to create content. It was learning discipline, project management, and how to operate in a professional setting.” 

When COVID struck, and Morrison was stuck inside, he kept returning to his love for house music. Watching other creators stream their DJ sets from home, or watching playlist set compilations, became a highlight in a difficult time. Morrison had rented some equipment for his own wedding to play music and knew he wanted to continue. He quickly started building up his equipment and practicing. Morrison came up with the name “Pipnaqan” meaning bread in Mi’gmaq, the day of an event, going over ideas but never landing on one. Until his wife brought out fresh loaves of bread from the oven and he knew instantly. “I thought back in 2021 being inside all the time; there was no way for connecting at that time and juxtaposed to just this year. The last month or two, where you have social settings, you have people dancing together, laughing together, enjoying very special times.” 

Morrison draws musical inspiration from the people around him. He got his love of the classics from his parents, a new appreciation for country from his wife, and from tuning in to CHRQ’s Friday night country radio show. Morrison is always finding new sounds and music to incorporate into his work. When booked for an event, Morrison always takes the necessary steps to get to know what type of crowd will be attending. Attempting to mix modern hits with nostalgic throwbacks. For anniversaries or weddings, he will often draw from the time the couple met and builds mixes of that time while including their favorite songs. “I love seeing people have some of the best times of their lives. For some families, weddings are one of the few times everyone gathers together. If I can help make that night special, that’s enough for me.” In the moment, you can find Morrison gauging the crowd’s reaction to what he’s playing while queuing the next songs and seamlessly blending the two, strategically curating as the event flows. “It’s all about reading the room,” he says. “Music changes throughout the night, and your job is to evolve with the crowd.” 

If you need good music and great vibes for an event, you can contact “Pipnaqan” on Facebook to book.  

By Ivy Grenier