community music

CM in Canada featured in Promenade radio show

Thrilled to be interviewed by Waterloo Region’s own Martin DeGroot on the show Promenade, as part of the community station Midtown Radio. Martin spoke with myself and Samantha Tai on our Community Music in Canada project (now with 5 micro-documentaries released!). I spoke about the research project, where we went, the purpose, and hopes for the future. Sam spoke about her work as Technical Director and Research Assistant. You can catch the episode (released October 28, 20204) on Spotify. Check out Midtown Radio for lots of excellent programming for the Kitchener-Waterloo Region.

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CM micro-docs published!

I’m excited to announce that we have published the first four micro-documentaries within the research project Community Music in Canada. You can view them all on our YouTube channel Community Music in Canada. Here’s brief overview of the amazing people and projects in these four short documentaries. https://youtu.be/6Wxh80JpN4s?si=BTPiGz8TDLVGORnI Nour Kaadan and Tarek Ghriri, the founders of Music from Hope, offer creative music workshops for refugee youth in Toronto and Beirut. The musicians use sound, songwriting, body percussion, and nonviolent communication to encourage interaction between participants.  https://youtu.be/dSOVzQ3QIMY?si=bxLRmWLvG3YmDi_u VAMS offers music lessons, recording sessions, and live performance opportunities for disabled musicians in… Read More »CM micro-docs published!

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CM in Canada: more visits

The research team has visited 6 sites by the end of 2023. Our most recent was the Community Music School of Waterloo Region, an incredible school that provides free music lessons to kids and youth who can’t otherwise access these opportunities. Most students are referred by social service agencies or schools, and many come from newcomer families. We anticipate launching our first micro-documentaries before Christmas, in partnership with the PCM Hub at the Canadian New Music Network. Stay tuned!

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BMus Community Music Class of 2020 💥

Today was supposed to be Convocation Day of the first graduating class of community music students in Laurier’s BMus. They have been with the program longer than me, and I’ve spent most of my last three years learning from them and their leadership, curiosity, ambition, kindness, commitment, and genuine enjoyment in each other’s company. A beautiful exemplar of a community of musicians who lift each other up and strive to make good change in the world through music. The community music specialization teaches musicianship, leadership/facilitation, and critical thinking. In students’ final year, they complete a capstone project: a music initiative… Read More »BMus Community Music Class of 2020 💥

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Moving to Wilfrid Laurier University

So thrilled to announce that I’ve accepted an appointment to join the music faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University. Here’s the official announcement. I’ll be helping build the undergraduate program in community music, the first of its kind in Canada, and I think perhaps also across North America. I am so excited to be a part of this! This was my first Instagram post in 2012, of Maureen Forrester Recital Hall at WLU.  This was also my first music conference early in my PhD studies. Looking back, that seems like an auspicious start!          

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new adventures in music classes

I am thrilled to announce that I’ve begun working with Sing for Life, an Edmonton-based organization that provides performing arts opportunities to marginalized communities. Sing for Life operates a choir and music lessons at a federal prison, as well as a choir for men who are socially and economically disadvantaged. I’m going to be piloting a new program: family music classes for moms in conflict with the law. The classes will be for moms and their children aged 6 and under, and we’ll sing name songs, action songs, and songs for eating and sleeping and bathing. Our hope is that… Read More »new adventures in music classes

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