5th Annual Meeting Abstracts
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THEME 1 - DEVELOPMENT OF SINGING
SUB-THEME: 1.1 PERCEPTION AND PRODUCTION OF SINGING ** Comparison of singing acquisition in French speaking and English speaking kindergarten children using VAMDA ** Stéphanie Boisvert (Department of Music Education, Université Laval) stephboisv@hotmail.com Dr. Jonathan Bolduc (Department of Music Education, Université Laval) jonathan.bolduc.2@ulaval.ca Dr. Maria Teresa Moreno Sala (Department of Music Education, Université Laval) maite.moreno@mus.ulaval.ca Christine Tsang (Department of Psychology, Huron University College at Western, London, ON) ctsang33@huron.uwo.ca Laurel Trainor (Dept. of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON) ljt@mcmaster.ca Abstract: slides Introduction: The vocal-sensorimotor loop model of singing (Dalla Bella, Berkowska, & Sowinski, 2011) suggests that memory, motor skill, perception and feedback all contribute to singing ability. Many components of the vocal sensorimotor loop begin to develop during infancy, but take a long time to reach maturity (Tsang, Friendly & Trainor, 2011). This presentation will highlight differences and/or similarities between singing perception of kindergarten children from two different samples: English participants versus French participants.
Method: In Québec, 69 French speaking kindergarten’s children were tested. The Vocal Auditory Motor Development Assessment (VAMDA) as developed by Tsang and Trainor (2011) measured participants’ perception and production (pitch-matching). In the VAMDA, children discriminated small pitch interval changes (from 5 cents to 200 cents) and short melodies 2 to 4 notes in length. Children were also asked to reproduce the same pitch and melodies. Approximately 50 English-speaking 6-year-olds were tested under at Ontario and UK sites previously (Fancourt & Tsang, 2012) as reported at the 2012 AIRS 4th Annual meeting, using the same pitch perception and production measures in the VAMDA. While the Digit Span subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children assessed short term memory for the English participants, the French version used the task “mémoire immediate” from the K-ABC I (Kauffman & Kauffman, 1993). Results: The data analyses of the Quebec sample are ongoing. However, with English speaking sample, as previously reported, there was a significant correlation between raw score on the digit span task and performance on the melody discrimination task. There was also a significant correlation between raw vocabulary scores and performance on the pitch interval discrimination task. Furthermore, the previously reported results for the English children show that in comparison to adult singers, the children were generally poor pitch singers (e.g., average mean deviation of pitch > 3 semitones). Interestingly, poor singing accuracy in both single pitch and melody matching was negatively correlated to performance on the melody discrimination task. We expect that French speaking children will show similar perception and production correlations as the English speaking children. Previous research with children in the UK using the VAMDA found similar relationships between singing measures and cognitive measures. Discussion: The results of this research study may further validate the VAMDA as well as shed light on the role of native language acquisition in singing development.
SUB-THEME: 1.1 PERCEPTION AND PRODUCTION OF SINGING ** Musical production of Brazilian children: analyzing melodic productions ** Caroline Brendel Pacheco (Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil) carolbrendel@gmail.com Beatriz Ilari (Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California) ilari@usc.edu Abstract: poster (members only viewing) Aiming to investigate the relationship between musical skills and literacy acquisition of young children, scholars have expanded the study of child musical development, as well as expanded the reflection on the connection between music and language. (Bolduc, 2009; Herrera, Defior & Lorenzo, 2007; David et al., 2007; Moyeda, Gómez & Flores, 2006; Gromko, 2005, Anvari et al., 2002; Peynircioglu et al., 2002; Lamb & Gregory, 1999; Barwick et al., 1989). For this work, we present data on the evaluation of melodic production from a correlational study conducted with 40 preschoolers (aged 4-5 years) from South Brazil. Following previous works (Anvari et al, 2002), the investigation aimed to verify the existence of correlations between musical and phonological awareness skills in Brazilian Portuguese speakers (Pacheco, 2009). Children underwent two individual testing sessions that measured musical abilities (perception and production, rhythmic and melodic) and phonological awareness (identification and synthesis of rhymes, syllables, onset-rime, and phonemes). For the melodic production test, each child sang three melodic excerpts of known and unknown songs. The researcher and three experienced music educators evaluated children’s singing with respect to schemes of melodic contour, number of notes, accuracy and tuning. Regarding the singing, a strong correlation between melodic production and the others musical variables (rhythmic production and musical perception) has been found. Besides, a significant correlation between melodic production and phonological awareness (p=0,04572) also has been found. The temporal organization of music and speech, as well as the necessity of sound sequences organization and of auditory-vocal transmission are possible explanations for the correlation (McMullen &Saffran, 2004; Patel &Daniele, 2003; Sloboda, 2008). Further, these results may indicate the sharing of cognitive mechanisms (Borges, 2005), or the existence of cognitive transfer between music and language. Thus, this study would enhance the understanding of how singing develops in Brazilian children and how this may be related with literacy acquisition.
SUB-THEME: 1.2 MULTIMODAL (AUDIO/VISUAL/MOTOR) ASPECTS SINGING ** Is Facial Mimicry an Automatic Response to Emotional Song? ** Lisa P. Chan (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) lisa.chan@psych.ryerson.ca Frank Russo (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) russo@psych.ryerson.ca Abstract: During vocal communication, our faces continuously move and express linguistic, musical, and affective information (Munhall et al., 2004; Thompson, Russo & Livingstone, 2010). To observe and measure these facial movements, facial electromyography (f-EMG) was used, and subtle mirroring of visual aspects of emotional song has been found (Livingstone, Thompson & Russo, 2009; Chan, Livingstone & Russo, 2013). The facial feedback hypothesis states that individuals experience emotions (i.e., happiness) through producing the associated facial expressions (i.e., a smile). Thus, if an individual observes and unconsciously mimics the expression of singers, it could be possible for them to have rapid access to the singer’s emotional intent. Facial mimicry is thought to be an automatic response for non-music stimuli, but it remains unclear if this is the same for emotional song. To further explore and test this, we presented video clips of emotional song to participants who were instructed to inhibit their facial movements. If they still mimicked these expressions, it would serve as support of automaticity for facial mimicry. We used f-EMG to measure the degree of mimicry of muscle activity in the zygomaticus major muscle (associated with happy emotion) and corrugator supercilii muscle (associated with sad emotion). Results showed more zygomaticus activity for happy vs. sad trials, and more corrugator muscle activity for sad vs. happy trials. This suggests that facial mimicry may also be an automatic response to singers' facial expressions in emotional song, and future research will continue to explore and clarify additional questions in this topic area.
SUB-THEME: 1.2 MULTIMODAL (AUDIO/VISUAL/MOTOR) ASPECTS SINGING ** Emotion Regulation through Maternal Lively and Soothing Singing ** Niusha Ghazban (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) nghazban@psych.ryerson.ca Sabrina Aimola (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) saimola@psych.ryerson.ca Natalie Ein (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) nein@psych.ryerson.ca Jean-Paul Boudreau (Department of Psychology and Faculty of Arts, Ryerson University) dean@arts.ryerson.ca Frank Russo (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) russo@psych.ryerson.ca Sandra E. Trehub (University of Toronto Mississauga/Brams, Montreal) sandra.trehub@utoronto.ca Abstract: slides Introduction: The interaction between a mother and her infant has been described as an intricate ‘dance’ involving coordinated singing and movement. It is widely accepted that infant-directed (ID) singing is a universally observed caregiving behaviour used by mothers to change and accommodate their infants’ emotional state (Trehub & Nakata, 2003). While ID singing is more successful in modulating infants’ attention and arousal than maternal speech (Ghazban, Russo, Trehub, Ein, Boudreau, 2012), the consequences of maternal soothing lullabies and lively playful singing to regulate infants’ stress are less clear. The current study examined infants’ behavioural and physiological responses to their mothers’ soothing and lively singing following an acute stressor induced by the mother’s still-neutral face.
Method: Thirty-seven 10-month-old infants participated. Using the Face-to-Face/Still-Face (FFSF) procedure (Tronick et al., 1978), the mothers and infants engaged in a three stage interaction: 1) Face-to-Face playtime; 2) Mother’s display of neutral still-face; and 3) the Reunion phase (mothers either sang soothing lullabies or lively playful songs). Infants were subjected to three repetitions each of soothing and lively singing for a total of six trials over a 30-minute session. Behavioural responses were coded and Physiological responses (via Skin Conductance Levels) were monitored. Results: Infants’ visual fixation during maternal play songs (M= 12.45 sec) was significantly greater than lullaby condition (M= 6.02 sec) [F(1,19) = 42.13, p < .001]. Infants maintained a longer visual fixation with “suspended” motor activity during maternal lively play songs (M= 9.37 sec) than maternal soothing lullabies (M= 3.82 sec) [F(1,19) = 30.81, p < .001]. Physiological analyses revealed that stress was effectively induced after the Play Phase via the Still-Face Procedure [F(1,19)=15.32, p < .01]. Overall, Skin Conductance Levels during the Reunion Phases were significantly lower during maternal play songs (M = .413 μΩ) than during lullaby conditions (M = .927 μΩ) [F(1,19) = 5.30, p < .05] from 60-seconds into reunion. Discussion: This is the first study to directly compare the effects of maternal lullabies and playful singing in regulating infants’ stress, and our findings indicate that playful singing supports infants’ “homeostasis” and regulates their stress more effectively than soothing lullabies. The pronounced reduction in motoric activity while visually fixated on the mother during the lively playful condition is reflective of infants’ sustained attention, as well as the relaxing outcomes of maternal singing, an observation consistent with Nakata and Trehub (2004).These findings contrasted against mothers’ ID-speech further highlights the cohesive and socializing function of maternal singing in regulating infants’ emotions.
SUB-THEME: 1.2 MULTIMODAL (AUDIO/VISUAL/MOTOR) ASPECTS SINGING ** Infant-Directed Speaking and Singing: New Evidence from Eyetracking ** Petra Hauf (Department of Psychology, St. Francis Xavier University) phauf@stfx.ca Sara Murphy (Department of Psychology, St. Francis Xavier University) x2009huv@stfx.ca Abstract: slides Previous research on vocal interactions with infants has demonstrated differences between infant-directed (ID) speaking and singing, suggesting that ID-singing may encourage emotional communication and arousal regulation, while ID-speaking may be more important for directing attention and learning. A series of studies was designed to further investigate how infants respond to ID-singing versus ID-speaking. In each, an eye-tracker is used to monitor infants’ looking behaviour as they watch ID-singing and ID-speaking. The first study compared six-month-old infants on how they reacted to videos of an adult ID-singing or ID-speaking familiar or novel lyrics. Infants looked longer at the singing videos than the speaking videos, regardless of whether the lyrics were familiar. For familiar lyrics and spoken novel lyrics, infants preferentially looked at the mouth rather than the eyes, indicating increased attention and learning of sound production. However, for singing of novel lyrics, infants looked equally long at the mouth and eyes. This shift in attention from the mouth to the eyes could be interpreted as emotional communication and arousal regulation. The same study was then conducted with 12-month-olds, who also looked longer at the ID-singing and preferentially looked at the mouth in singing trials using familiar lyrics. However, 12-month-olds did not show a preference for the mouth in speaking trials with familiar lyrics, and they preferentially looked at the eyes during speaking trials with novel lyrics. These findings support the idea that ID-directed singing encourages emotional engagement, while ID-speaking promotes information processing. Currently the original study is being replicated comparing lullabies with play songs and calming versus exhilarating speech to investigate the impact of melody and rhythm on infants’ perception of ID-singing and ID-speaking. Finally, a study with the mother singing and speaking via live-feed is planned to investigate whether a familiar source compared to a stranger will affect the results.
SUB-THEME: 1.2 MULTIMODAL (AUDIO/VISUAL/MOTOR) ASPECTS SINGING ** Simulation training using song to enhance emotion perception skills in autism ** Lucy M. McGarry (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) lmcgarry@psych.ryerson.ca Frank Russo (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) russo@psych.ryerson.ca Abstract: It has been found that individuals automatically generate simulations of other people’s facial expressions during speech and song to aid in emotion perception. This is called the facial feedback hypothesis. It has been suggested that this simulation mechanism is related to mirror neuron system (MNS) activity; individuals with greater empathy generate greater MNS activity and greater automatic mimicry of other people’s movements. However, MNS activity and spontaneous motor mimicry is found to be dysfunctional in autism, a disorder that involves deficits in emotion perception. In the current study, we have created a video game for children with autism to play in which we plan to train spontaneous motor mimicry via simulation training. In the video game, children will be asked to explicitly act out the emotions of people in videos, and will see their performances played back in real time. The use of song stimuli followed by speech stimuli is predicted to facilitate mimicry in this population. Videos will be presented audio-visually because multimodal presentation of song is also thought to stimulate MNS activation optimally in this population. Current preliminary data suggests that individuals with low scores on an empathy scale generate greater emotional intensity ratings after simulation training of vocally-expressed emotions. We predict that in the current study, imitation training will facilitate emotion perception and will lead to changes in MNS functioning as measured using EEG. (Relevant also to Theme 2, and 3.3)
SUB-THEME: 1.3 AIRS TEST BATTERY OF SINGING SKILLS ** Testing musical abilities of Estonian toddlers: Some preliminary results ** Laura Välja (Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre) laura29@gmail.com Marju Raju (Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre) raju@gmail.com Jaan Ross (Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre) jaan.ross@ut.ee Abstract: slides Introduction: AIRS test battery has originally been created in English for studying individuals who predominantly originate from North America. Applying it cross-culturally is a challenging task in a number of aspects because languages and cultures may differ from each other significantly.
Method: In 2012, 43 Estonian children from a kindergarten in Tallinn have been tested with the AIRS battery of singing skills. Their age varied between two and six years. 40 children were native speakers of Estonian and three children native speakers of Russian. The group included 22 females and 21 males. Both video and audio recordings of all performances were obtained. This study focuses predominantly on items 5 and 8 in the test battery, where the tasks were, respectively, to sing a favorite song and to make a free musical composition to choice of a picture. Results: Item 8 in the test was more complicated to accomplish than item 5, and a number of participants did not succeed with it. The children's favorite songs mostly include those from the common repertory in contemporary Estonia, which they learn from the media, in the kindergarten, or during extracurricular music lessons. Discussion: In the typology of improvised songs from item 8, it seems productive to use a two-dimensional space where one axis corresponds to the degree of spontaneity of performance and another to how well the performance conforms to the Western tonality patterns. For example, an internally rehearsed composition apparently exhibits little spontaneity, and a composition which starts and ends with the tonic note exhibits significant conformity to the tonal music. The tested participants seem to form clusters on such a space, which suggests that there may occur strategic prototypes of action, such as (1) spontaneous and tonal, (2) spontaneous and non-tonal, (3) pre-planned and tonal, and (4) pre-planned and non-tonal, in solving item 8 in the test.
SUB-THEME: 1.3 AIRS TEST BATTERY OF SINGING SKILLS ** Singing ranges of Icelandic 5-6-year-olds: Data collected using the AIRS battery of singing skill ** Helga Rut Gudmundsdottir (University of Iceland and BRAMS) helgarutg@gmail.com Abstract: poster (members only viewing) According to research the size of a child’s or an occasional singer’s vocal range is highly correlated with singing accuracy. The larger the singing range the more likely it is that the individual can sing a song with good pitch accuracy. Existing research also suggests that young children’s singing ranges may be very small, or about 4 semitones when they attempt to sing standard songs with words. The present study applied pitch analysis using the Melodyne software to determine the singing range of 5-6-year-old (N = 36) Icelandic children singing standard songs. The data was collected using the AIRS test battery of singing skills and the item chosen for analysis was the singing of favorite song. The average range of the songs chosen by the children was 10.28 semitones and the average singing range used by the children was 8.44 semitones. The results indicate that the singing range of Icelandic children is larger than previously reported for children of the same age, at least when singing a self chosen song.
THEME 2 - SINGING AND EDUCATION
SUB-THEME: 2.1 LEARNING TO SING NATURALLY ** Are infants’ and toddlers’ songs recognizable without the words? ** Helga Rut Gudmundsdottir (University of Iceland /Brams, Montreal) helgarut@hi.is Sandra E. Trehub (University of Toronto Mississauga/Brams, Montreal) sandra.trehub@utoronto.ca Abstract: poster (members only viewing) There is little systematic research on singing in early childhood. Nevertheless, there are claims that recognizable songs emerge between children’s first and second birthday, a period corresponding to children’s typical progression from one-word to multi-word utterances. Prelinguistic babbling reveals melodic aspects of the ambient language. Some scholars propose that individual differences in language acquisition reflect divergent inclinations towards words or intonation, resulting in so-called “word-babies” or “intonation-babies.” Case studies of song acquisition reveal “melody-first” and “words-first” babies. The primary goal of the present study was to ascertain whether songs of infants and toddlers (16 months - 3 years) are recognizable on the basis of melody (pitch and rhythm patterns) alone. The singing, which was recorded by parents at home, was uploaded to YouTube or sent directly to the principal investigator (P.I.). Songs were chosen that were (a) familiar or unfamiliar to North American listeners and (b) produced by several children with foreign lyrics. Two songs had familiar melodies (Twinkle, Happy Birthday) and two had unfamiliar melodies, with each song produced by six different children. English- and French-speaking adults will listen to the song samples, naming the songs when possible and declaring them unfamiliar if not. Subsequently, the key words of the songs will be isolated for identification by native speakers of those languages. The results will shed light on adults’ ability to recognize children’s early songs in the absence of linguistic cues and their ability to recognize the words of those songs in the absence of contextual cues. [relevant also to 1.2]
SUB-THEME: 2.1 LEARNING TO SING NATURALLY ** Songs from the crib: What parents and educators can learn from toddlers' private pre-sleep vocalizations ** Meryl Sole (Department of Music & Music Education, Teacher's College, Columbia University, NY) merylsole@gmail.com Lori Custodero (Department of Music Education, Teacher's College, Columbia University, NY) lac66@columbia.edu Abstract: This poster presentation addresses types and functions of private pre-sleep vocalizations of 9 toddlers (ages 18-36 months). Between the initial interviews with the 8 families and follow-up interviews 5-6 weeks later, the parents observed their child at home twice a week for 4 consecutive weeks. When the child was alone at bedtime, the parents completed a written observation and reflection form (PORF) describing and contextualizing what they heard on a minute-by-minute basis for the first 15 minutes of each session. Additionally, the parents collected audio recordings of the 8 sessions using a voice recorder or smartphone that they placed inside the child’s room. The researcher is currently reviewing transcripts from the interviews, field notes, PORFs and audio recordings to investigate describe and understand the toddlers’ solitary spontaneous vocalizations. Preliminary results show that some of the toddlers use solitary spontaneous singing at bedtime as a way to self-soothe, play, reflect, experiment and understand their own worlds. Some of the parents have indicated that participation in the study has impacted their attitudes, awareness and practices.
SUB-THEME: 2.1 LEARNING TO SING NATURALLY ** Musical, Textual, and Gestural Content in Children's Vocalizations ** Karen Howard (University of Washington, Seattle) howthom@comcast.net Patricia Campbell (University of Washington, Seattle) pcamp@uw.edu Abstract: This paper considers the literature that may inform our understanding of children's informal engagement with music. It draws on research directly concerned with the musical, textual, and gestural content in children's vocalizations and also from the wider psychological, sociological, and educational literature concerned with musical characteristics (including pitch and melody, rhythm and meter, form, singing games, songs by and for children, musical utterances, and movement and gesture); gender; age; media/popular music; transmission/acquisition; and ethnicity and culture. Finally, implications for music educators are discussed which may serve to guide future research in the field.
SUB-THEME: 2.1 LEARNING TO SING NATURALLY ** Tonal fragments in children's spontaneous play ** June Countryman (Department of Music, University of Prince Edward Island) jcountryman@upei.ca Martha Gabriel (Faculty of Education, University of Prince Edward Island) mgabriel@upei.ca Kate Thompson (Departments of Music and Psychology, University of Prince Edward Island) katethompson55@gmail.com Melissa MacRae (Department of Music Education, University of PEI) mmacrae@upei.ca Abstract: This poster summarizes our analysis of hundreds of fragmentary vocalizations documented in our field work at daycares and school playgrounds. We explore the self-making and aesthetic dimensions of these 'musical utterances'. We posit implications for thinking about children's musical expressions (part of their multimodal approach to play) as self-authoring and aesthetic in nature.
SUB-THEME: 2.1 LEARNING TO SING NATURALLY ** Songs of their lives: Similarities in interviews with elders about singing and songs ** Eun Cho (Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California) eunc@usc.edu Lisa A. Crawford (Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California) lacrawfo@usc.edu Beatriz Ilari (Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California) ilari@usc.edu Abstract: poster In spite of the many claims regarding the prominence and importance of music in the daily lives of the elderly (Hays & Minichello, 2005a, 2005b; Gibbons, 1985; Gilbert & Beal, 1982), less attention has been paid to discussing songs sung by elderly people from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds or the origins of such choices. As one of the largest metropolitan cities in the United States, Los Angeles is home to people from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different identified languages (Myers, et al., 2010). Using a researcher-developed interview protocol, songs and singing practices of Hispanic, Korean, and Anglo Angelino elders (over the age of 65) were documented. All of the interviews were recorded or videotaped and most interviewees sang at least one song when prompted. Interviews included questions regarding biographical information, memories about songs and singing practices during childhood and adolescent years, immigrant experiences, and impressions of singing as elders. Findings suggest that elders openly shared many of their thoughts and beliefs about singing as elders and had a much easier time remembering song titles if invited to write them down following the interview. Many similarities across cultures were found, including the existence of few traditional ideas about elders' singing practices, pride in the music of their own culture coupled with love of American songs, and little (if any) singing interaction with family or friends as elders. A complete analysis of the data will be provided at the conference, along with implications for both research and practice.
SUB-THEME: 2.1 LEARNING TO SING NATURALLY ** A musical portrait of singing and identity: Elderly Angelinos' experiences and impressions of singing in youth and as seniors ** Lisa A. Crawford (Department of Music, University of Southern California) lisa.crawford@usc.edu Eun Cho (Department of Music, University of Southern California) eunc@usc.edu Beatriz Ilari (Department of Music, University of Southern California) ilari@usc.edu Music research has considered the role of musical experiences in the construction of identity (Cool, 1981; Dabback, 2010; North & Hargreaves, 2010) and importance of adult learning opportunities (Bowles, 2010; Flowers, 2001) yet, little is known about current singing practices of aging populations or their experience of music during their lives. Limited research has focused in other areas including the power of music and intergenerational music-making (Conway & Hodgeman, 2008; Creech, et al., 2013; DeVries, 2012), effects of aging on music cognition or music therapy for aging populations (Halpern et al, 2000; Halpern & Bartlett, 2002), and sense of self and identity (DeNora, 1999). Aiming to describe elders' impressions of their own singing identities throughout life, this study interviewed Korean, Hispanic, and Anglo elders (over the age of 65 years) living in Los Angeles County. The purpose of the study was to understand singing practices of elderly men and women living in a large, ethnically diverse urban center. Using an in-depth, researcher-developed interview protocol, eight elders were interviewed and both their speech and songs recorded. Interviewees reported limited memories of musical experiences in childhood related to school music, and half remembered the Standard School Broadcasts, the Standard Hour, and The Firestone Hour radio and television broadcasts of classical music as having shaped their musical appreciation. Furthermore, elders recalled little about school music classes or ensembles but some remembered private lessons or singing in church. The presentation will include an analytical overview of elders' responses about singing and identity, elders' experiences and impressions of music at different life stages, and segments of elders' singing during their interviews. A full description of data will be presented at the conference, along with implications for future research.
SUB-THEME: 2.1 LEARNING TO SING NATURALLY Seniors Autobiographical Memory of Musical Experiences: Insights and new questions from an interview study poster Lisa A. Crawford (Department of Music, University of Southern California) lisa.crawford@usc.edu Eun Cho (Department of Music, University of Southern California) eunc@usc.edu
SUB-THEME: 2.1 LEARNING TO SING NATURALLY ** Becoming a professional singer songwriter in PEI: The role of family, institutions, and personality characteristics ** Michael Speelman (Department of Psychology, University of Prince Edward Island) mspeelman@upei.ca Ross Dwyer (Department of Psychology, University of Prince Edward Island) rdwyer@upei.ca Rob Oakie (Music PEI, Prince Edward Island) roboakie@musicpei.com Henk Van Leeuwen (Culture PEI, Prince Edward Island) henkonpei@gmail.com Annabel J. Cohen (University of Prince Edward Island, Music PEI) acohen@upei.ca Abstract: Introduction: A relatively rare and sometimes idealized profession is that of the singer-songwriter, whether it be at the heart of rock or pop band, or entertaining on the solo stage. Little is known, however, about the prerequisites for success in this profession, where success is defined by economic viability. The study aimed to obtain knowledge about the precursors to the singer songwriter profession. Method: There were 18 regularly performing singer-songwriters in PEI (Mean age 30.83, SD 9.53 years; 10 males) who participated (live or via Skype) in a 30-item interview. All but three reported playing guitar, and all but 5 played piano. Only two played neither. Regarding voice lessons, 8 had received none and 5 reported from 1 to a few months. The remaining 4 reported taking lessons for 3, 3, 5 and 8 years. (1 did not answer). All had lived in PE for at least 6 years; 7 participants came “from away”, the majority moving to PEI by the age of 10 years. Questions surrounded early influences of family, school, church, voice lessons, and self-assessed past, present and future vocal ability. Responses were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were then transferred to a spreadsheet for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Results: In regard to their earliest experiences of music, all but one participant spoke of one or more close family members who were musicians (10 mentioning father, and 7 mother, and 5 both, 6 brother, and 1 or 2 references to uncle, aunt and family) with less uniform reference to school choirs, bands and opportunities provided by the community. The average rated level of their own vocal ability in comparison to that of the voice of their idol (on a 10-point scale) was 6.4. This was higher than their judged past singing ability (3.9) and lower than their judged potential future ability (8.4). The linear trend in improvement over time was significant, F(1, 16) = 140.25, p <.001. Females rated their own voice as better than did males on all three measures, F(1,16) = 4.76, p < .04. There was no interaction between gender and time (past, present, future). The interviews also reflected tenacity, a sense of self worth, and the possibility of self-improvement through effort, typically without reliance on voice training. Discussion: The data suggest that the support of family and the exposure to music by family, followed by opportunities furnished by school and religious institutions (church choirs and services) provide a foundation for eventual professional development. Such evidence may inform organizations with missions to foster the music industry and the lives of persons in that industry. It is concluded that policies that nurture and reward family musical activities in the home may foster meaningful and creative professional lives of future generations as well as greater economic prosperity and cultural enrichment in regional and national jurisdictions.
SUB-THEME: 2.1 LEARNING TO SING NATURALLY ** Learning together, singing alone: musical properties of Maracutu loas in children's voices ** slides Caroline Brendel Pacheco (Federal University of Paraiba Brazil) carolbrendel@gmail.com Daniella Gramani (Federal University of Paraiba) daniellagramani@gmail.com Abstract: Which are musical characteristics of children singing of Maracatu from Recife - Brazil? The Maracatu de Baque Virado is a popular artistic manifestation, connected to Afro-Brazilian culture, that occurs in the Pernambuco State (Brazil) during Carnival. There are many Maracatu groups, called nações, and the present paper focuses on Nação Porto Rico. Musically speaking, the characteristic of Maracatu is the powerful presence of percussion instruments (alfaia, caixa, tarol, gonguê, abê, timbau). Despite the intense and stronger presence of percussion in Maracatu songs, named loas, it is through singing that rhythmic arrangements are accompanied. The master commands the music, he is a kind of maestro, that leads rehearsals and performances, and he is also responsible for singing the loa. Every batuqueiro (musician) should know how to play and to sing each loa. Nação Porto Rico members are predominantly adults, however children and teenagers are also among the participants. To understand the musical learning processes of children singing at Nação Porto Rico we conducted interviews, further recording 15 loas chosen by them. For this work we selected songs collected from three girls, aged 6, 9 and 11 years-old. The aim is to develop an analysis of the songs based on the comparison of recording loas in fieldwork between themselves and also comparing these materials with recording performances or CDs of Maracatu Porto Rico. Thereby, we seek to identify musical properties of songs learned collectively that children aged 6-11 years sustain in individual performances.
SUB-THEME: 2.2 FORMAL TEACHING OF SINGING ** Voice use in the Summer Opera Training Program ** Darryl Edwards (Faculty of Music, University of Toronto) darryl.edwards@utoronto.ca Charlene Santoni (Faculty of Music, University of Toronto) charlene.santoni@mail.utoronto.ca Abstract: slides (members only viewing) poster (members only viewing) Introduction: Summer opera training programs provide vital training within the three to four months between singer's university and college training. The rigours of vocal studies, staging, classes and integrated rehearsals are the formal components that also contribute to the essential networking and other professional development that occurs concurrently. Method: Video recordings will be created and will be analyzed with Dedoose software (for qualitative and mixed methods research) and by the researchers (constructivist grounded theory method). Interviews and a questionnaire will also contribute to the data for analysis. Results: The collected data will give evidence to the amount and types of voice use throughout the investigated singer population. A profile of frequency and intensity of use will arise, along with an attitudinal scale connected with the situational data. This will indicate future structures and strategies to be maintained and reconsidered regarding vocal use within the hybridized environment of a summer opera training program. Discussion: This action research is meant to fortify curriculum development, but more specifically, to gather data that goes beyond what activities are dictated to student singers within a faculty-student power differential, to arrive closer to internal group perspectives. This is meant to see what is working well, what needs to be changed, and an action plan to reach resultant goals.
SUB-THEME: 2.2 FORMAL TEACHING OF SINGING ** The influence of subjective factors on the evaluation of singing voice accuracy ** Pauline Larrouy-Maestri (Dept. of Cognitive Psychology, University of Liège, Belgium) pauline.larrouy@ulg.ac.be Dominique Morsomme (Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Liège, Belgium) Dominique.Morsomme@ulg.ac.be Abstract: Introduction: A previous study highlighted the objectivity of music experts when rating the vocal accuracy of sung performances (Larrouy-Maestri, Lévêque, Schön, Giovanni, & Morsomme, 2013). However, in an ecological context, numerous factors can influence the judges’ assessment of a music performance. This preliminary study aims to examine the effect of the music level of the performers on the evaluation of singing voice accuracy and to explore subjective factors which could influence the assessment. Method: The same sung melody, performed by first and second year students of music conservatory (N = 31), was recorded in the context of their solfeggio examination. The jury, constituted of four music experts, was asked to rate the global pitch accuracy of each student. Two criteria (pitch interval deviation and tonal center deviation) were objectively measured and subjective data about the feeling of the students during the performance (e.g., anxiety level, enjoyment of singing) were collected through questionnaires. Results: The results showed that the criteria used by the jury differed according to the music level of the students. Indeed, while the score of the jury correlated significantly with the vocal accuracy of the second year students, their assessment seemed more subjective concerning the first year students. Interestingly, the score of the jury was significantly correlated with the enjoyment of singing of the first year students and not with the objective measurements (pitch interval deviation and tonal center deviation) anymore. Discussion: This preliminary work shows the effect of the music level of the performers on the evaluation of singing voice accuracy. Besides the educational implications of these findings, this study describes a promising method for the investigation of subjective factors, which influence the vocal assessment in an ecological context.
SUB-THEME: 2.2 FORMAL TEACHING OF SINGING ** Student singers' development and use of performance cues ** Jane Ginsborg (Royal Northern College of Music [RNCM]) Jane.ginsborg@rncm.ac.uk Emile Perkins (Royal Northern College of Music [RNCM]) emile.perkins@student.rncm.ac.uk Chloe Latchmore (Royal Northern College of Music [RNCM]) Chloe.Latchmore@student.rncm.ac.uk Victoria Barton (Royal Northern College of Music [RNCM]) Victoria.Barton@student.rncm.ac.uk Longitudinal case study research with professional musicians has shown that during the course of practice and rehearsal, performers attend to particular features of the music that become landmarks for retrieval when they play or sing from memory: performance cues (PCs). Findings have been invaluable for our understanding of the processes underlying the development of musicians’ mental representations for the music they are learning, but there is increasing interest in the role of undertaking self-study during practice on teaching and learning. The aim of the present study was for students of singing to track their preparation of a single song from first sight to public performance, to analyse the data they recorded and to reflect on the experience in relation to their learning and memorising of other songs and arias in different contexts. Three students participated in the project, two sopranos (one undergraduate and one postgraduate) as participant-researchers and one (undergraduate baritone, unable to sing for health reasons) as researcher / second author. Using the Study Your Music Performance tools at http://uconn.edu. Chloe tracked her preparation for performance of Charles Ives’ “The Light that is Felt”, and Vic tracked hers of the first of Jonathan Dove’s “Five Am’rous Sighs”. Each student recorded their practice behaviour and annotated multiple copies of the score immediately before and after their public performances to indicate the structural, basic, interpretive and expressive features to which they attended during rehearsal, and those that functioned as PCs, together with their other thoughts during performance. The analysis of data is under way and the results of the behavioural analysis – the effects of PCs on practice behaviour – will be reported and discussed in the light of published findings from research with professional musicians, together with the findings of the interviews with the three students undertaken by the first author.
SUB-THEME: 2.2 FORMAL TEACHING OF SINGING ** Using multimedia technology to teach North Indian vocal music ** Utpola Borah (Independent researcher and performer, Columbus, Ohio) utpola@gmail.com Abstract: Introduction: The tradition of music education in Hindustani (North Indian) classical music known as the “guru-sishya parampara,” is a unique system of transmitting musical knowledge, which can be traced back to the Vedic period (1st-6th centuries BCE). The terms guru (mentor/master), sishya (pupil/disciple) and parampara (tradition) collectively refer to an oral tradition that transmits the art/music through a preceptor. In India it is the basis of transmission for all art forms and embodies the living and learning relationship between master and disciple in both formal and informal learning settings. Although the guru-sishya parampara is being supported by variety of institutional settings in India and abroad, currently many gurus (instructors) are employing multimedia technologies for teaching music. Method: I will examine the progress of three students through recordings of video conferencing lessons and interviews with students and parents. Results: Indian classical music requires face-to-face interaction between pupil and student. The use of skype facilitates learning in diverse geographical locations, as it is often difficult for students to find competent gurus outside (and even within) India. However, skype lessons require greater use of written materials and fixed lesson plans. Discussion: Multimedia technologies do not replace traditional learning systems, but have great potential for the teaching and learning of many styles of music throughout the world.
SUB-THEME: 2.2 FORMAL TEACHING OF SINGING ** From Learning to Performing: A Case Study of Indian Vocal Music ** Hans Utter (The Ohio State University) utter.3@osu.edu Abstract: slides (members only viewing) Introduction: The tradition of music education in India (guru-sisya parampara) is currently being supported in a variety of institutional settings. My presentation examines the training methods of the Sangeet Research Academy in Calcutta, focusing on a single student. I will compare the student in class and in a performance setting, focusing on the non-verbal communication of physical cues such as gestures, head movements, and other facial expressions. Method: The methods employed consists of collecting ethnographic data through interviews and audio/video recordings, participation in learning situations, and examinations of this data to assess the success of teaching/learning and performance through audience reactions and the self-assessment of the instructors and the artist. Results: Certain institutions are more suited than others in the production of highly qualified artists and performers. It was found that the preservation of individualized instruction and reliance on oral transmission at the Sangeet Research Academy was superior to a standardized curriculum. The emphasis on active learning and instruction modeled on performance contexts is conducive for the production of vocalists capable of artistic excellence. Discussion: For North Indian classical vocal music, the system of oral transmission and individualized training appears to be necessary for the requirements of this art form. The ability to elicit emotional responses in audiences is increased. (connects also to 2.1)
SUB-THEME: 2.2 FORMAL TEACHING OF SINGING ** Improving Choral Intonation with the Chesnokov’s A Cappella Style Approach of Unequal Temperament Intervals ** Liliya Nafikova (Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, London ON) lnafikova@hotmail.com Carol Beynon (Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, London ON, Canada) beynon@uwo.ca Abstract: The ability to control pitch accurately is a key skill to achieve the highest level of musical singing in an a cappella vocal group. Staying in-tune while setting unique pitch patterns during performances is also a challenge for a cappella singers. Chesnokov proposed his solution to sound pitch control using unequal temperament tuning system. The objective of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of Chesnokov’s a cappella style approach to choral training based on special singing techniques for melodic and harmonic intonations with the goal of improving sound tuning and musical expression. According to Chesnokov, proper choral intonation consists of two main parts: correctly tuned intervals and good sounding chords. Men’s choir of about 22 singers participated in the study and “Salvation is Created” by Chesnokov was used to study the effectiveness of Chesnokov’s a cappella style approach to choral intonation during five rehearsals of 20 min each. After introducing Chesnokov’s approach to choral intonation, all chords and key modulation of “Salvation is Created” were analyzed and music sheets were marked with arrows indicating the directionality of voice pitch during singing according to the Chesnokov’s a cappella style approach. Analysis of music form (motives, phrases etc.) and dynamics of “Salvation is Created” was also performed with the singers to improve a performance of the song. A questionnaire involving ratings on a 5-point scale was used to determine the effectiveness of Chesnokov’s a cappella style approach to choral training, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The results showed that Chesnokov’s a cappella style approach to choral training was useful for having the singers experience their individual roles in intonation considering the concepts of vertical and horizontal tuning and providing an alternative means for demonstrating the artistic expression of a song through marked scores.
SUB-THEME: 2.2 FORMAL TEACHING OF SINGING ** Classical singers’ performance preparation and coping with performance anxiety ** Vaike Kiik-Salupere (Department of Music, Institute of Fine Arts, Tallinn University, Estonia) vaike@cens.ioc.ee Jaan Ross (Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Tallinn, Estonia) jaan.ross@gmail.com Abstract: slides Introduction: Contemporary vocal pedagogy is influenced by intense professional competition in the open global labour market, which both students of classical singing and vocal teachers have to take into account. An additional requirement for contemporary musicians besides vocal-technical mastery is the ability to cope with unfavourable and competitive environments. Performance anxiety usually manifests itself in negative changes in mental and physical sense of self before the performance. Voice teachers have therefore a responsibility to provide their students with a strong and firm vocal-technical basis and knowledge allowing singing students to maximally employ the vocal techniques acquired in the lessons while performing to the audience. Almost all musicians feel anxiety before the performance but experienced artists are able to exercise control over the anxiety-related feelings as well as over possible physical disturbances. The aim of the study was to find out: 1. how professional singers/voice teachers achieve and maintain psychological and physical optimal state needed for their performance; and 2. what pre-performance activities and exercises singers consider most efficient before their performance. Methodology: The study employed qualitative research method, a semi-structured interview with 12 respondents. All respondents were recognised classical singers and vocal pedagogues working in public music education institutions of Estonia. There were altogether 56 questions divided into two topic areas: 1. questions which involve the personality of professional singers and their preparation for the performances; and 2. questions which involve the teaching and learning of singing. The interviews were recorded and later transcribed. The results were processed and categorised with the qualitative research software Nvivo 9. Results and Implications: The results showed that the most important requirements for the formation of a professional singer were the following: a suitable voice, the singer’s personality, physical and mental health, professional capability and professional skills. According to the results, all vocalists had developed their strategies and personal routine of daily activities in order to maintain physical and psychological readiness for performing and ensure coping with performance anxiety.
SUB-THEME: 2.2 FORMAL TEACHING OF SINGING ** Influencing the change: Investigating the development of a method of manipulating laryngeal development through adolescence ** Jennifer Martinec (The University of Western Ontario) jbeynonmartinec@gmail.com Jakub Martinec (The University of Western Ontario) jmart93@uwo.ca Abstract: Some modern scholars believe that training the young male singer prior to the voice change can help to make the voice change easier, less stressful and possibly more gradual. (Williams, 2013; Leck, 2009; Phillips, 1996; Swanson, 1961). The following questions guided the process of this study: Is it also possible to influence the end result of the change? Can the singer maintain the strengthened falsetto during and after the voice change? Is it possible to keep the alto/tenor access intact during the change so that the transition into an adult fach is easier or possibly more open? Is there a link between fachs before and after the voice change? Can a method of training be developed to aid singers throughout the change and influence the end result? Does the type or style of voice change play an integral role in determining the success of the seamless passaggio? Is the type of voice change a direct reflection of the experience and technical knowledge of the singer prior to the voice change? This study involved investigating voice change processes among many adolescent singers, and four different voice changes were classified: the expanding range, the gap between registers (two different parts – the soprano gap and the alto gap), the decreasing range (down to approx. 5- 8 notes in the middle, alto/ tenor register), and the boy who has few notes and those seem to change daily. In the study we found that there is a seamless passaggio and baritone/tenor access in boys with two of the four specific voice changes: the expanding range and the (soprano) gap between registers. In all cases, the training helped to increase the overall range and singing ability of the singer, making the change and growth easier to control and understand.
SUB-THEME: 2.2 FORMAL TEACHING OF SINGING ** A brief study about popular singing students' profile in Northeast Brazil ** Daniella da Cunha Gramani (Federal University of Paraiba, Brazil) daniellagramani@gmail.com Abstract: Popular singing workshops have been offered for the general community at the Federal University of Paraiba. This practice is a product of the “Voices’ Project”, an extension project of the Music Department. The main goal is offering popular singing classes to any people, particularly not to regular undergraduate or graduate music students. In order to create more efficient and appropriate classes for students' needs, they were invited to answer a questionnaire that investigated the profile of the singer. This work presents data of a survey conducted through an online form. The questionnaire was divided into four parts: (1) personal questions, as profession and education; (2) vocal health questions, i.e. information about hoarseness, allergies, voice care habits; (3) questions about previous experience with singing learning and (4) questions about professional performance, to students who have already worked as singers. The analysis provides an interesting profile of people interested in popular singing lesson in Northeast Brazil.
SUB-THEME: 2.2 FORMAL TEACHING OF SINGING ** Curricular Development, Singing Techniques & Rehearsal Strategies For Intergenerational Choirs ** Carol Beynon (The University Of Western Ontario) beynon@uwo.ca Jennifer Hutchison (The University Of Western Ontario) jenn_hutchison@yahoo.ca Liliya Nafikova (The University Of Western Ontario) lnafikova@hotmail.com Abstract: poster (members only viewing) We focus on the curricular and pedagogical strategies to develop the processes and protocols for successful intergenerational singing rehearsals. Based on our work with an Intergenerational Choir that combines the talents of adults with early onset Alzheimer’s disease and secondary school students, we report on the analysis of observations of and interviews with the conductor of this choir, and the rehearsal strategies that promoted effective singing in learning new repertoire, recall of older repertoire, and development of vocal techniques. (connects also to 3.2)
SUB-THEME: 2.3 TEACHING THROUGH SINGING ** Effect of singing voice on learning a novel language ** Henrietta Lempert (Department of Psychology, University of Toronto) lempert@psych.utoronto.ca JuHee Lim (Department of Psychology, University of Toronto) juhee.lim@mail.utoronto.ca Jing Ye (Department of Psychology, University of Toronto) jingle.ye@mail.utoronto.ca Sean Xu (Department of Psychology, University of Toronto) sean.xu@mail.utoronto.ca Raghavan Arunthavarajah (Department of Psychology, University of Toronto) raghavan.arun@mail.utoronto.ca Abstract: poster Singing and speaking share neural networks and have a common vocal apparatus. Are they equally efficacious for language learning? We examine this issue with two versions of an artificial language, a prefix version and suffix version. The language contains three word classes; ie-words (e.g., ietisol, tisolie), o-words (e.g., ohift, hifto) and a class without prefix/suffix markers called A-words (wadim, puser). In three study-test cycles, Introductory Psychology students heard sung or spoken exemplars of the language and were tested with spoken sentences for their ability to detect four types of rule violations: 1. Sentences must contain an o-word and ie-word (*hifto flengo); 2. Markers cannot be interchanged (*hiftie tisolo); 3. Sentences cannot start with an A-word (*puser hifto tisolie); and 4. A-words can only follow o-words (*hifto tisolie puser). In the singing condition, the notes were cues to the dependency of the A-word on the o-word (o-words and A-words were sung as E3, F3, and/or G3; ie-words were sung as E2, or down a tone, as F2 to G2). In the case of the suffix dialect, logistic regressions with a logit link for binary data indicated that the overall frequency of erroneous judgments did not differ in the Speaking and Singing groups (Ms, 1.65 and 1.60). Singing facilitated learning Rule 1 (Singing vs Speaking, Ms, 1.17 vs 2.29), whereas Speaking facilitated acquisition of Rule 3 (Speaking vs Singing, Ms, 0.71 vs 1.77). No effect of presentation format was seen for Rules 2 and 4. Data analyses for the prefix dialect are incomplete. However, results for the suffix dialect imply that singing enhanced analysis of the syllabic structure of word forms.
SUB-THEME: 2.3 TEACHING THROUGH SINGING ** Singing Identity: Teaching Music and Culture through Music for Children's Choir ** Yannis Samprovalakis (National & Kapodestrian University of Athens/Hellenic Music Centre) sabroval@yahoo.com Maria Hnaraki (Drexel University, Philadelphia PA) mh439@drexel.edu Abstract: The main idea is to show how through music educational material, such as the compositions for children choir and piano by George Lambelet set to poetry by Zacharias Papantoniou or an excerpt from the “Hymn to Liberty” (lyrics by Greece’s “national poet” Dionysios Solomos set to music by Yiannis Samprovalakis), one may teach Greek culture in general and music in particular. In addition, how one can teach culture (in “our” case Greek language and poetry) and music (e.g., meter, rhythm, modality, chromaticism, drone) through songs that make use of a monophonic, diphonic or even triphonic choir. To do so, our presentation showcases the aforementioned excerpt from the Greek national anthem that talks about the concept of discord (--which results to the deprivation of freedom). Throughout the years, several examples of disunity used to suppress the people can be illustrated. This way, through songs, audiences can also be introduced to politics and history. Musically, this is depicted by voices which follow opposite directions through the word painting composing technique, namely a way of writing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song. As a result, even if you do not know Greek, you could still be introduced to the concept of discord. (also connects to 3.1)
THEME 3 - SINGING AND WELL-BEING
SUB-THEME: 3.1 SINGING AND CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING ** Between Fun and Formality: Tensions and Experiences in Two Multicultural Choirs ** Godfrey Baldacchino (University of Prince Edward Island) gbaldacchino@upei.ca Anna Baldacchino (Independent researcher) abaldacchino59@gmail.com Blair Ellis (Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick) blairkellis@gmail.com Abstract: slides Singing is a specialized mode of communication and of free expression; it is used in most cultures to express fundamental emotions and meanings. In this regard, its spontaneity and improvisation is highly valued. And yet, singing is also subject to its own basic rules and principles – matters of voice, tonality, rhythm and pitch – that assume even more importance when people are expected to sing together, in some unison and harmony. These tensions between fun and formality will recur regularly in the context of choirs made up of volunteers who are essentially there to have a good time, relax and bond. In the case of multicultural choirs, the choristers may also bring along their own specific cultural understandings, and culturally specific expressions, of fun and formality, and of the desired or preferred balance the two. And, if these choirs are also song circles, with fairly flat authority structures, there is likely to be more discussion and debate, implicit and otherwise, about the nature of this balance. In this paper, these ideas are explored in the context of two multicultural choirs and song circles set up by and for university faculty, staff and students at the University of Prince Edward Island and Mount Allison University. The tone will be partly autobiographical, but semi-structured interviews with choir members will also be set up. Comparative analysis will be undertaken where possible.
SUB-THEME: 3.1 SINGING AND CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING ** Learning the Music of the Northern Tutchone culture ** Arla Good (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) agood@psych.ryerson.ca Dr. Frank Russo (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) russo@psych.ryerson.ca Kelly McShane (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) kmcshane@psych.ryerson.ca Introduction: Group singing and dancing has been found to increase self-esteem, confidence, and co-operative behaviour. Learning the music of one’s culture may promote cultural identity and a sense of community, which can be protective factors for wellbeing. To date, there has been limited initiative taken to promote Aboriginal traditions in rural communities using song. Method: Students from Eliza Van Bibber School in Pelly Crossing, Yukon participated in an 8-week program in which they learned their traditional song and dance. The songs and dances of the Northern Tutchone culture were incorporated into the curriculum such that twice a week included teachings of their own native language and culture through group singing and dancing. An evaluation was conducted to determine how the music program worked to achieve a positive outcome for the children and the community. Children were asked to complete a questionnaire before and after the program to examine wellness and cultural identity. Students and key stakeholders were interviewed following the conclusion of the program. Results: Several themes emerged from the student interviews including: program enjoyment, learning new skills, importance of traditional knowledge, pride and self-esteem, connecting with their aboriginal culture, and a sense of togetherness, both in the school and in the community. Key stakeholders of the program indicated a new bridge built between the school and the community. Discussion: The song and dance program provided students with an opportunity to learn about their culture and traditions in a fun and active way. Positive responses from community members and the students illustrate the relevance of this type of learning. Strengths and weaknesses of the program are discussed.
SUB-THEME: 3.1 SINGING AND CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING ** Effects of the use of AIRS materials on the teaching practice of two schools in Brazil: an analysis from the perspective of PONTES Approach ** Alda Oliveira (Federal University of Bahia, Brazil) alda@sonare.com.br Zuraida Bastião (Federal University of Bahia, Brazil) zuraida_ab@uol.com.br Angelita Broock (Federal University of Bahia, Brazil) angelbroock@gmail.com Abstract: slides This paper analyzes the authors´ experiences with the teachers who applied the AIRS materials with children from two Brazilian schools. The PONTES approach and its emphasis on pedagogic articulations (Oliveira, 2001, 2005, 2006a, 2006b, 2008, 2010; Bastião, 2009, 2011; Broock, 2009, 2013) was used as theoretical reference, besides other related studies. Procedures included a post-facto analysis of the field observations by the researchers as well as teachers and students interviews. AIRS materials (CDs, DVDs, songbook, PowerPoint, pre-test, pos-test and questionnaires) were given to the teachers with few specific directions by the researchers. Study showed that these teaching materials contributed to the development of PONTES competencies (Positivity, Observation, Naturalness, Technique, Expressiveness and Sensitivity) in different levels of achievement. Teachers were able to create their own strategies to motivate and organize students to learn and present to the researchers the different songs and cultural information from Brazil, China, Canada and Kenya. The least developed abilities were related to the articulations to pitch accuracy, the techniques for the healthy use of the voice, the pronunciation of the song lyrics and the creative use of body movements. The use of AIRS teaching materials was considered an effective tool, more for the generalist teachers than for the music teachers. Analysis showed that it is possible to have generalist teachers to be involved in musical activities in the classroom, given adequate teaching materials and stimulating support by specialists. This support had implications for the development of musical, cultural and pedagogic articulations between teachers and research team. Method: This study focuses on a post-facto analysis of the effects of the use of AIRS materials on the teaching practices of two Brazilian schools, using as theoretical basis the PONTES Approach and the competencies the teacher needs to develop pedagogic and articulated actions. The Brazilian schools were Centro Educational Santo Antonio — CESA (public) and 2 de Julho (private), from the city of Salvador, State of Bahia. Two grade five classes (10-11 year-old children) with their teachers were involved in the project. One class learned only the cultural information (control class) and the other (experimental class) learned the cultures and the songs from Brazil, China, Canada and Kenya. AIRS materials were given to the teachers with few specific directions by the researchers. These teaching materials included audio recordings containing 24 songs (six songs for each country), PowerPoint slides, demonstration videos, songbook with song materials and cultural information, pre-test, post-test and questionnaires. In the public school the project was done mainly by generalist teachers. The music teacher only participated in the project practically in the final moments. In private school the research was applied only by the music teacher in both classes. This post-facto analysis considers all data collected through interviews with teachers and students plus the field observations by the Brazilian team of researchers. Two longitudinal visits were done by the researchers in the public school in 2013 to help teachers to develop and include musical activities in the school curriculum. Results: Results showed that the AIRS teaching materials applied by the participant teachers from two Brazilian schools with the support of the research specialists contributed to the development of PONTES competencies. The teachers were able to create their own strategies and ideas to motivate and organize students to learn the different songs and cultural information from Brazil, China, Canada and Kenya. The use of the materials facilitated learning among the students, especially for the articulations developed by the public schools teachers. However, the activities varied in technical and musical quality as well in relation to learning effectiveness for the development of the students. The results of the music teacher at the private school showed that he had lack of confidence to teach more detailed musical activities using the selected songs. Although he had more musical knowledge, the classroom teachers demonstrated more personal involvement with the learning of the curricular contents, they had more knowledge about the students because they stayed more time in the classroom. In contrast, the music teacher demonstrated competencies related to Positivity and Technique. The least developed abilities by the teachers from both schools were related to the articulations to pitch accuracy, to the techniques for the healthy use of the voice, to the pronunciation of the song lyrics and to the creative use of body movements. Analysis showed that it is possible to have generalist teachers to be involved in musical activities in the classroom, given adequate teaching materials and stimulating support by specialists. This support had implications for the development of musical, cultural and pedagogic articulations between teachers and research team. Discussion: The AIRS international project on cultural understanding stimulated the Brazilian team of researchers to work with collaboration and friendship: supervisor, ex-doctoral student and doctoral student. They produced texts, did school visits, analyzed the data and discussed the problems and solutions. These articulatory processes were very relevant for the development of teachers´ professional roles, especially the ability to work in groups and work with different international and regional educational contexts. Support provided by the AIRS specialists have promoted collaborative, creative and stimulating educational processes in both schools. Authors recommend that the teacher education at the universities should emphasize de theory and the practice of the competencies related to articulated and connected educational processes. The contemporary music teacher needs to be adapted to the changes of the society, developing multicultural, creative and multi-institutional artistic experiences in schools and communities.
SUB-THEME: 3.1 SINGING AND CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING ** Singing: Its relations to cultural communication and transformative learning ** Jim Sparks (Simon Fraser University) jsparks@sfu.ca Dr. Susan O’Neill (Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC) sao@sfu.ca Introduction: In today's digital age, we have access to global cultural expressions yet the possibility of understanding cultural and political barriers is still limited without an educative practice. As an educator and leader of singing, I am keenly interested in ways in which cultural singing expressions inform understandings leading to transformative views. My research into cultural communication in four case studies suggest ways to inform education practices in Canada and in turn contribute to cultural communication, singing engagement and transformative learning in this multi-ethnic nation. The present study outlined below focuses on an educative practice of singing engagement and meaning making through musical characteristics of pulse (regular and flexible), tonal quality (timbre) and narrative (Malloch &Trevarthen, 2009) as a means to transformative learning in singing. Method: My study uses a qualitative, emergent design to build on and extend our understanding of existing theory and practice focused on the interdependent relations between skill and expression in choral singing with youth. Data have been collected from interviews and surveys from 60 singers between the ages of 15-18 years (15 males,45 female) to establish transformative views on singing skill, expression through vocal tone quality, perceiving and generating pulse (regular and flexible ebb and flow), and narrative (meaning making). Results: Preliminary analysis shows a significant increase in self awareness of: singing skill (vocal tone), engagement of embodied meaning (narrative) and group unified pulse. There is some connection to the origin of cultural repertoire, and a great deal of increase in empathic response to the narrative, character as well as the personal narratives of the singers in the choir. The responses indicate that singing was the catalyst for transformative engagement/learning. Discussion: The dimensions of youth empowerment, leadership and social responsibility can be embedded in the processes of singing practice and performance. The transformed views of youth suggest singing can be a catalyst for these three dimensions.
SUB-THEME: 3.1 SINGING AND CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING ** Quadcultural Singing and Cultural Understanding Project ** Lily Chen-Hafteck (Music Education, Kean University, Union, NJ USA) lhafteck@ucla.edu Nancy Gleason (Music Education, Kean University, Union, NJ USA) nancy.gleason@ebs.com Daniel Aponte (Music Education, Kean University, Union, NJ USA) apontdan@kean.edu Elizabeth Andang’o (Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya) betsango@yahoo.com Angelita Broock (Federal University of Bahia, Brazil) angelbroock@gmail.com Zuraida Bastião (Federal University of Bahia, Brazil) zuraida_ab@uol.com.br Alda Oliveira (Federal University of Bahia, Brazil) alda@sonare.com.br Yue Xiao (China Conservatory of Music, China) xiaoyueliang1207@126.com Jiaxing Xie (China Conservatory of Music, China) xiejiaxing@163.net Kelly Gillis (University of Prince Edward Island) ksgillis@upei.ca Bing-Yi Pan (University of Prince Edward Island) panbingyi@gmail.com Annabel J. Cohen (University of Prince Edward Island, Music PEI) acohen@upei.ca Arla Good (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) agood@psych.ryerson.ca Frank Russo (Department of Psychology, Ryerson University) russo@psych.ryerson.ca Abstract: poster The purpose of this AIRS study was to investigate whether singing songs from foreign cultures leads to increased understanding of those cultures. Between February and October 2012, 439 children from four countries (Brazil, Canada, China and Kenya) participated in the research project. Over the span of 12 weeks, they learned six traditional songs from each country, a total of 24 songs, together with background information about the songs and cultures. Teaching materials included a songbook, slides in three languages (Chinese, English and Portuguese), and demonstration videos produced to support and facilitate teaching the songs. Two schools in each country and two classes of children from each, ages 10-11, participated. One class learned both the cultural information and songs while the other class learned only the cultural information. Children answered a questionnaire before and after the study to assess attitudes toward the people from the four countries. A questionnaire was administered after the unit on each country, asking their opinion of the songs. Interviews were conducted with teachers and children at the end of the research. Teachers wrote a report on their lesson observations and children’s responses. Some lessons were observed and video-recorded. Children were also interviewed. Data analysis is on-going. Preliminary results showed that although the overall differences between pre- and post-test are not significant in both experimental and control groups, school factors play an important role in the effects. For instance, the rural Chinese school and the Kenyan school in a low-income urban district demonstrated a stronger positive influence on cultural understanding among the experimental group than the control group. Further investigation into the children’s interview data, by coding text into levels of cultural understanding, is yielding interesting insights.
SUB-THEME: 3.1 SINGING AND INTERGENERATIONAL UNDERSTANDING ** Effects of Singing vs Non-Singing Activities on Older Americans ** poster Lily Chen-Hafteck (Music Education, Kean University, Union, NJ USA) lhafteck@ucla.edu Nancy Gleason (Music Education, Kean University, Union, NJ USA) nancy.gleason@ebs.com
SUB-THEME: 3.2 SINGING AND INTERGENERATIONAL UNDERSTANDING ** Elders, children, and meaning-making: The print literacy opportunities afforded by an intergenerational multimodal curriculum featuring song and iPads ** Lori McKee (Faculty of Education, Western University, London, ON) lmckee@uwo.ca Rachel Heydon (Faculty of Education, Western University, London, ON) rheydon@uwo.ca Dr. Susan O’Neill (Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC) sao@sfu.ca Jennifer Rowsell (Faculty of Education, Brock University, St. Catherines, ON) jrowsell@brocku.ca Abstract: The advent of digital and multimodal texts in the 21st century has impacted the ways children produce and make meaning from texts (Sanders & Albers, 2010) and have even expanded the definition of text to include digital texts, information texts, picture books or graphic texts that require the simultaneous processing of print, image, movement, graphics, animation, sound, music, and gesture (Walsh, 2011). The change in technologies calls for a change in pedagogies, but traditional literacy practices prevail in many classrooms (Wohlwend, 2009). This study explored the opportunities for print literacy learning and practices within multimodal ensembles that featured the use of art, singing, and digital media (e.g., iPads). The term multimodal ensemble comes from music and is “suggestive of discrete parts brought together as a synthesized whole, where modes, like melodies played on different instruments, are interrelated in complex ways” (MODE, 2012). Study questions concerned how reading and writing were practiced and what learning opportunities were afforded for them during an intergenerational program that united 13 kindergarten children with 7 elders to work through a chain of multimodal projects intended to expand participants’ communication options and build relationships. Data were collected through ethnographic tools in the Rest Home where the projects were completed and in the children’s classroom where project content and tools were introduced and extended. Themes were identified through the juxtaposition of field texts and “portraits” (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000, p. 163). Results indicate that the ensembles afforded children opportunities to improvise and refine their print literacy practices through a process of rehearsal and that relationship, forged through opportunities for shared multimodal practices (e.g., singing to rehearse writing), supported print literacy. The study suggests that intergenerational multimodal curricula that feature song can be powerful contributors to children’s print literacy acquisition.
SUB-THEME: 3.2 SINGING AND INTERGENERATIONAL UNDERSTANDING ** Sense Making: Well-being through Intergenerational Mulitmodal Curricula Based in Song: An Overview of the Intergenerational Understanding Sub-Theme Book Project ** Dr. Rachel Heydon (Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, London, ON) rheydon@uwo.ca Carol Beynon (Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, London, ON) beynon@uwo.ca Susan O'Neill (Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC) sao@sfu.ca Abstract: Intergenerational learning programs have been credited with positively contributing to the well-being of both child and elder participants as they provide opportunities for the creation of relationships and expansion of communication and identity options. The Intergenerational Understanding Sub-Theme of AIRS has completed a draft of a comprehensive volume related to their program development and studies of intergenerational multimodal arts programs that feature singing. Entitled Sense Making, the book invites readers to explore well-being through intergenerational learning within and through multimodal curricula that feature song, the sense-filled stories of people who have lived these curricula, and the practical materials that can be a means to creating their own poignant tales. The book is divided into six chapters. Chapter one orients readers to definitions of well-being, the multimodal theoretical underpinnings of the curricula we developed, the affordances of singing, the state of intergenerational singing programs, and our studies. Chapter two provides fundamentals of developing intergenerational programs including what needs to be in place within a setting, recruitment and retention of participants, and variants of singing for children and elders. The next chapters relay our curricula conveying, for example, the scope and sequence lessons and what actually happened when we implemented the curricula. To provide a nuanced and dynamic sense of our findings, we structured the chapter through narratives which we created through a triangulation of data (e.g., field notes, interviews with participants, video-tapes, reflections on lesson plans, artifacts of work including visual texts and audio recordings of singing) from a variety of viewpoints (i.e., through discussions and collaborations of researchers). Chapter five enlarges our conception of well-being to include the notion of generativity and how the curricula promoted intergenerational relationships through it. Finally, chapter six synthesizes the findings from all chapters and highlights key lessons for intergenerational practitioners and researchers.
SUB-THEME: 3.2 SINGING AND INTERGENERATIONAL UNDERSTANDING ** “Whatever it is, just sing your song” Lessons from intergenerational singing ** Carol Beynon (The University Of Western Ontario, London, ON) beynon@uwo.ca Jennifer Hutchison (The University Of Western Ontario) jenn_hutchison@yahoo.ca Abstract: poster (members only viewing) It is commonly accepted that the benefits of musicking are extensive and far-reaching across the various stages of one's lifespan. Understanding the impact of an intergenerational singing program that brings seniors affected by Alzheimer's together with secondary school students, highlights the importance of developing meaningful relationships with others through song. Furthermore, the power of personally connecting with music and reminiscing through music carries many perceived cognitive, social, spiritual and physiological benefits. To what extent these benefits are perceived and experienced is the focus of our current research related to health well-being through singing. In this presentation, we describe and demonstrate our current initiative in intergenerational singing, and talk about the recurring themes, identified by the students, seniors, caregivers and administrative staff involved in these shared musically enriching experiences.
SUB-THEME: 3.2 SINGING AND INTERGENERATIONAL UNDERSTANDING ** Can Choirs Influence the Natural Change of the Voice? ** poster Jennifer Beynon-Martinec(The University of Western Ontario) jbeynonmartinec@gmail.com Jakub Martinec (The University of Western Ontario) jmart93@uwo.ca
SUB-THEME: 3.2 SINGING AND INTERGENERATIONAL UNDERSTANDING ** Intergenerational Choir Programs: Enhancing the Quality of Life for People with Dementia ** slides (members only viewing) Carol Beynon (The University Of Western Ontario, London, ON) beynon@uwo.ca Jennifer Hutchison (The University Of Western Ontario) jenn_hutchison@yahoo.ca Liliya Nafikova(Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, London ON) lnafikova@hotmail.com
SUB-THEME: 3.2 SINGING AND INTERGENERATIONAL UNDERSTANDING ** Elders Connecting to Young People Through Singing: Evidence of Generativity in an Intergenerational Program ** Susan O'Neill (Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University) sao@sfu.ca Rachel Heydon (Faculty of Education, Western University, London, ON) rheydon@uwo.ca Abstract: slides Introduction: Intergenerational (IG) programs are built on the assumption that human development is a life-long process and that important opportunities for promoting engagement and wellbeing are created when young and old interact (Desouza, 2007). This study explored patterns of relationships connecting elders’ IG singing engagement, generativity, and wellbeing with that of young children in an IG singing program. Generativity refers to an older adult’s concern for and commitment to the learning and wellbeing of the next generation (McAdams, 1992). Although generativity is mainly about helping young people, it has been found to be beneficial to the health and wellbeing of older adults. Method: In this study, the singing and IG interactions of 20 older adults (aged 74-94 years) and 12 children (aged 10 months to three years old) were observed and videotaped during a six-week IG music program. Interactions between the children and older adults were examined in terms of who initiated the interactions, verbal and non-verbal behaviours (eye contact, physical contact, facial expressions, body language, gesture, smile), and whether singing was a mediator for the interactions. The elders were interviewed using a life-script narrative approach. Results: Results indicated a positive relationship between characteristics of generativity and wellbeing that increased when elders felt they were connecting with the children through shared musical interactions. The analysis explored five generativity themes: creating, maintaining, helping and offering, intergenerational involvement, symbolic immortality. These themes revealed a key difference between the aims of IG singing programs and generativity characteristics. The most prominent interactions associated with singing supported maintaining, helping and offering, and symbolic immortality, whereas creating and intergenerational involvement featured less during singing activities. Discussion: Curricula and pedagogical strategies for achieving these interactions will be presented, as well as directions for future research.
SUB-THEME: 3.3 HEALTH BENEFITS OF SINGING ** The Use of Singing to Promote Health and Well Being for Adults with High Functioning Autism or Asperger's Syndrome ** Dr. Laurel Young (Creative Arts Therapies Dept., Concordia University) laurel.young68@gmail.com Abstract: Introduction: Although previous research has indicated that singing can have positive health outcomes for the general population (i.e., improved mood, increased self-esteem/confidence, increased feelings of well being, improved respiration, positive impacts on the immune system, etc.) the relevance of these findings for many special needs populations has not been fully explored. The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of a structured weekly singing group on the health and well-being of adults who have a diagnosis of high functioning Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. Method: Exploratory study with an emphasis on qualitative data analysis but using some descriptive statistics to help inform interpretation of these results (mixed methods embedded design). Twelve, 1.5 hour, group singing sessions were held over a 10-week period. Singing/vocal experiences were designed to meet expressed/implied needs of participants. Individual interviews were conducted both before and after the 10-week period. Results: It is anticipated that quality of life health related variables (related to singing) that are relevant to this sample may be identified and may have applications to the clinical population at large. Potential indications and contraindications for the use of singing to promote health and well being with this clinical population may also be identified. Discussion: This project will hopefully be the first of several conducted at Concordia University’s Centre for Arts in Human Development (CAHD) that will aid in the development of specific models of singing/vocal techniques that can be used in both clinical and non-clinical (i.e., community) contexts with individuals who have a variety of complex or special needs (e.g., individuals with cancer, physical disabilities, dementia, etc.). Furthermore, the results of this research and of future studies will be used to develop training workshops for music therapists, musicians, other health professionals, and/or educators who want to develop high quality and effective singing programs for persons with complex or special needs.
SUB-THEME: 3.3 HEALTH BENEFITS OF SINGING ** Beyond Singer vs. Non-Singer in Singing, Health and Well-Being: Development and Testing of the Singing Experience Scale ** Mary Gick ((Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON) mary_gick@carleton.ca Sally Busch (Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON) sallylbusch@gmail.com Abstract: Research suggests that singing may be beneficial to physical health as well as psychological and social well-being. However, this area of research is plagued by methodological shortcomings including limited consideration of variation in singing-related variables that may influence who benefits from singing and why (Clift et al., 2010; Gick, 2011). In the present study, a new measure – the Singing Experience (SE) scale – was developed. Literature review, focus groups, and the biopsychosocial model (Engel, 1977) were used to define the scope of the scale and generate items. Expert feedback on the theoretical basis and items for the scale was obtained from members of Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing (N = 12) and used to revise the scale. In large sample testing (N = 213), item-level and factor analyses revealed a unified, 23-item scale that was highly reliable and demonstrated significant relationships with health and well-being measures. Exploratory analyses also suggested that relationships between singing experience and well-being may vary depending on group membership (choir member vs. general population). Although continued testing of the SE scale is needed, this study presents a new, continuous measure with promising characteristics that may facilitate future research into the relationships among singing, health, and well-being.
SUB-THEME: 3.3 HEALTH BENEFITS OF SINGING ** Keeping Momentum Going: Buddy's Glee Club Phase Two ** Amy Clements-Cortes (Baycrest Centre, Toronto, ON) notesbyamy2@yahoo.ca
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the physical, psychological, social, and emotional effects of singing in a weekly choir facilitated by a music therapist for both cognitively intact and cognitively impaired older adults. The specific questions addressed were: Method: For 16 weeks, participants sang in a weekly 45 minute choir session. Mood, pain, anxiety, happiness, and energy were rated at the beginning and end of each choral session. Interviews were conducted at the completion of the study with all participants. Results: The average scores of all participant responses showed that for each of the 16 sessions, happiness and mood increased from pre to post test. Energy increased for 14 sessions, pain decreased for 14 sessions, and anxiety decreased for 11 out of 16 sessions. Qualitative data saw the emergence of nine major themes: community building/making friends; special moments; climate of positivity; music is therapy; singing makes me feel well/keeps me going; no anxiety at glee; increased mood, energy and alertness; I can do it; and, I love to sing. Discussion: The data demonstrate that for both cognitively intact and cognitively impaired older adults, singing was a beneficial intervention to improve mood, happiness, and energy, and decrease pain and anxiety on a weekly basis. The data do not show that the choral sessions were effective in gradual and long-lasting increases on those measures. The plans for Phase Three of the study will also be shared.
SUB-THEME: 3.3 HEALTH BENEFITS OF SINGING ** Exploring the implementation of a model of health promotion based on singing groups developed in England to the Italian cultural context ** Elisabetta Corvo (Canterbury Christ Church University) e.corvo210@canterbury.ac.uk Stephen Clift (Canterbury Christ Church University) s.clift@btinternet.com Abstract: Introduction: To assess whether a UK model of health promotion for older people based on singing can be successfully implemented in an Italian socio-cultural context. The Europe Union has worked to promote standardized activities in all areas across members states including public health and health promotion. This is supported by programmes of exchanges so that professionals in the health field can learn from best practices in other countries. This paper is concerned with an attempt to learn from an innovative health promotion model for older people through singing developed in a member state (the UK) and implemented in another (Italy). [relevant also to 3.1] Method: Three singing groups were set up to discover the feasibility of implementing the UK model in the city of Rome. Questionnaires specially devised for the purpose of evaluating this initiative were administrated to 45 participants and focus group discussions were conducted with 15 participants. Results: The study produced promising outcomes. The UK model with suitable Italian modifications was welcomed and valuated by participants. The project highlighted the need to adapt models of health promotion in order to successfully operate in a different cultural context. Singing, therefore, appears to be a universal language which transcends national boundaries and can be used in the service of promoting well-being of older people. Discussion: In order to transplant a model of health promotion developed in one national context appropriate modifications are need to ensure its acceptability in other cultural settings. This has been successfully accomplished with a UK model of singing groups for older people implemented in Rome.
SUB-THEME: 3.3 HEALTH BENEFITS OF SINGING ** Singing and Well-being: are Italian and English similar? ** Elisabetta Corvo (Canterbury Christ Church University) e.corvo210@canterbury.ac.uk Ann Skingley (Canterbury Christ Church University) ann.skingley@canterbury.ac.uk Stephen Clift (Canterbury Christ Church University) s.clift@btinternet.com Julita Sansoni (University of Rome) Abstract: slides (members only viewing) Introduction: To assess were whether an approach to promote well-being in older people through singing developed in UK could have similar benefits for older people in Italy.The De Haan Centre has recently conducted a randomised controlled trial on the benefits of community singing for older people, which demonstrated significant improvements in the mental wellbeing and participants in weekly singing over three months compared to a usual activities control. Method: Three singing groups were set up in Italy based on a modification of the model developed in the UK, 12 weeks of singing were provided for 41 of older people and standardized measures of quality of life and well-being, as used in the UK study (York SF12 and EQ5D) were taken at baseline, end of singing and three month later as follow up. Results: The Italian studied demonstrated that engagement with and experience of singing mirror that found in the UK study, and that participation in singing was associated with measureable benefits for personal well-being. Findings from the evaluation are reported and comparisons with the results obtained from research conducted in the UK are discussed. Discussion: Singing can be a universal language which transcends national boundaries and can be used in the service of promoting well-being of older people
SUB-THEME: 3.3 HEALTH BENEFITS OF SINGING ** Effects of Singing vs. Non-Singing Group Activities on the Well-Being of Older Americans ** Nancy Gleason (Music Education, Kean University, Union, NJ USA) nancy.gleason@ebs.com Abstract:
This is a case study to investigate whether there are any differences in how participation in singing and non-singing group activities affects the health and well-being of older adults (age 65+). The project includes observation of and interviews with participants who are involved in singing and non-singing group activities. Information will be gathered about the health and well-being of the participants, as well as any self-perceived benefits, and reasons for participation. Key questions to be addressed include: |
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Biographies |
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Stéphanie Boisvert is a Ph.D student in music education at Laval University as well as a full time elementary music teacher. She is currently implementing her research project that examines the effect of hand gestures on the singing performance of kindergarten’s children. She works under the supervision of Dr. Jonathan Bolduc and Dr. Maria Teresa Moreno Sala. |
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Maria Teresa Moreno Sala (Maite Moreno) is an associate professor at the Laval University and coordinator of the aural skills program. She received his B. Mus in piano, recorder and music theory from the Conservatoire of Barcelona, (CSMMB, Spain), a M.M. in music theory from the same institution and a M. in music education from Laval University (Quebec, Canada). Moreover, she received a Ph. D. for McGill University (Montreal, Canada). She has also taught on the music department of the Quebec University at Montreal, and has a large experience teaching ear training, instrumental music, and music education, with children and adults, in Barcelona (Spain) and in Quebec (Canada). Her research interest includes auditory perception and cognition, aural skills acquisition as much in adults as in children, and aural skills didactic and pedagogy. |
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Christine Tsang is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Huron University College at the University of Western Ontario. She has published several research articles on the development of music perception and cognition. Her many research interests include examining the effect of context on infant musical preferences, multimodal perception of music during infancy, and the role of music training on language and cognitive development. Christine is also a classically trained pianist, and in recent years has started playing the violin. |
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Laurel Trainor is a Professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour at McMaster University, a Research Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, and the Director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind (MIMM). She is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, and an Innovator of Distinction. She has pioneered the study of musical development, showing that infants acquire the music system of their culture without instruction, just as they acquire language. Her work on rhythm perception shows that listening to a beat activates motor networks in the brain even in the absence of movement, and that this multisensory interaction is reflected in oscillatory networks that can be measured with EEG and MEG. Her studies show further that synchronous movement to a musical beat increases prosocial behavior even in infants. Laurel is also engaged in research using objective measures to study a wide range of auditory perceptual abilities under amplification by different hearing aid algorithms. Laurel is the founding director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind. Laurel also has a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Toronto, likes playing chamber music, and is currently principal flute of Symphony Hamilton. |
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Jonathan Bolduc conducts research on the impact of music on learning at the preschool and elementary levels. He is an associate professor in the Faculty of Music at the University Laval and director of the Music and Literacy Research Lab. |
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Caroline Pacheco, singer and recorder player, is currently a lecturer in music education at the Federal University of Paraiba. She holds music degrees from the Escola de Música e Belas Artes do Paraná (undergraduate and post-graduate), and Federal University of Parana (master of music). An active performer and former member of the prestigious vocal group Brasileirão with whom she recorded Chico Buarque and Edu Lobo songs. She has experience and interest in the areas of cognition in music, music education, musical development and literacy acquisition of children. |
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Dr. Beatriz Ilari was Associate Professor of Music Education at the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil for several years before joining the faculty of the University of Southern California, USA in 2011. Her research focuses on child development and learning, culture and cognition, and has been published in diverse journals including the International Journal of Music Education, Research Studies in Music Education, and the Journal of Research in Music Education. She is currently affiliated with the Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing research team, and with USC’s Brain and Creativity Institute. |
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Lisa Chan is a PhD student in psychology at Ryerson University, and specializes in music cognition and perception. She also holds an A.R.C.T. in both Piano Performance and Piano Teaching from the Royal Conservatory of Music. |
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Frank Russo is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University and an Adjunct Scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. During the 2012-2013 academic year, he is also the inaugural Ryerson Fellow at Massey College, Visiting Scientist at Phonak, and Visiting Professor at the Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich. Frank currently serves on the editorial boards of Music Perception, Music Therapy, Psychomusicology, and Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, and is the Editor-in-chief of Canadian Acoustics. He is the Leader of AIRS Theme 1 (Development) and co- leads the sub-theme 1.1 on Multimodal Aspects of Singing. |
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Niusha Ghazban (M.A. 2009, Ryerson University; B.Sc. 2007, McMaster University) is a fourth year doctoral student under the supervision of Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau, in collaboration with Drs. Frank Russo at Ryerson University, and Dr. Sandra Trehub at University of Toronto. With over 7 years of research experience examining infants’ cognitive and perceptual processes, she has presented at various professional meetings such as International Conference on Infant Studies (ICIS) and Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). She has served as the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Developmental Section Student Representative (2008-2011) and is currently serving as AIRS’s Student Representative (Theme 1). For her doctoral comprehensive, she conducted a major review paper examining mother-infant synchronous interactions from prenatal to toddlerhood as well as in clinical populations when the natural bond and attachment are disrupted. Her doctoral dissertation focuses on emotion regulation through maternal singing after an acute stressor using the Face-to-Face Still-Face (FFSF) Paradigm (Tronick et al., 1978). The first part of Ghazban’s project examines how maternal singing and speech can help to alleviate stress in 10-month old infants, while the second study examines whether a mother’s soothing or playful singing is most effective in regulating infants’ emotions. These studies highlight the notion that music and song are a form of “distal communication” that can modulate arousal and attention when physical proximity to soothe the infant is not possible (e.g., driving in a car). |
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Sabrina Aimola (B.A., Ryerson University, 2013). I have recently obtained my bachelor’s degree at Ryerson University. It was through the elective courses that I became involved with psychology. I decided to minor in the field in order to increase my knowledge. Once I discovered the field of psychology I began to research the lab positions that Ryerson University offered. In September 2010, I joined Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau’s, Dean of Arts, (CHILD) Lab, who taught me the procedures of research. My experience began by assisting a Ph. D. student, Niusha Ghazban, with her maternal singing and speech study. I began my involvement by recruiting participants for the study, which evolved into my assisting in running the study. I became responsible for collecting the physiology data which included organizing and monitoring the galvanic skin responses (GSR) from the infants. Through my involvement in the research at the CHILD lab, I have also had the opportunity to present a research project at the International Conference on Infant Studies (ICIS, 2012). In addition, I was responsible for obtaining and coding the behavioural data. I gathered the behavioural videos and amalgamated them in order to analyze the infants’ behaviour. I examined the infants’ behaviour by looking at their reactions towards their mothers throughout each phase. |
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Natalie Ein (B.A, Ryerson University, 2013). I have recently obtained my undergraduate degree at Ryerson University and will begin my Master’s degree in September 2013 under the supervision of Dr. Kristin Vickers. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I became fascinated in the field of Psychology and I pursued a research assistant position in the C.H.I.L.D. Laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau in 2010. I became particularly interested in projects related to mother-infant interactions and emotion regulation through singing, and began to work closely on these projects with Ph.D. student, Niusha Ghazban. In my capacity, I was responsible for recruiting participants as well as data collection and coding using both behavioural and physiological measures. I have had the opportunity to present a segment of a project as an author at the International Conference on Infant Studies (ICIS, 2012), and I am grateful to AIRS, Dr. Frank Russo as well as my supervisor Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau and Niusha Ghazban for this experience. I plan on continuing my education to graduate school and continue in research investigating the long- and short-term effects of music and relaxation therapy in children and adults. |
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Jean-Paul Boudreau (PhD, 1997, Tufts University in Boston) is Professor of Psychology and Dean of Arts at Ryerson University. He is Director of the Cognition, Health, Infancy, Learning, Development (CHILD) Laboratory, training home to a thriving undergraduate and graduate student community. His scholarly interests in developmental science include the study of perception, action, and cognition in the first year; the interaction of social-cognition and goal-directed behavior; and the cognitive-neuromotor aspects of childhood disorders, including ASD. Boudreau has published in numerous journals and volumes including Child Development, Infant Behaviour and Development, Journal of Experimental Brain Research, and in The Psychobiology of the Hand. He is on the Editorial Board of Infant Behaviour and Development and a regular contributor to ICIS and SRCD review panels and conventions. Finally, Boudreau is involved in NSERC, SSHRC, and CFHSS, and has served as CPA Board member and is current Chair of the Developmental Section. |
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Sandra Trehub, who obtained her doctorate from McGill University in 1973, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Toronto and Visiting Professor at the International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS) at the Université de Montréal. She has published extensively on infants’ perception of music and parents’ songs to infants. Although most of her research is conducted in her laboratory, she sometimes travels to remote regions of the world to observe mothers’ musical interactions with infants. She has delivered invited lectures throughout North America, as well as in South America, Europe, and Asia and has published over 150 articles. She is the AIRS Co-leader for Sub-theme 1.2 Multimodal Perspectives on Singing. |
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Petra Hauf has a Doctoral degree from the University of Frankfurt, and previously worked as a Senior Research Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany. Since 2006 she is a Psychology Professor at St. Francis Xavier University and a Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Development. One line of her research focuses on infant motor and cognitive development, especially on the development of action and emotion understanding. Furthermore she is interested in how young infants process infant-directed singing and speaking. |
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Sara Murphy is currently an undergraduate student finishing her final year at St. Francis Xavier University. Since November 2010, she has been working for Dr. Hauf as a research assistant in the Infant Action and Cognition Lab, giving her the opportunity to expand her knowledge in Developmental Psychology. She plans to continue her education through graduate studies in Industrial/Organizational Psychology in future years. |
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Lucy McGarry is a PhD student at Ryerson University. Lucy is interested in the role of action simulation in understanding the intentions and emotions of others, and the use of dance training to aid in musical and general emotional understanding. She is also interested in the potential uses of neurofeedback and mirroring therapy to aid empathy training in autism. Using physiological techniques as well as EEG and fMRI, she wishes to explore the neural and peripheral underpinnings of emotional contagion and emotional understanding in song. |
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Laura Välja is currently finishing her master’s studies in musicology at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. The subject of her thesis is the musical development of Estonian children. She has used the AIRS Test Battery for data collection. Laura has a bachelor’s degree in musicology (2011) from Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. In Tallinn Music High School her major was the violin (graduated in 2004), now she is studying percussion instruments as another major. Laura is presently working part-time for the classical music channel of Estonian Public Broadcasting. She is also a freelance musician and performs on percussion instruments. |
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The subject of Marju Raju's PhD thesis is the musical development of children, and she is using the AIRS Test Battery for data collection in Estonia. Marju has a MSc in psychology (2007) form Tallinn University and an MA in musicology (2008) from Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She has published in scholarly journals such as Musicae Scientiae, Psychology of Music, Res Musica, and Trames. Marju is employed in the civil service. She is working as an analyst at the Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia where she is responsible for co-ordination of research projects and conducting analysis on gender related topics. Marju is currently on maternity leave with her baby Marie Selena and is planning to return to her studies in the autumn of 2013. |
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Jaan Ross has obtained PhDs in musicology from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius, and in psychology from the Abo Academy University in Turku, Finland. His research is focused on analysis and perception of music and speech sounds. He has more than 150 publications, including a book The temporal structure of Estonian runic songs (with Ilse Lehiste, Mouton de Gruyter, 2001) and an edited volume Encapsulated voices: Estonian sound recordings from the German prisoner-of-war camps in 1916-1918 (Böhlau, 2012). He is also the author of a textbook on psychology of music, which was published in Estonian (University of Tartu, 2007). In 2003, Jaan Ross was elected a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences. Currently he is a member of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM) executive council and of editorial boards of a number of scholarly journals. |
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Helga Rut Gudmundsdottir is an Assistant Professor at the University of Iceland School of Education. Helga founded the Iceland Center for Music Research in February 2011. She is the chair of the Center and has organized three conferences on music research since its founding. Helga is on sabbatical leave during the academic year 2012-2013, working as a visiting professor at the Brams laboratories in Montreal. Helga's area of research is within music education and development. She has conducted research in the area of children’s musical development, music perception and music reading skills. Helga has been collaborating with Sandra E. Trehub at the Brams on research projects involving singing in early childhood. Helga is the Leader for AIRS Theme 2, and the leader of Sub-theme 2.1 Learning to Sing Naturally. |
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Meryl Sole is a doctoral student in Music and Music Education at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College. She has a master’s degree in French horn performance from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in music history and music theory from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently a full-time faculty member at the University of New Haven where she teaches music history, theory and brass. Prior to starting her doctorate at TC, Meryl freelanced as a horn player with local NY orchestras. Meryl’s research focuses on toddlers (ages 18-36 months) and the spontaneous songs they sing when they are alone before they fall asleep. Her study is inspired by Dr. Lori Custodero’s work with young children and her own experiences with her three year-old daughter. |
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Lori Custodero is an Associate Professor of Music and Music Education, at Columbia University's Teacher's College. She established an Early Childhood Music concentration at Teachers College that integrates pedagogy and research through both theory and practice. Her background includes degrees in piano performance and music theory: her doctorate in music education is from the University of Southern California. Prof. Custodero's research has focused on children from infancy through preadolescence, and adults as musicians, teachers, and parents. She has presented and published on issues of musical challenge, engagement, and meaning in classrooms, playgrounds, and family settings; recent titles include "Singing Practices in Ten Families" and "Passing the Cultural Torch: Musical Experience and Musical Parenting of Infants" (Journal for Research in Music Education); "Observational Indicators of Flow Experience: A Developmental Perspective of Musical Engagement in Young Children from Infancy to School Age" (Music Education Research); and "'Being With': The Resonant Legacy of Childhood's Creative Aesthetic" (Journal of Aesthetic Education). Prof. Custodero has served in various professional leadership roles including Co-Chair of the Music Educators National Conference's Special Research Interest Group for Early Childhood. She is interested in international issues of music education, and has been involved in a multi-national study on the spontaneous musical behaviors of young children. In addition to the international work, Prof. Custodero has developed music programs with many local institutions in NYC. |
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Karen Howard received her B.Mus.Ed and M.Mus.Ed from the University of Hartford. During her 20 years as a music educator, she has taught elementary and middle school general music and choir. She has extensive training in multicultural music and dance including study in Cuba, Tahiti, Ghana, Turkey, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Thailand, Morocco, India, Bali, and Tanzania. She has presented workshops and graduate level courses at the national and international level helping teachers make connections with music and dance of diverse cultures with a special emphasis on hand drumming, vocal techniques, and indigenous dance traditions, as well as arts assessment. She held conducting positions with the Connecticut Children’s Chorus and with district choral festivals. Karen was recognized as CTMEA’s Elementary Music Educator of the Year in 2003. She now resides in Seattle and is a doctoral candidate at the University of Washington in music education. Her research has focused on children’s musical culture, world music pedagogy, and the fusion of ethnomusicology and music education practices. Her published work includes articles on community music in a school setting, the history of multicultural music education in the United States, children’s informal singing, and pedagogical ideas for archival materials. Her dissertation research revolves around multicultural goals including equity pedagogy and knowledge construction and their role in an elementary music classroom. |
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Patricia Campbell teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education, including music for children, world music pedagogy, sociology of music, and research methods. In Fall 2010, she was appointed chair of the Ethnomusicology program and holds dual appointments in Music Education and Ethnomusicology. She was named Donald E. Petersen Professor of Music in 2000, and continues to hold this appointment offered to accomplished faculty at the University of Washington. Her interests include music in early and middle childhood, world music pedagogy, and the use of movement as a pedagogical tool. She has delivered lectures and conducted clinics across North America and in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Campbell is published widely on issues of cross-cultural music learning, children's musical development, music methods for children, and the study of world music in K-12 schools and university courses. Campbell's latest work is as a member of the Board for Smithsonian Folkways and as a regular contributor to projects of the Association for Cultural Equity, including curricular design and repatriation efforts of the archived recordings of Alan Lomax. She is co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Children's Musical Cultures (2013) and the Global Music Series, a series of books and recordings by 25 ethnomusicologists in study of the world's musical cultures. She has written well over 150 books, chapters, and articles in refereed journals, including these titles: Songs in Their Heads (2010, 2nd edition), Free to Be Musical: Group Improvisation in Music (2010), Multicultural Perspectives in Music Education (2010, 3rd edition), Music in Childhood (2013, 4th edition), Musician and Teacher (2008), Tunes and Grooves in Music Education (2008),Music in Cultural Context (1996), and Lessons from the World (1991). Campbell is currently President of The College Music Society. She has served on boards of the Society for Ethnomusicology, the International Society for Music Education, Jack Straw Productions, and various editorial committees (Journal of Research in Music Education, Psychology of Music, Research Studies in Music Education, Music Educators Journal, and the College Music Symposium). She holds a Ph.D. from Kent State University and a B.F.A. from Ohio University. Campbell is a certified teacher of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and continues her study of music's transmission processes through applied lessons with visiting artists, culture-bearers, and community musicians. |
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Dr. June Countryman (UPEI Department of Music) holds B.Mus, BA, and B.Ed degrees at Mount Allison University, an M.Mus in music education from The University of Western Ontario, advanced Kodaly training at the University of Calgary and an Ed. D at OISE/University of Toronto (2008). She has lengthy experience as an elementary music teacher, a curriculum writer and program consultant and a high school choral teacher. In addition to her study of musicking on school playgrounds, she is carrying out a case study of a children’s choir, examining both pedagogical and social aspects of choir participation. Other research interests include vocal improvisation as a tool for musical growth, global music practices, sharing power in teaching contexts, and music teacher professional development. Her publications relate to issues in music education, choral music education and the scholarship of teaching. June has just retired from UPEI, where she taught the aural skills program and courses in music education, global musics and improvisation. |
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Martha Gabriel (UPEI Faculty of Education) holds a BA (University of Toronto), Med (Mount St. Vincent), and a PhD (University of Ottawa). As an Associate Professor, her research focus has been in the area of digital technologies and how these can be used appropriately for learning and teaching. She is currently the Graduate Studies Coordinator in the Faculty of Education where she also teaches courses in qualitative research methods in the graduate program. She enjoys teaching through singing and music, particularly as a means for reaching children and high school students in their classrooms. Both Martha Gabriel and June Countryman are exploring the multimodal nature of children’s spontaneous musicking, assisted by RAs Kate Thompson & Melissa MacRae. Field work at the day cares and school playgrounds is providing a lot of data which both Martha and June will identify and interpret the kinds of musical play with language that has implications for literacy development. |
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Katherine Thompson is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Prince Edward Island, finishing a double major in music performance and psychology. In spring 2011, she began working with Dr. June Countryman and Dr. Martha Gabriel as a research assistant focusing on children’s spontaneous musicking. This opportunity has been pivotal in allowing her to explore her research interests in the field of music psychology. Her goals include researching the rehabilitative aspects of music at the graduate level in fall of 2014. |
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Melissa MacRae recently graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island with a Bachelor of Music Education. She began as a research assistant in the summer of 2012, observing the spontaneous musicking in children, under the supervision of Dr. June Countryman and Dr. Martha Gabriel. After considerable field work in elementary school playgrounds and childcare centers, she is fascinated by the essence of music in children’s play. Melissa is passionate about music education and hopes to integrate the understanding of children`s natural musicking, acquired through this research, into her own classroom pedagogy. |
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A native of South Korea, Eun Cho, earned Master of Arts and Master of Education in music and music education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and she is currently a doctoral student at University of Southern California. Her current research interests include concerted cultivation and musical parenting, the meaning of music in elderly people’s lives, and music and spiritual experience. She is affiliated with the Canadian research initiative, Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing. |
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Lisa A. Crawford is an experienced K-12 music educator nearing completion of her doctoral studies in music education at University of Southern California. She holds a Bachelor of Music, Composition, Master of Music, Music Education, and Master of Education, Curriculum & Instruction. Her research interests include composing in pre-service teaching and K-12 classrooms, singing and cognition of musical experience, and leadership and evaluation frameworks in music teaching and learning. She has been published in International Journal of Music Education and is affiliated with the Canadian research initiative, Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing. |
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Michael Speelman is completing his B. A. in Psychology at the University of Prince Edward Island and has been the student liaison with Music PEI since 2012. Last summer, under the auspices of Music PEI, he videotaped weekly live performances of singer-songwriters and arranged interviews with a number of these singer-songwriters which he carried out during the year. With the help of a PERCÉ program internship award, he has been working full-time with AIRS this summer, enabling him to extend this work as well as assist with the 5th Annual Meeting. Michael intends to complete his honours degree this year and pursue graduate study in Psychology. |
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Rob Oakie is President of Music PEI, the provincial Music Industry Association. He also serves on the boards of Folk Music Canada and Culture PEI as Treasurer for both. He has had extensive experience in export development and sales in various capacities in both private and public sector. He has been supportive of the AIRS project since its inception and continues to enable celebration and study of the often under-appreciated role of singing and the singer-songwriter to the music industry. |
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Henk van Leeuwen has been the Executive Director of Culture PEI a not-for-profit sector council which exists to improve the outcomes and incomes of Prince Edward Island’s cultural workers. It serves the human resource and labour market development needs of PEI’s vibrant and multi-disciplinary arts and culture industry. He provided background on the provincial culture industry and supported AIRS initiatives exploring the role of singing to this industry. He worked for CBC as journalist, broadcaster, leader, facilitator and communicator between 1993-2010. He holds a Master's degree in journalism from Carleton University. |
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Ross Dwyer has been the AIRS Administrative Assistant since 2011 providing administration and the daily running of the AIRS project and the support of the AIRS Researchers and staff. Ross originally hails from South Africa, receiving his BA (Hons) History from the The Open University, United Kingdom. Prior to moving to PEI he was the Coordinator for the International KAMP BUNAC program out of London, UK which involved international communications and travel. Ross has been instrumental in establishing the relation between Music PEI and the Student Liaison position. In his free time, Ross has been taking courses in business and is captain of the PEI cricket team. |
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Annabel J. Cohen (Ph. D., M. A., Queen's; B.A. McGill) is the Director of the AIRS MCRI and also leads the AIRS Test Battery of Singing Skills research sub-theme 1.3. She is the Editor of Psychomusicology: Music, Mind & Brain and serves as consulting editor on several other journals, and is a Co-editor of the book Psychology of Music in Multimedia (Oxford). She received her ARCT in voice performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music – Toronto, and is a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association. She was recently re-elected to the Council of the American Psychological Association representing the Division on the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts. |
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Daniella Gramani, a singer, arranger, rabeca (a type of Brazilian fiddle) player and percussionist, she is currently a lecturer in popular singing at the Federal University of Paraiba. She holds music degrees from the Faculdade de Artes do Parana (undergraduate), and Federal University of Parana (master of music). She is an active performer and former member of the prestigious Mundaréu with whom she recorded three CDs and a DVD. She is also an active researcher in the fields of music, culture and education. |
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Darryl Edwards, B.Mus., B.Ed., M.Mus. (Western U.), DMA (Michigan). Head of Voice Studies at the University of Toronto, Director of the Vocal Academy for the Toronto Children's Chorus, and Artistic Director for the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy. Tenor soloist with Montreal Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Illinois Sinfonietta, Sinfonia di Pesaro, Italy, Bavarian Chamber Opera, Würzburg Bach Choir, Germany. Private voice teacher for singers in the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio. Voice Master Classes in the Czech Republic, China, Brazil, USA and throughout Canada. |
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Charlene Santoni, B.Mus. (Western U.), Artist Diploma (U.Manitoba), M.Mus. (U. Toronto), DMA in progress (U. Toronto). She has appeared with The University of Toronto’s Opera Division, Edmonton Opera, Opera New Brunswick, Saskatoon Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, The VOICExperience Foundation, The Center for Opera Studies in Italy, Tapestry New Opera, Highlands Opera Studio and The Tanglewood Music Center. Her current teaching experience includes voice students at Holy Name of Mary College School (Mississauga, ON), as well as a private voice student, and a teaching assistantship in Oratorio Performance to Prof. Darryl Edwards at the University of Toronto. |
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Pauline Larrouy-Maestri is currently a PhD Student at the Department of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Liège. After graduating from the University of Brussels (speech therapist specialized in singing voice disorders) and from the Royal Conservatory of Mons (piano), she began her dissertation on the evaluation of singing voice accuracy in a melodic context. This research has been partly published in peer-reviewed journals such as Musicae Scientae, Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology and Journal of Voice. She also had the opportunity to collaborate with the Brams laboratory and the Belgium Royal Conservatories. As a research assistant, she is interested and involved in several projects related to the music cognition field. |
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Dominique Morsomme is a lecturer at the Department of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Liege. She leads the Voice Unit whose main research interests are the vocal loading, the singing voice accuracy and the vocal profile adapted to the singing voice. She spent three months at the University College of London working with Professors John Rubin and Ruth Epstein. She is also a speech therapist specializing in voice therapy at the University Hospital of Liège. In collaboration with Professor Camille Finck (ENT), she realizes specific vocal analysis and also devotes her time to patients with voice and singing voice disorders. |
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Professor Jane Ginsborg read music at the University of York (UK) and trained as a singer at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Following a successful freelance career as a professional singer and singing teacher, she studied psychology with the Open University, gaining a BA degree with first class honours, and completed her ESRC-funded PhD in 1999 at Keele University. Jane is a Chartered Psychologist and was admitted to the British Psychological Society as an Associate Fellow in 2012. She carried out post-doctoral research at the University of Sheffield and has lectured in psychology at the University of Manchester, at Leeds Metropolitan University, and for the Open University. Jane has published widely on expert musicians’ approaches to practicing and memorizing, and won the British Voice Association’s Van Lawrence Award in 2002 for her research on singers’ memorizing strategies. She is Managing Editor of Music Performance Research (www.mpr-online.net), and holds editorial positions with the Journal of Interdisciplinary Music Studies, Musicae Scientiae and Psychology of Music. She is Chair of the Conservatoires UK (CUK) Research Ethics Committee and was elected President of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM) in 2012. |
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Emile Perkins, a fourth year undergraduate studies with Stuart MacIntyre as a basso cantate. He has performed the role of Philocome in La belle Hélène and his RNCM Opera Scenes include Lothario in Thomas’s Mignon, Pistola and Filippo in Verdi’s Falstaff and Don Carlo, Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Superintendent Budd in Britten’s Albert Herring and Pandolfe in Massenet’s Cendrillon. RNCM choruses include Bizet’s Carmen, Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, Offenbach’s La Belle Hélène, Janacek’s Katya Kabanova and Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. He is a regular soloist for the Maclellan Arts Festival and has performed for the Yorke Trust on numerous occasions. Public masterclasses include Roderick Willaims and Lynne Dawson in aid of the Finzi Friends Charity. Most recently he is the winner of the Alexander Young Prize and youngest Finalist in the Frederic Cox Award. Emile is looking to study at Postgraduate level to continue work with his teacher next year, developing vocally and dramatically. |
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Chloe Latchmore is a Yorkshire-born mezzo-soprano currently studying at the Royal Northern College of Music, in her second year of the undergraduate BMus program. She is studying with David Maxwell Anderson. She has gained a Licentiate of the London College of Music (DipLLCM) for classical vocal performance and a Diploma of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in the Flute. Before coming to the RNCM she was awarded a bursary to study at the North Sea Vocal Academy where she participated in regular masterclasses with Noelle Barker and Audrey Hyland. Her interest in AIRS stems from wanting further to dissect and understand her practice on an analytical level, in order to establish the most effective and productive practice regime that in turn is thus most beneficial to her performance. As both an instrumental player and singer she found it interesting to compare the similarities and differences between the learning approaches to the two disciplines. She has a keen interest in the psychology of music and plans to continue her studies in this area after this project, with particular emphasis on music as a medical and therapeutic tool. |
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Victoria Barton is a post-graduate soprano studying at the Royal Northern College of Music with Lynne Dawson. She graduated from the RNCM in 2011 and upon graduating was awarded the Hilda Anderson-Deane Prize for academic excellence and a Postgraduate Scholarship. As an undergraduate Victoria was awarded the Bert & Anne Shawcross Scholarship and was actively involved in RNCM operatic productions, taking part in many opera choruses and covering roles including Servilia in La Clemenza di Tito. Opera Scene highlights include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro and Marcellina in Fidelio. She has worked with visiting tutors such as Joan Rodgers, Julius Drake, Ann Howells and Mary King in vocal masterclasses and workshops and recently played Cis in the RNCM production of Albert Herring. |
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Utpola Borah is an ethno-musicologist, educator, cultural archivist and vocalist. Utpola has conducted an extensive study on “Bihu” songs of Assam which has found expression in her book, Bihu Festival of Assam—Music, Dance & Performance published by B.R. Rhythms, Delhi. Utpola has worked as a Course Writer, Content editor and Expert for the PG Diploma in Folklore and Cultural Studies in the School of Interdisciplinary and Trans-disciplinary Studies at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi. She has presented lectures and given demonstrations at international and national seminars and conferences. Utpola is an eminent Hindustani (North Indian) Classical vocalist. She has been trained extensively in the traditional "Gurukul" system under Gaanaprabha Dr. Prabha Atre, Vidushi Malashri Prasad and Pandit Indralal Dhanda of the Kirana, Banaras and Udaipur Gharanas (traditions) respectively. Utpola is an accomplished performer and All India Radio and Doordarshan (Television) artiste. |
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Hans Utter is an Adjunct Professor of Music at The Ohio State University and Capital University. His research focuses on the traditional methods of teaching and learning music in India, music perception and cognition, and the role of the government in arts policy. Hans is an accomplished sitarist, and has performed widely throughout the world. He has conducted extensive research in India and Central Asia, which has been published in journals articles and book chapters. He is currently completing his second book. He holds a an M.A. and Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from The Ohio State University. |
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Dr. Liliya Nafikova is the SSHRC-funded, Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing (AIRS) Postdoctoral Fellow working under the supervision of Dr. Carol Beynon in the Faculty of Education at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. Dr. Nafikova recently graduated from the National Dragomanov Pedagogical University, Kiev, Ukraine with a Ph.D. in Education majoring in Music Education. Prior to that, Dr. Nafikova received her B.S. degree in Music Education with Honors from Ushinsky Pedagogical College of Kiev, Ukraine and her M.S. degree in Music Education with Honors from the National Dragomanov Pedagogical University, Kiev, Ukraine majoring in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting. Dr. Nafikova has 11 years experience in teaching music classes to elementary and middle school children. During her tenure as a music teacher at the middle school, Dr. Nafikova founded and directed a vocal ensemble and a school choir. After receiving her Ph.D., Dr. Nafikova worked as a researcher at the Department of Pedagogy for Visually Impaired Children at the Institute of Special Pedagogy of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine. This work led to published articles on how music education improves social skills of visually impaired children. Dr. Nafikova’s research interests are in developing music education-based pedagogy to correct social activities problems in visually impaired and autistic children and children with other disabilities. Working with Dr. Beynon, Dr. Nafikova is also involved in research in intergenerational choirs and the impact of choral singing to improve well-being of Alzheimer's patients. |
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Carol Beynon PhD is a Professor, Faculty of Education, Western University, Ontario, Canada. She is a co-investigator in the intergenerational understanding sub-theme in the AIRS project. Her areas of research stem from various experiences as a lifelong student of learning, as a former elementary and secondary school teacher and as artistic director of various choirs. Carol’s research areas include gender issues in music education, particularly as they pertain to representations of masculinities in relation to singing; teacher development and identity; school music education and policy development; and arts education, using qualitative research methods. Carol is the founding and co-artistic director of the Amabile Boys & Men’s Choirs of London, Canada and works extensively with male choirs in national and international settings. Carol’s research involves conventional print-based work as well as adjudicated and peer-reviewed musical performances. |
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Vaike Kiik-Salupere received her PhD (2013) in Educational Sciences, from Tallinn University, Estonia. Her thesis was entitled “Performance preparation and coping with performance anxiety in the vocal pedagogy of classical singers”. Her MA (2005) Thesis in Social Sciences, Tallinn University was entitled. “Psychological impact of effective vocal pedagogy”. She also received an MA (1985) in Opera Singing and Voice Teaching, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre as an opera singer (mezzo-soprano). After her debut in 1981 she has performed in operas, operettas and musicals at the Estonian National Opera (ENO). She was a full-time soloist at the ENO 1999-2005, and has performed in numerous chamber and organ concerts. Since 2005 she has been a freelance singer and artistic director of classical music festival “The Sonorous Sounds of the Organs of Saaremaa”. Since 2007 she has been a host of vocal music and opera programmes at Klassikaraadio. She has written concert and opera reviews and articles for the magazine Muusika and cultural paper Sirp. Her roles have been Olga Eugen Onégin, Flora La traviata, Orlofsky Die Fledermause, Daisy Darlington Ball im Savoy, Sally Bowles Cabaret, Mercédès Carmen, Miss Baggott The Little Sweep ect. Since 2010 she has been a committee member of the ISME (International Society for Music Education) Forum for Instrumental and Vocal Teaching committee member, and since 2009, a council member of the Tallinn University Institute of Fine Arts Council. She is a member of the Association of Estonian Professional Theatres, Association of clerical music, Estonian Musicological Society, International Society for Music Education (ISME). |
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Jennifer Martinec recently completed her Master's in Music Education at the University of Western Ontario where she specialized in performance science of infant/early years' singing, and the adolescent changing voice. She has been a lecturer in choral conducting and voice performance at Charles University, Prague, since 2006, conductor of the Young Men's Ensemble of the Czech Boys Choirs, conductor with the Amabile Boys Choirs of London, Canada, and has taught singing in both elementary and secondary schools. |
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Jakub Martinec is a doctoral candidate at Western University and the founding artistic director of the Czech Boys Choir. As a renowned choral conductor in the Czech Republic, Mr. Martinec has performed with eminent orchestras, ensembles and musical personalities in some of the world’s most famous concert halls, including Meistersingerhalle, Nürnberg (2005, 2009, 2011), Grace Cathedral in San Francisco (2004), Winspear Hall in Edmonton, Canada (2006), Overture Center for the Art in Madison, USA (2011), the Pantheon and the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome for the leaders of the Vatican (2009, 2010), and regularly at the Rudolfinum Dvořák Hall in Prague. With his choirs, he performed the opening concert of choral cycle of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (2006), and has appeared at numerous international music festivals including The Prague Spring Festival (2004, 2005), VIth World Choral Symposium in Minneapolis (2002), Festival d'Ambronay (2006), Mitte Europa (2008, 2009), and International Festival of Boys Choirs in Poznań (2010). Mr. Martinec was a conductor with Boni Pueri for more than 10 years, and in 2006 - 2010 he was named the artistic assistant head master of the Boni Pueri Choir School. |
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Jennifer Hutchison is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in music education at Western University where she also holds a Master of Music. Since 2002 Jennifer has served as a secondary school music program leader with the District School Board of Niagara. In addition to teaching classroom voice, guitar, strings and instrumental jazz, Jennifer has directed several major musical productions and has succeeded in forming and building nationally recognized award-winning choirs within her school. Jennifer’s research focuses on musical engagement across generations using alternative forms of music education programs. This interest has led to her involvement as a research assistant in the Advanced Interdisciplinary Research in Singing (AIRS) 3.2 intergenerational singing program and as a research assistant and program co-ordinator of the Musical Futures Canada program. Publications include articles in provincial and national journals and she has presented workshops and papers at provincial, national, and international conferences. Jennifer currently holds a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship. In addition to her studies, Jennifer occupies the role of chair for the Western University Society of Graduate Studies in Music, she is the conductor of the UWO choir, and a conductor within the Amabile Boys and Men’s Choirs of London, Canada. |
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Henrietta Lempert obtained a B.A. and MSc in applied psychology from McGill University. After working as a school psychologist in Quebec, she returned to academia and obtained a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Queen’s University at Kingston. This was followed by a postdoctoral position in the Neuropsychology Research Unit at the Sick Children’s Hospital in Toronto, which led to research on the acquisition of syntax. Currently, she is director of the Language and Cognition Laboratory at University of Toronto and specializes in second language acquisition. |
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Ju Hee Lim obtained her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience June 2013 and will be entering Dentistry in an American University in fall. She completed vocal training in South Korea and is an accomplished vocalist. |
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JingYe is entering her 4th year of undergraduate studies in Neuroscience at University of Toronto and plans on a career in medicine. She has her ARCT (Associate of the Royal Conservatory) for piano performance and graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2010. |
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Sean Xu is entering her second year of undergraduate studies at University of Toronto. She has obtained her technical piano Performer’s ARCT with Honors and is in the process of completing her diploma requirements. Her last theory exam is scheduled for the beginning of August 2013. |
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Raghavan Arunthavarajah is entering graduate studies in Occupational Therapy at the University of Western Ontario. He has been involved in a variety of extracurricular musical activities since high school including but not limited to the classical and jazz genres. |
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Yannis Samprovalakis is a Greek musicologist, composer, editor of music and clarinetist. He is member of the orchestra of the Greek National Opera and clarinet instructor at the Ionian University (Corfu) - Department of Musical Studies. He holds a Master's Degree from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (Netherlands) - specialized on Solo Contemporary Music by Greek, Dutch and American Composers. He is also a PhD candidate at the National and Kapodestrian University of Athens, Department of Music Studies and co-founder of the Hellenic Music Centre, a non-profit company for the study, publication and promotion of Greek art music. Recently, he won first prize in a composition competition for a pedagogical work for children’s choir and piano. |
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Maria Hnaraki is Director of Greek Studies at Drexel University, Philadelphia PA, USA and writer of Cretan Music: Unraveling Ariadne’s Thread. She holds a Diploma of Arts in Music Studies from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and a M.A. and a Ph. D. in Folklore and Ethnomusicology from Indiana University. Additionally she has a Piano Soloist Diploma from the Hellenic Conservatory of Athens and degrees in Theory, Pedagogy and Music Education from the National Conservatory of Athens. Her activities include publications of CDs as well as instruction of folk dances, performances, radio shows and organization of several music and dance events. Recently, she officially joined the AIRS research group while her collaboration with that program started years ago when her 2011 chapter on Crete-Greece “Souls of Soil: Island Identity through Song” appeared in G. Baldacchino (ed.) Island Songs (Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press). Her second book “Sing In Me, Muse, and Through Me Tell the Story …”: Greek Culture Performed is currently in press. |
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Blair Ellis holds undergraduate degrees from Mount Allison University in both Psychology (BA) and in Music (BMus.). He is an accomplished classical guitarist who has performed both solo and chamber repertoire in New Brunswick, Canada, and has composed music for chamber choir that will be published later this year by Renforth Music. Blair is a research assistant under the supervision of Dr. Annabel Cohen at UPEI, and has worked on projects related to creativity, singing anxiety, and multicultural choirs. Ellis will begin graduate studies in the NeuroArts Lab at McMaster University, under the supervision of Dr. Steven Brown this fall, examining musical creativity and cultural evolution. |
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Anna Baldacchino BA, (Child & Family Studies), M.Ed (UPEI), has served as a sessional lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the University of Prince Edward Island and at Holland College, PEI. She is an active member of the multi-cultural choir / song circle at UPEI and has been an active member of two church choirs in Malta since the age of six. |
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Godfrey Baldacchino PhD (Warwick) is professor of sociology and a member of the multi-cultural choir at UPEI and is a co-leader of Sub-theme 3.1 Singing and Cross-Cultural Understanding. For 10 years, he was Canada Research Chair in Island Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, during which time he established Island Studies Journal and authored or edited various books, including Island Studies: A Global Repertoire ( 2011, The Scarecrow Press, in association with AIRS). |
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Arla Good graduated from the University of Western Ontario with an honours BA in Psychology and completed her Masters of Arts at Ryerson University. Throughout her graduate studies, she has combined her academic interest in psychology with her personal passion for music to explore both its cognitive and social benefits. The past few years of her life have been devoted to investigating the links between music, language, and culture. Arla is currently working on her doctoral dissertation exploring how group singing can promote social cohesion and cultural understanding. |
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Kelly McShane PhD, CPsych, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Ryerson University. Dr. McShane's research program is focused on Community-engaged research in culture, mental health, addictions with a focus on mixed-methods evaluation and knowledge translation. Her current projects include development of health indictors database for urban Inuit families, clinical service evaluation for marginalized populations in inner city Toronto, and academic-community partnerships for teaching and program evaluation projects. |
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Alda Oliveira: Her background is music education, piano performance, music composition and music improvisation for dance choreographies. She has worked many years both as an undergraduate teacher and as a supervising professor at the post-graduate program for the education of music teachers. Her PhD dissertation at The University of Texas at Austin (USA) analyses traditional songs from Bahia, Brazil (play, religious, dance and work songs), focusing on the frequency of occurrence of the music elements in the sample of songs, using hand and computer techniques. Results may help curriculum and classroom plans development. Based on these results and on her personal teaching experiences, combined with the related work of various recognized authors, she has developed an approach which she calls PONTES to deal with the different teaching/learning situations. It calls the attention of the music teacher for the need to develop articulatory creative actions, especially related to the following items: Positivity, Observation, Naturalness, Technique, Expression and Sensitivity. Right now, she has produced eight different graduate studies that used this knowledge as main reference, dealing with different topics (instrumental teaching, informal education, musicalization, evaluation in music, music appreciation, teacher education, choral and the creation and development of musicals in schools). She coordinates a research group at the Federal University of Bahia called MEMUBA-PONTES, which deals with the theme “Pedagogic Articulations in Music Education”. She is currently living in Boston and working as Visiting Scholar (2013-2014) at Eliot-Pearson Child Development Department at Tufts University (USA). |
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Zuraida Bastião: She has a doctoral degree at Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). She is working in the MEMUBA-PONTES research group together with the research leader, Dr. Alda Oliveira. Her doctoral research, focused on music appreciation (EMA approach — Expressive Music Appreciation), which is contributing to continuous teacher education programs and musical development of elementary students. She is the financial director of the Center for Production, Music Studies and Documentation (SONARE), also working in the design and organization of teaching projects for basic education. She is an invited teacher of the Specialization Course in Music Education at UFBA. Although her academic career is more related to the education of school children and teen-agers, her artistic interest and experience has been towards the field of choir singing. She has performed in Bahia choirs since 1987. |
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Angelita Broock: She has master degree at Federal University of Bahia and her doctoral thesis has recently being approved by the pos-graduate program at UFBA. She is working in the MEMUBA-PONTES research group. Since 2006 she has worked with pedagogical processes of teacher training for early childhood education at university extension projects. It has been the main focus of her research studies and academic productions. From 2008 she started to coordinate the project extension "Musicalization for babies” at UFBA. Beatriz Ilari and Angelita Broock are the organizers of the book “Music and music education”, released in 2013. |
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Jim Sparks is a PhD candidate at Simon Fraser University where in addition to his studies in cross-cultural singing expression, he is a research coordinator within Modal Research under director, Dr. Susan O'Neill. A long time singing and choral teacher in schools in British Columbia, Jim pursued a post graduate degree in conducting at the University of Arizona under Dr. Maurice Skones. His doctoral work began after a discussion with Dr. O'Neill on the compelling singing he was witnessing in his work in Cuba and Kenya. A dedicated choral researcher, Jim received a Canada Council grant in 2011 to pursue collaborative singing research with the Veriovka and the Kiev Symphony choirs of Kyiv, Ukraine. Jim has been awarded research grants by the Canadian Music Educators’ Research, the AIRS collaborative initiative, the Lis Welsh Award, and Simon Fraser University for collaborative cross-cultural singing research on the invitation of Cuba’s Coralina Choir (Alina Orraca), Kenya’s National Choir (Joseph Muyale Inzai), Kenya’s Children’s Community Choirs, and Denmark’s Aarhus Conservatory Choir. A recipient of the BC Professional Music Educator Award and the Willan Award from the BC Choral Federation, Jim has now dedicated his work to building the relevance of singing in Canada. |
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Dr. Susan O’Neill has an interdisciplinary background with graduate degrees in three disciplines: music performance, psychology and education. She is Associate Professor in Arts Education and Director of Research for Youth, Music and Education (RYME) and Multimedia Opportunities, Diversity and Artistic Learning (MODAL Research Group) at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. She was a Visiting Fellow at the University of Michigan, USA (2001-2003) and a Miegunyah Distinguished Visiting Fellow (2012) at the University of Melbourne. She has published widely in the fields of music psychology and music education. She is Senior Editor of the Canadian Music Educators' Association Biennial Book Series Research to Practice, and editor of the book Personhood and Music Learning: Connecting Perspectives and Narratives. |
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Lily Chen-Hafteck is a professor of music education at UCLA, effective Fall 2013. She holds a doctorate in music education from the University of Reading, U.K. She has held teaching and research positions at Kean University, NJ, USA; University of Pretoria, South Africa; University of Surrey Roehampton, U.K.; and Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong. She has published numerous journal articles and book chapters on the topics of early childhood music and multicultural music education, most recently in Oxford Handbook of Music Education and Oxford Handbook of Children’s Musical Cultures. She has served on the editorial board of the International Journal of Music Education, Asia-Pacific Journal for Arts Education and Music Education Research International, and has held positions with the International Society for Music Education as member of its Board of Directors, chair of its Young Professionals Focus Group, and Early Childhood Commission. She is the founder and director of the Educating the Creative Mind project, funded by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts. She is also an AIRS co-investigator and co-team leader of Theme 3.1. |
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Nancy Gleason is earning her post-baccalaureate degree at Kean University, Union, NJ, USA, in Music Education. Nancy is a Vocal Major, studying with Katherine Harris. She conducted her Junior Field Music Education experience at Linden Elementary School in Linden, NJ. Nancy was Administrative Assistant for the Educating the Creative Mind project at Kean University in 2010, and has been assisting Dr. Lily Chen-Hafteck with her work for AIRS Sub-Theme 3.1 since 2010. Nancy is currently collecting her research data and conducting her research under Dr. Chen-Hafteck's supervision. Nancy earned her BA magna cum laude in Sociology and Speech Communications at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA, USA. |
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Daniel Aponte, baritone, is a senior at Kean University, NJ, USA, in the Conservatory of Music, studying for his BA in Music with an emphasis in Voice and Piano studies. He is also pursuing a second Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. He is a recipient of the Student Organization Endowed Scholarship and has been recognized by the Alpha Lambda Honor Society for exceptionally high honors and was inducted into the internationally known Phi Kappa Phi academic honor society as well as Psi Chi, the national Honor Society in Psychology. He has had an array of performing experiences singing in major oratorio works both in New Jersey as well as in other countries. Most recently, he performed in a student recital in La Chapelle Historique du bon Pasteur in Montreal, QC. He also has played in various student recitals and community outreach programs. Daniel helped establish the first ever Piano Festival at Kean University during the spring 2013 semester that was made to help recruit for the Conservatory. This spring, he served as project administrative assistant to the International Educating the Creative Mind Conference at Kean University. Daniel is extremely privileged to have been able to work with Dr. Lily Chen-Haftek and the rest of the AIRS team on such an exciting project. |
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Elizabeth Andang’o is a Lecturer of Music Education at Kenyatta University in Nairobi. She has been a faculty member at the institution since 1998, when she was invited on staff development. She holds a Bachelor of Education in Music, a Master of Arts in Music Education and a PhD in Early Childhood Music Education from Kenyatta University. She undertook part of her doctoral work at the Institute of Education, University of London, under Prof. Graham F. Welch. Her teaching experience includes 3 years as a specialist music teacher at Secondary School and 13 years of University teaching, at the department of Music & Dance at Kenyatta. She also carries out research in Early Childhood Music Education with a focus on singing, cultural issues and multicultural music education. Elizabeth has presented papers at a number of international conferences including ECME commission of ISME; RIME and Creativity in the Arts. At National level, among other presentations, she has contributed a chapter in a book on eminent Kenyan musicians. She has published articles in Arts Education Policy Review, Early Child Development & Care, and the East African Journal of Music Education. Elizabeth is also a Commissioner with ECME Commission of ISME since 2010. |
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Xiao Yue is a graduate student in the Department of Music Education at the China Conservatory, Beijing, China. Her studies focus on singing and education. Xiao began studying piano when she was 4 years old, and began formal Voice Training when she was 15 years old. She was the only Chinese Student selected to participate in the Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing (AIRS) Quadcultural Singing & Cultural Understanding Project. Her paper, “Prosperous music market and music education strategy,” was presented at the 30th ISME conference. She is honored to have attended the 3rd and 4th AIRS meetings, as well as the 5th meeting this year. |
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Jiaxing Xie is the Professor and the Director of the Music Research Institute of the China Conservatory, the specially hired professor of the Art Institute of Henan University and a member of the External Examination Committee of the Hong Kong Institute of Education. He holds a Masters Degree in Composition and Theory (1988) and a PhD in Music Aesthetics (2004). He is the President of the Music Education Commission of Chinese Musicians Association, the Director of the Music Aesthetic Committee of CMA, the Director of the Music Psychology Society, the adviser of Asia Pacific Symposium on Music Education Research, and Commissioner of Commission on Music in Cultural, Educational, and Mass Media Policies of the International Society of Music Education. Xie's recent major publications include: Music Education and Pedagogy (High Education Press, 2006), Contexts of Musics -A Vision of the Music Hermeneutic (Shanghai Conservatory Press, 2005) etc., and he has had over 80 major academic papers published on academic journals such as People's Music, China Music and Music Research since 1994. |
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Kelly Gillis has recently graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with Honors. Having come from a musical family, she plays the clarinet and saxophone and enjoys listening to different kinds of music. Kelly’s research interest is in an area of cultural identity, specifically about how immigrants develop their sense of ethnic/cultural identity in a new country. Currently she is working on the AIRS 3.1 Inter-cultural Understanding sub-theme as she is interested in traveling and meeting people from many cultural backgrounds. She was raised on Prince Edward Island and lives there with her family. |
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Bing-Yi Pan received his Ph.D. in physics in 2010 from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing and B.Sc. in physics in 2004 from Shandong University, Jinan. Simultaneously, he received his B.A. in music education in 2008 from Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing. Currently, he holds an AIRS postdoctoral fellowship at UPEI with Dr. Annabel Cohen, is working on the AIRS Test Battery and also contributing to Themes 2.2 and 3.1. He is also interested in formal teaching of singing. |
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Lori McKee has recently completed her Master’s of Education degree at Western University. She has written her thesis about the young children's print literacy learning opportunities within the multimodal ensembles created within the intergenerational program. She continues to work as an elementary teacher. |
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Rachel Heydon, PhD is Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, Western University, Ontario, Canada. She is the intergenerational understanding sub-theme leader in the AIRS project. Her interests coalesce around understanding curricula that can promote expansive communication and identity options, particularly for persons who are minoritized. Two of her current studies involve the design and implementation of intergenerational multimodal curricula that involve singing and digital media and the use of socio-material theories to understand the production and effects of kindergarten literacy curricula. Her most recent books are Learning at the Ends of Life: Children, Elders, and Literacies in Intergenerational Curricula (University of Toronto Press) and Constructing Meaning: Teaching the Language Arts K-8 with Joyce Bainbridge (Nelson). |
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Jennifer Rowsell is Professor and a Canada Research Chair in Multiliteracies at Brock University’s Faculty of Education where she directs the Centre for Multiliteracies. She has co-written and written several books in the areas of New Literacy Studies, multimodality, and multiliteracies. Her current research interests include children’s digital and immersive worlds; adopting and applying multimodal epistemologies with young people; and ecological work in communities examining everyday literacy practices. Her most recent book is, Working with Multimodality: Learning in a Digital Age (Routledge). |
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Laurel Young [PhD (Music Therapy), Temple University (2011); Master of Music Therapy (MMT) and Bachelor of Music Therapy(BMT), Wilfrid Laurier University (2003; 1994); Bachelor of Music (BMus; piano), Mount Allison University (1990)] is an accredited music therapist (MTA) and a certified practitioner in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music. Prior to joining the Creative Arts Therapies Department at Concordia University, she was the first Professional Leader of Creative Arts Therapies at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto). She has taught in the music therapy programs at Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo) and Temple University (Philadelphia), and received awards from both institutions for her outstanding contributions to the field of music therapy. She has over 18 years of clinical experience in various areas including geriatrics/dementia, cancer, HIV, palliative care, community mental health, and developmental disabilities. Dr. Young has presented internationally and has published in several peer reviewed journals. For the past two years, she has served as Editor-in-Chief for Barcelona Publishers Qualitative Inquiries in Music Therapy Monograph Series. Current research interests include developing valid assessment tools, the impact of singing and sound environments on health, and understanding clients' perspectives on their music therapy experiences. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund, is a past Vice President of the Canadian Association for Music Therapy, and is Leader of the AIRS Sub-theme 3.3 Singing and Well-Being (physical and mental health). |
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Mary Gick received a B.Sc. in psychology (1975, McGill) and a Ph.D. in experimental psychology (1981, Michigan). She joined Carleton University in Ottawa Ontario in 1985 and conducted cognitive research (publications include articles in Cognitive Psychology, Journal of Experimental Psychology) until her sabbatical in 1992, when she began studying health psychology with the late David McClelland (Boston University), and at the Cambridge Hospital Behavioral Medicine Program (affiliated with Harvard Medical School). She currently teaches health psychology and the community practicum at Carleton. Her long-standing health interests in individual differences (e.g., attachment style) associated with health, coping with medical problems, and seeking treatment for them have led to articles published in such journals as Rehabilitation Psychology and Journal of Psychosomatic Research. Her more recent interests are using a health framework to study environmental behavior; and singing, health and well-being. She has had an active folk music avocation since her teenage years. She taught clawhammer banjo at the Ottawa Folklore Centre from 2003-2007, plays regularly at sessions, and occasionally performs and appears on professional recordings, including the Juno-nominated Michael Jerome Browne and the Twin Rivers String Band. Mary is a Co-Investigator of AIRS and has served as the Health and Well-being Steering Committee Theme Leader during 2009-10 and returned to that role in 2011 serving until June 2013. |
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Sally Busch recently completed her master's degree at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, under the supervision of Dr. Mary Gick. After completing her first undergraduate degree in the combined honors Arts and Science program at McMaster University (Hamilton, Canada), Sally went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Carleton University where she was awarded a Senate medal upon graduation in 2010. Sally’s interest in singing began at age 11 with voice lessons in her hometown of Vankleek Hill (Canada), which culminated in a Grade 8 Level Voice in the Royal Conservatory of Music, and led to the composition and production of a short opera for her undergraduate thesis at McMaster University. In 2010, she was awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Master's Award. Sally is a student member of AIRS and is interested in the relationships between singing, health and well-being (Theme 3.3). |
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Dr. Amy Clements-Cortes is Practice Advisor/Senior Music Therapist at Baycrest Centre in Toronto, working with clients in the hospital and nursing home and supervising internship placements. At present she is also a sessional instructor and clinical supervisor in music therapy at the University of Windsor and Wilfrid Laurier University. Amy is Past-President of the Canadian Association of Music Therapy (CAMT), and Clinical Commissioner for the World Federation of Music Therapy. She owns and operates Notes By Amy: Music therapy and performing arts services. Amy obtained her Masters and Doctoral Degrees from the University of Toronto. She has given 80+ conference and invited academic presentations around the globe. Her scholarly writings have been published in the Canadian Journal of Music Therapy, Canadian Music Educator's Journal, and the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Amy is on the editorial board for Music Therapy Perspectives and the WFMT Journal. In 2014 Amy will chair the CAMT 40th Anniversary Conference and Co-Chair the IAMM Conference in Toronto. Amy is also a singer, recording artist, vocal instructor and performing artist. She is a co-investigator in the AIRS project, working on research with older adults on singing and health. |
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Elisabetta Corvo holds a degree in Law (University of Milan – Bicocca), focusing her final dissertation on the sociology of law, and an MSc in Health Promotion and Public Health (Canterbury Christ Church University).For the last eight years she`s been focused on her work with an Italian non-profit organization concerned with children and successively with elderly people, particularly those suffering from Alzheimer ́s disease. At the moment she is in her final year of MPhil/PhD program at Canterbury Christ Church University. Elisabetta's research theme is to explore the implementation of an English model of health promotion based on singing groups for older adults in Italy. |
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Stephen Clift is Professor of Health Education in the Faculty of Health and Social Care, Canterbury Christ Church University, and Research Director of the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Music, Arts and Health. He has worked in the field of health promotion and public health for over twenty-five years, and has made contributions to research, practice and training on HIV/AIDS prevention, sex education, international travel and health and the health promoting school. His current interests relate to arts and heath and particularly the potential value of group singing for health and wellbeing. He is one of the founding editors of Arts & Health: An international journal for research, policy and practice and Honorary President of the Singing Hospitals International Network. |
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Ann Skingley, Qualifications: BA (Hons), MSc, PhD, RGN, DipN, DNCert, CertEd Nursing experience in care of older people and district nursing; previously lecturer (King’s College, London and Canterbury Christ Church University); currently Senior Researcher, Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health, Canterbury Christ Church University. |
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The involvement of professor Julita Sansoni for the development of nursing science and discipline, is constant and her engagement has been quite significant in the Country. She is propelling and sustaining the nursing development. through education and political involvement. In the 80 ‘s she has developed a new nursing specialization (neurology and neurosurgery) for Italian nurses; in the 90 ‘s she has significantly contributed to start the general Nursing education at University level (National Nursing Association Consociazione). She is a referral person for the profession in the Country. Her advices are requested at Ministry level and from the professionals. She has been the first nurse to get the academic professorship chair at the University in Italy. Her research and engagements are particularly related to care giving and Alzheimer disease and grief process. She is the Journalist Director of Professioni Infermieristiche. |
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