Our project, Music Education in the Digital Age (MEDA) involves tool development, research, and professional development activities that arise out of a collaborative partnership between Queen’s University, Concordia University, and The Royal Conservatory. Other collaborators include national organizations of independent music teachers and people representing related business organization and not-for-profit organizations (see sidebar).
THE TEAM LEADERS
Rena Upitis has
degrees in Psychology (BA 1980), Law (LLB 1981), and Education (MEd 1982, EdD 1985). She is a musician (ARCT, Piano Performance, 1975; ARCT Vocal Performance 1993) and holds a diploma in Architectural Technology (2006). She served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1984-1986, before securing her current position at Queen’s University where she has been a Full Professor since 1995. She has received several Canadian and US best paper awards and has secured over $8 million dollars in research funding from government, foundations, and businesses. She has authored or co-authored seven books and has published over 60 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Her most recent book, Raising a School (2010) is published with Wintergreen Studios Press. Rena is the Principal Investigator for the MEDA Project, titled Transforming Music Education with Digital Tools, and serves as a member of the three-person Executive. The MEDA Project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, The Royal Conservatory, Queen’s University, and Concordia University. Prior funding from Canadian Heritage enabled the team to develop iSCORE, the first digital tool developed through the MEDA Project. Rena received the 2012 Prize for Research Excellence from Queen’s University, and represented Queen’s in the Council of Ontario Universities campaign for making research results relevant to the general public from 2013–2014.
Philip C. Abrami has degrees in Social Psychology (AB Honors 1972, MA 1975) and Social/Instructional Psychology (PhD 1978). He is a Concordia University Research Chair and the Director of the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance. His awards include: CADE Award of Excellence in Research, the W.J. McKeachie Career Achievement Award, the Vineberg Research Prize in Psychology, and the CSSHE Research Award. He has authored several books and has published dozens of book chapters and journal articles in leading educational and psychology journals. His current work focuses on research integrations and primary investigations in support of applications of educational technology in distance and higher education, in early literacy, and in the development of higher order thinking skills. Phil is a co-applicant for the SSHRC PG funding, a founding member of the Executive, and a co-applicant the MEDA Project.
Angela Elster is a musician and educator by training. She currently serves as Vice-President (Academic) at The Royal Conservatory. Angela has held positions in higher education, elementary education and senior administration. She started her career in music studying voice at the University of Toronto and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education before undertaking graduate work at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, receiving her Master’s degree in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning in 1998. Most recently, Angela graduated with a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies, Research, Leadership and Training in Expressive arts: Therapy, Education and Consulting at the European Graduate School, where she is currently completing her PhD. Her research interests include teacher change and how the arts inspire resilience. She is a founding member of the Executive, and a co-applicant on the MEDA Project.
SENIOR RESEARCH COLLABORATORS
Gary McPherson is a multi-faceted music professional whose career includes performances as a trumpeter and conductor with various ensembles throughout Australia, three major longitudinal research studies involving musicians in Australia and the United States, and over 25 years as an academic in Universities teaching music education, research techniques, music psychology, performance science, and musicianship. He is the Director of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, and serves as an international Project Advisor for MEDA software development and research.
Julia Brook is a pianist, pedagogue, and researcher. She has worked extensively with the MEDA Project through her work as a teacher advisor, researcher, and workshop clinician. Julia has worked for several years in studio and classroom contexts and has provided instruction to students of all ages. Julia continues to conduct research in music and rural education and has presented her research findings to national and international audiences. Julia remains active as a collaborative pianist. She has an MA in Music (2007) and a Masters in Piano Performance and Literature (2001). She also has a teaching degree (BEd 2003) and an undergraduate degree in music (BMus 1999). Julia graduated from Queen’s University with her doctorate in 2011. She served as a Post-Doctoral Fellow with the MEDA Project for two years (ending September 2014), and now serves as a Senior Research Associate.
Holly Ogden is a post-graduate fellow with the MEDA project. She is a teacher, researcher, and musician. Holly is currently teaching integrated curriculum courses and supervising practica in the BEd program at the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University. Holly began her career teaching grades one through six with the Limestone District School Board and her classroom experience informs her research interests—the nature and impact of personal learning in preservice and continuing teacher education.
ADVISORS
Elaine Lau is a Toronto-based pianist and co-founder of junctQín keyboard collective. Versatile as both a soloist and collaborative artist, she has performed as keyboardist and soloist with Canadian orchestras, and broadcast on CBC Radio 2, National Public Radio (US) and Rondo Classic (Finland). In addition to performing, she teaches piano and chamber music at the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University, maintains a private music studio in Toronto, is active as an adjudicator, and is a Senior Examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music. Elaine served as a Pedagogical Liaison and Teacher Advisor during the development of iSCORE (Version 1) and was actively involved in designing iSCORE professional development for teachers. She has continued to offer advice on the newer tools in The Suite, including DREAM, Cadenza, and the Annotator App.
Joseph Ferretti maintains an active schedule of performing, teaching, and adjudicating. He has been presented in concert by COC’s Four Season’s Centre, Toronto’s Music Gallery, NUMUS, and Barrie’s Colours of Music Festival among numerous others, and has recorded for Capstone Records. In addition to maintaining his Toronto studio, Dr. Ferretti has taught piano at Wilfrid Laurier University since 2003. Summer faculty positions have included the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Joseph is active across Canada as a festival and competition adjudicator, RCM examiner, and presenter for workshops and outreach events. He was pleased to serve as a Teacher Advisor for the iSCORE project when the first version of the software was being developed, and continues to work actively on the project in the areas of teacher professional development, further tool development (e.g., DREAM and Cadenza), and knowledge mobilization.
A native of Finland, Heidi Saario is a versatile musician as a soloist and a collaborative pianist and she has performed across Canada and Finland. Her recordings include Jean Sibelius – Compositions for Piano and Diamonds of the North – Songs from Scandinavia, in collaboration with soprano Cindy Koistinen. Aside from performance, Ms. Saario is a passionate educator and maintains a private studio in Toronto teaching students of all ages and levels. She is active as an adjudicator, RCM examiner, and is one of the coordinators for the Contemporary Showcase music festival in Toronto. Heidi has served as a teacher advisor with the MEDA project since its inception, advising on all of the digital tools as well as teacher professional development.
Julia Fountain teaches piano and music fundamentals from her home studio in Ajax, ON. She has a particular interest in teaching students with special needs, and received the 2010 silver medal award for Elementary Piano Pedagogy, and Frederick Harris scholarship for highest viva voce mark. Julia is preparing for her final practical examinations to complete her Piano Pedagogy Associateship with the RCM. She joined the MEDA Project in the fall of 2012, offering advice on the newer tools in The Suite.
Jodie Compeau has been with the MEDA project since 2013, when she began using iSCORE with her students. Jodie has a full teaching schedule with over 60 elementary and intermediate students. Jodie was the 2013 recipient of the Gold Medal from The Royal Conservatory for her examination results in Elementary Piano Pedagogy. In addition to teaching piano and rudiments, Jodie also teaches at a therapeutic riding academy, KARAT Riding at Corner Stone Farm, helping young people with a range of cognitive, physical, and emotional conditions gain skill and confidence through adaptive riding lessons.
President, Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Association (CFMTA)
Executive Director and CEO, Music Teachers National Association (MNTA)
President, Frederick Harris Music Co.
President, Roland Music Canada
ASSISTANTS AND ASSOCIATES
Jane Willms is the Project Manager for the MEDA Project at Queen’s University. Jane is a former elementary school teacher with many years of experience as a classroom teacher, music teacher and school administrator. She has also worked as a writer, editor, manager and consultant in the fields of education, international development, health care, human rights and environmental change. She is very pleased to help with a project that fosters education in the arts – one of her passions.
Research Assistants and Graduate Students
Meagan Troop has a Masters in Curriculum Studies (MEd 2008), a teaching degree (BEd 2003), and an undergraduate degree in music (BMus 2002). Meagan completed her doctoral studies at Queen’s University in 2014. Her research interests are in the fields of transformative learning, adult development and education, and arts and music education. Meagan served as a senior research assistant with the project before relocating to Guelph in 2014.
Wynnpaul Varela is a doctoral candidate at Concordia University’s Department of Education. His research interests include how music students use technology to self-experiment during their practice. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in music and plays the piano as a hobby. He has a Masters in Linguistics, and taught English in Japan for 14 years. Wynnpaul serves as a research assistant for the project and joined the team in 2010.
Karen Boese is a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University, working in the area of Cognitive Studies. She completed her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in 1995. She has extensive teaching experience in the elementary panel, ranging from Kindergarten and Early Literacy Intervention to Drama, Dance and Music. Karen is a research assistant with the MEDA Project, and her doctoral dissertation will explore self-regulation in young children.
Serena Manson was a Master’s student at Queen’s University (graduated 2014) and has served as a research assistant on the MEDA Project since 2012. Prior to returning to student life Serena spent the past ten years, on the other side of the desk, teaching Grades 1 to 6 in a Waldorf school. Though not a musician herself, Serena has a great appreciation for music and hopes to one day develop proficiency in an instrument. Serena graduated with her M.Ed. in 2014 and has continued to work on the project, supporting the work on iSCORE in Quebec.
Liz Warwick began her Master’s degree in Educational Technology at Concordia University in 2012 and joined the MEDA project as a research assistant in 2013, completing her M.A. in 2015. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from Carleton College (USA) and a diploma in Journalism from Concordia University. Prior to returning to university, she spent many years as a journalist, writer, and editor with a focus on education issues. Liz began playing classical guitar eight years ago and is keenly interested in how adults approach music learning. She began a staff position with the CSLP in 2015, and continues to work on the project.
RCM Staff
Gerry Dimnik joined The Royal Conservatory in 2009 and leads the planning, design, implementation, and management of information systems. Prior to joining The Royal Conservatory, Gerry was Director, Information Services at North York General Hospital, also in Toronto, where he was responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of IT services. In that role, Gerry was instrumental in advancing the hospital’s eCare project, which established North York General Hospital as one of the most technologically advanced hospitals in North America. Gerry holds a Master of Science degree in Management Information Systems from the London School of Economics as well as a Masters Degree from the University of Toronto. His interests include improving efficiency of IT delivery, data warehousing and business intelligence. He is also an accomplished pianist and organist and holds an ARCT in piano performance from The Royal Conservatory of Music. Gerry has been instrumental in the MEDA Project, especially regarding the development of DREAM and facilitating gathering data for the national survey.
Laura Johnson is a web designer specializing in the Drupal content management system and is currently working as Webmaster for The Royal Conservatory, where she administers iSCORE and provides support to iSCORE users. Laura also attended the Royal Conservatory as a student and continues to play the piano. She is currently using iSCORE to help her learn to play jazz piano. Laura is also a lead programmer for DREAM, which was released in September, 2014.
Queen’s Staff
Matthew King is a Senior Data Analyst at Queen’s University. He joined the project in the fall of 2012. Matt has close to three decades of experience as an analyst and project manager. His recent publications and reports are primarily in the areas of health behaviours in school-aged children and youth. He also played a major role in the double cohort studies funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Matt served as the Data Analyst for the Learning Through The Arts research project, funded by the RCM, from 1999–2006.
Zaeem Anwar is a fourth year student studying biomedical computing at Queen’s. He is a musical hobbyist and technology fanatic. He is serving as tech support for the website for The Suite, as well as supporting social media and research.
Jake Alsemgeest is a graduate of Queen’s University with a specialization in Software Design. He has played multiple instruments and produces software in his spare time. He is currently working on the Version 2 of DREAM.
CLSP Staff
Anne Wade, serves as Manager and Information Specialist, Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, Concordia University and has been a sessional lecturer in Education for 20 years. Anne served as Coordinator of the ePEARL project since its inception over 10 years ago, and has worked extensively with the educational community helping to integrate technology into classrooms. She is former President of the Eastern Canada Chapter, Special Libraries Association and the Quebec Library Association. She is the Project Manager for MEDA at Concordia.
Manuela Bertoni serves as the Creative Director at the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance at Concordia University since October 2014. Her main focus is in collaborative projects where arts and science can serve each other. Manuela has 3 years of expertise in the production of medical e-learning, and 10 years of expertise in medical illustration. Her education includes work in Graphic Design, Art History, and Ethnographic Artifacts Restoration.
Einat Idan has been an Instructional Designer for the CSLP since 2006. She has a B.A. in English Literature and Education from Hebrew University, Jerusalem and a M.A. in Educational Technology from Concordia University. Einat has been involved in a variety of evidence-based educational projects developed at the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, with a special focus on self-regulated learning. Currently, she is learning more about music and self-regulation through the MEDA Project, in collaboration with The Royal Conservatory and Queen’s University.
Steve Kanellopoulos is Lead Programmer in the Design and Development team at the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering (B.Eng. with Distinction, 2011) and has been part of the CSLP since 2012. Steven is involved in the various projects of the Design and Development team and is currently developing the Cadenza web application.
Jonathan Wilansky is a designer and developer at the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and art, and he is passionate about using computers in innovative ways. Jonathan received his Master of Arts in Music Technology at McGill University, and his Bachelor of Computer Science (Major in Computation Arts) at Concordia University. Jonathan has worked as a freelance web developer, graphic designer, programmer, artist, and teacher. His focus at present is on e-learning and software user experience design, with special applications in music. He enjoys playing guitar and drums as a hobby.
Mimi Zhou is a User Experience, Interaction and Visual Designer at CSLP. Collaborating closely with researchers and Instructional Designers, she enjoys tackling complex tasks and transforming them into intuitive, accessible and easy-to-use designs for the educational community via various digital platforms and services. As the lead Designer for iSCORE, Mimi has learned what teachers and students need in music education. She wishes to continue advocating for users in the Notemaker and Cadenza project. Mimi received her Bachelor degree in Computer Science with a double major in Fine Arts, Digital Multimedia and Sound at Concordia University in 2001, and has been with the CSLP since. She received a Professional Photography A.E.C degree in 2006 at Dawson College and is currently receiving vocal training under a Master Soprano.
Andrew Gardener is a Software Developer at the CSLP who is developing the Note Maker App (Annotator App) and maintains iSCORE. Andrew received his Bachelors in Computer Science at Concordia University in 2011 and has been with the CSLP since 2013.
David Pickup is an Information Specialist at Concordia University’s Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP), where he also teaches an undergraduate ‘information literacy’ course. His responsibilities at the CSLP include designing and conducting comprehensive searches for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, as well as maintaining several bibliographic databases, and assisting the general research needs of associated faculty. David has a background in website design and development, having worked in the industry for 10 years prior to obtaining his Masters Degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) in 2008. David developed the structure for the DREAM, which was released in September 2014. While he is no longer formally with the MEDA Project, he keeps in touch and has been watching the DREAM user base grow since its release.
Catherine LeBel is the former Director of Design and Development at the Center for the Study of Learning and Performance at Concordia University, where she oversaw the team of programmers and graphic designers for 8 years. She has also taught part-time in the Design and Computations Arts department at Concordia since 2001. Catherine has worked as an art director, graphic designer and information architect for various companies in the multimedia industry and for cultural organizations such as the National Gallery of Canada. Catherine holds an MFA in Graphic Design from the Rhodes Island School of Design. Catherine left the CSLP and the MEDA project in June, 2014, but continues to keep tabs on the development of the tools in The Suite.
CURRENT AND FORMER STUDENT ADVISORS
Shen Bei Fan became a student advisor when he was 13-years-old. He is a pianist, music scholar, and composer. He began to use iSCORE in July, 2011.
Kevin Hu became a student advisor when he was 15 years old, when he was playing Grade 3 music. He also enjoys all things technology. He makes many Vlogs on YouTube Channel found at http://YouTube.com/iAwesomeKevin and taking photos which can be found on his own website at http://AwesomeKevin.com/ Along with his sister Kelly Hu, they make claymations using piano music they have learned. They can be found at http://YouTube.com/TheAwesomeKs.
Kaylie Lau was 14-years-old when she joined the student team, and has been advising on iSCORE since fall of 2010 by using ePEARL to enhance her learning. A graduate of the Karen Kain School of the Arts, her adventures as a pianist have taken her from street busking for Saudi Arabian royalty to performing on stage with Summerworks Theatre as a toy pianist. Kaylie enjoys baking and is presently working toward her RCM Grade 8 examination.
Hayden Rasberry was 11 years old when he started using ePEARL in 2009 (ePEARL is the precedessor to iSCORE). He is a pianist, composer, and enthusiastic member of DECA. He completed his Grade 9 practical exam in June 2014. Hayden won the Rose Bowl in the Kiwanis Music Festival in Kingston, Ontario in March, 2013. Hayden served as a student advisor for iSCORE until his term ended in June, 2013.
In addition to his piano studies, Julian Seth-Wong has dabbled in archery and film-making. He has competed at the provincial level of the Canadian Music Festivals and starred in the iSCORE introductory video. Julian is currently preparing for his Grade 10 exam, and joined the advisory team when he was 15 years old.
Lisa Szczepanski was a fourth-year theory major at the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario when she joined the student team. In addition to her studies, she is active in the community as a private teacher and has been involved with iSCORE since its developing stages in 2010. Lisa served as the Chair of the iSCORE Student Advisory Committee until her term ended in June, 2013.
Zinta Upitis was 9 years old when she joined the team. She is a pianist and soccer player extraordinaire. She also plays guitar and is learning to play the trumpet at school. Zinta completed her Grade 7 practical exam in June 2014. She began using ePEARL in 2009, and served as a student advisor for iSCORE until her term ended in June, 2013.
Vincent Vuong is a 13-year-old pianist and aviation enthusiast. He aided in the development of iSCORE by using ePEARL and giving feedback, as well as starring in the iSCORE introductory video. An award winning performer, Vincent is currently working toward his Grade 10 exam.
William Vuong began advising the research and development team when he was 11 years old. He is a pianist and avid illustrator. He began using ePEARL in 2010, and is currently using iSCORE to enhance his learning. A seasoned, prizewinning performer like his brother, William is preparing for his Grade 9 exam.
Quincy Yee was 16 years old when she joined the team. She is a pianist who also appreciates music of all genres, enjoys vintage fashion, and studies guitar. She is an original student advisor to iSCORE through its development from ePEARL and is working towards her Grade 8 RCM exam.