Helen Carswell Chair in Community Engaged Research in the Arts

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10315/36357

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The Helen Carswell Research Team

Read about our research team.

The Helen Carswell research team provides professional development workshops and seminars

on the following topics in community-engaged research in the arts:

Content / Programming

· Group Piano Programming

· Intergenerational Pan Programming

· Steelpan Programming

· Music Technology Programming

Pedagogy

· Investigating Alternatives to RCM Piano Syllabus

· Positive Youth Development

· Trauma-Informed Pedagogy

· Engaging tweens in music summer camps

Equity and Diversity

· Serving Racialized Communities

· Pan-African Repertoires

. Repertoires and Representation

Community Contexts

· Environmental Scanning

· Asset mapping in Jane and Finch

· Data Mapping of Music Making

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News

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APRIL 2021

April 19, 2021

April 1

2021 Carswell Call for Proposals: The Helen Carswell Chair in Community-Engaged Research in the Arts welcomes the submission of research proposals that can inform the practice, programming, or curricula of a community music school.

This call for proposals is open to York graduate students and faculty in any department/field.

We can support community arts projects with financial funding up to $20,000.

Get more information about the call for proposal and download it here.

The deadline for submissions is July 1st, 2021.

MARCH 2021

March 10, 2021

Click here to watch the webinar below

DECEMBER 2020

Dec. 2, 2020

The Helen Carswell research associate, Karen Cyrus, gave a presentation on "Pan-African repertoires" to a working group on GTA anti-racism in music classrooms.

AUGUST 2020

August 24, 2020

The results from the adjudication of the 2020 call for proposals was announced; awards were granted to three proposals. Congratulations to Honor Ford-Smith, Ph.D., York faculty, FES; Munjeera Jefford, Ph.D. student, Social and Political Thought, LAPS; and Kathe Grey, Ph.D. student, Theatre. Welcome to the Helen Carswell Research Team!

JULY 2020

July 1, 2020

AMPD and the Helen Carswell research team are pleased to welcome our new Helen Carswell Chair, Amy Hillis.

July 7, 2020

The Helen Carswell research associate, Karen Cyrus, gave a presentation on "Community Music School Structures" to a delegation from Northern Caribbean University.

JUNE 2020

June 30 marked the end of Karen Burke’s tenure as the Helen Carswell Chair.

We would like to thank Prof. Burke for her dedication to the Helen Carswell Chair over the past three years. Thanks to her compassionate and excellent leadership, this partnership with RPSM has made an indelible mark in the Jane and Finch community, at York University, and in the field of community-engaged research in the arts.

MARCH 2020

March 16, 2020

Message from Karen Burke:

"Thank you so much for your interest in the exciting ongoing research through the unique partnership between the Carswell Family Fund, York University and RPSM. We are currently in the midst of a new CFP season with the deadline of March 16. While we are thankful to those who have already submitted, we recognize that the extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances affecting the world at this time present a variety of disruptions including academic, work, travel and societal that may affect timely submissions. With this in mind and with the information that we have today, we will extend the deadline to March 31. Thank you for your patience and understanding."

FEBRUARY 2020

February 28, 2020

The deadline for the call for proposals was extended to March 16, 2020

JANUARY 2020

January 23, 2020

2020 Carswell Call for Proposals: The Helen Carswell Chair is pleased to welcome the submission of research proposals that can inform the practice, programming, or curricula of RPSM - Jane and Finch. All faculty and graduate students of AMPD, Health, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Education, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Law, Business, and Science may apply.The call for proposals may be accessed below.

January 6, 2020

Administrators from RPSM - Jane and Finch are now located at York University.

The administrator for the RPSM-Jane and Finch programs now has an office (ACE rm 360) in the Music Department. Contact Vanessa Chase, the RPSM-Jane and Finch site coordinator, at (437) 779-0504 / jf@rpmusic.org, or call RPSM's main office at 416-364-8900 for more information. Their York U. office hours are Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm. Kindly call in advance for appointments.

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DECEMBER 2019

On December 5, members of Uzo Anucha’s research team from YouthREX presented a webinar titled "Striking A Chord: The Power of Music Programs for Young People." Our research chair, Karen Burke, along with RPSM staff and a former student from RPSM, spoke about the impact of RPSM's music programs. This webinar also included presenters from other community music programs who gave rich accounts of the impact of their programs. There is much to learn about the impact of community music program by watching this webinar; it may be accessed here.

NOVEMBER 2019

On November 8, members of the Carswell Research Team presented and discussed a poster on Pan-African music repertoire at the Ontario Music Educator's Association (OMEA) Opus 100 conference. The abstract for the poster and other related resources may be accessed in the collection below.

SEPTEMBER 2019

Members of the Helen Carswell Research Team facilitated sessions at RPSM's professional development workshops. They provided valuable information to help RPSM teachers improve their teaching practice. Below are descriptions of the workshops:

September 3, 2019

Title: Trauma Informed Practice

Facilitator: Cathy Pavlik, Ph.D. candidate

AMPD, Department of Music

Cathy discussed how to identify signs and symptoms of trauma in children at different development stages.

September 5, 2019

Title: Positive Youth Development

Facilitators: Tanika McLeod and colleagues of YouthREX (Principal Investigator: Uzo Anucha, Ph.D.)

Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, School of Social Work

Members of Uzo’s research team from YouthREX presented a 2-hour workshop on critical youth engagement. They explored the benefits and barriers to equitable youth engagement, tools to assess and support youth-adult partnerships, as well as "practice-able" ways to facilitate equitable space for authentic youth engagement.

September 6, 2019

Title: Multilevel group-piano classes: management, methods, and materials.

Facilitator: Karen Headlam Cyrus, Ph.D., LRSM, OCT

AMPD, Helen Carswell Research Associate

Karen discussed tools and strategies to navigate three challenges of teaching multilevel piano classes.

September 19, 2019

Members of the Carswell Research Team and RPSM met with members of Research Impact Canada at Daniel Spectrum in Regent Park, Toronto. They discussed and answered questions on the Helen Carswell research team experience.

AUGUST 2019

Members of the Carswell research team presented a workshop at York University's Faculty of Education Summer Institute (FESI) on August 22, 2019 at 12:30 pm. The title of the workshop was “Equity through community music programming: barriers and bridges to resources and representation.” The abstract for the workshop and handouts may be accessed in the collection below.

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RESEARCH PROJECTS

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A poster presentation for the Ontario Music Educators Association's 2019 conference.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 49

Open Access
Final Reports - 2024. Breaking Free: Investigating a Decolonized, Student- Centered Alternative to the Royal Conservatory of Music Piano Syllabus
(2024) Bell-Kovacs, Keisha
This research aimed to investigate pedagogical approaches to piano education outside of the Western European cultural context that is promoted by institutions like the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM). The purpose of the study was to consider teacher and parent attitudes towards the RCM examination system. This central purpose led to the following research questions: 1. What motivates parents to register their children in programs that teach the RCM syllabus and prepare them for examinations? Why have they chosen the piano as an instrument for their children? 2. What challenges are CMST piano teachers facing? What strategies have they tried to overcome those challenges? 3. Can a variety of decolonized pedagogicalapproaches improve teacher and student engagement with piano study?
Open Access
The Helen Carswell Chair in Community Engaged Research in the Arts: Call for Proposals – 2024
(2024) Ong, Joel
The Helen Carswell Chair in Community Engaged Research in the Arts welcomes the submission of research proposals that can inform the practice, programming, or curricula of a community music school. In a continued partnership between York University and Community Music Schools of Toronto at Jane Finch (expanding from the Regent Park School of Music), we support special projects aimed at researching and bolstering community arts in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood and beyond. All faculty and graduate students from any department at York University are encouraged to apply. We welcome interdisciplinary research and cross-disciplinary collaborations. A background in music is not required to apply. The award provides financial funding of up to $20,000. The deadline for submissions is July 2, 2024.
Open Access
Final Report - 2023. A Community Music Approach to Collaborative Sonic Spaces in WebXR
(2023)
The purpose of this project is to introduce extended reality (XR) practices for music group improvisation to a selected group of students from Community Music Schools of Toronto (CMST), and to collaborate on a multiplayer virtual reality (VR) prototype with the students as co-creators. Our project allows for participatory, collaborative, and co-creative interactions that are vital to developing skills in music creation and learning music concepts. Our main intention is to increase digital literacy and accessibility of emerging media and music for youth aged 10-17 years old in Canada, and add virtual reality to the music curriculum at the Community Music Schools of Toronto. More concretely, our participatory research-creation project was conducted with The Senior Jam Class at CMST in the spring term 2023. The class was composed of five students from 13 to 15 years-olds, whose main focus was to learn to jam together. The class itself was headed by Allison Cameron, who is a professional composer, performer and improvising musician in Toronto. She has a long standing career in improvising and performing on electronic keyboards, ukulele, banjo, piano, mini amplifiers, radios, crackle boxes, cassette tapes, miscellaneous objects and toys. It was crucial for us that we integrate the VR project as much as possible within these improvising practices and the class curriculum in discussions with Ms Cameron, who also participated in our workshops together with her teaching assistant Jevoy Jennings. Thanks to their welcoming approach, we were able to create a safe and collaborative space while also being able to share knowledge and different music practices among ourselves. We considered inclusivity and accessibility through the practice of co-creation with the students (including them in all of the project phases - from ideation to prototyping). We provided them with an environment for creating music that differs from traditional musical instrument performance and leverages their skills in listening, improvisation, empathy, and imagination, all core principles of collaborative group music making.
Open Access
Final Reports - 2023. A Discovery of Adaptive Instruments
(2023) Kolin, Diane
Disability is rarely considered in music education today. This project proposed to include more accessibility conversations in the classroom, with children from several age groups. Students of the Community Music Schools of Toronto-Jane Finch discovered adaptive instruments and voice in a series of workshops engaging the researcher, the teachers and the students.
Open Access
Final Reports - 2023. Oral History, Food Justice, and Music Making
(2023) Achidago, Lord Emmanuel; Esguerra, Ruben “Beny”; Ford-Smith, Honor; Mohamed, Nasra; Skeete, Krystle; Veloso, Marvin
“Food is a language we all speak, but not everyone has access to clean, affordable food. We are here to change that”. This statement by research participant Noel Livingston, sums up the goal of this research. We aim to share practices, knowledges and insights that can amplify challenges to urban food injustice in the Black, Caribbean and African communities at Jane and Finch. The research takes the form of a study of the ongoing work of the Toronto Black Farmers and Food Growers Collective, supplemented by oral histories collected from participants in Jane and Finch. Key findings have been channelled into the making of a website that comprises stories, activities, musical and other creative resources intended to facilitate intergenerational learning, dialogue, and action on food justice.
Open Access
Final Reports - 2023. Improvisation and Creative Music-Making Workshop for Wind, Brass, and Percussion Students
(2023) Gandhi, Pratik; Thomas, Bill
The workshop was an opportunity for young student musicians to come together with their peers, more experienced musicians from the York University Wind Symphony, and professional composers, and explore alternative modes of music making on their instruments.
Open Access
Final Reports - 2023. Discovering Opera: A Guide for Young Learners
(2023) Bisson, Sophie M.
The aim of this research is to educate students via the discovery of Black individuals involved in the performing arts in Canada, specifically in the operatic field. Delivered in a curriculum guide format, this research also aims to improve Black students’ emotional and psychological health via their inclusion and participation in new conversations and the discovery of positive role models. The lessons of this curriculum offer students the opportunity to learn about repertoire and artists as well as the ability to see themselves represented in the various spheres of operatic activity, from composer and librettist to singer of a principal cast on a world stage.
Open Access
Helen Carswell 2023 Call for Proposals
(2023-04-03) Hillis, Amy
The Helen Carswell Chair in Community-Engaged Research in the Arts welcomes the submission of research proposals that can inform the practice, programming, or curricula of a community music school. This call for proposals is open to York graduate students and faculty in any department/field. We can support community arts projects with financial funding up to $20 000. The deadline for submissions is June 1st, 2023.
Open Access
Final Report - 2022. Programming Youth Media Arts via Sight, Sound and Storytelling Modules
(2022-11) Hayashi, Sharon; Evans, Barbara; Whitecrow, Jamie
Researchers collaborating with Community Music Schools of Toronto-Jane Finch experimented with creating online visual, sound, and storytelling workshops to introduce youth participants to the higher education and career possibilities of media arts creation, and to encourage participants to value and translate their life experiences into creative practices by making tools and resources both available and accessible in a supportive student-centred learning environment.
Open Access
Cultural Connections Through Music
(2022) Chan, Patty
The goal of Cultural Connections Through Music is to enhance the music school curriculum by introducing a collaborative and culturally rich music program that is experiential, fostering exchange and connection between students, musicians, and the community. These new experiences and connections will hopefully inspire more projects and activities that bring communities together. This project will build upon the current curriculum and provide a program model with the following objectives: 1) Heighten the sense of community 2) Encourage cultural exchange and collaboration through music 3) Allow students to experience rehearsals and performances with a Chinese orchestra 4) Celebrate diversity
Open Access
2022 Call for Proposals - Helen Carswell Chair in Community Engaged Research in the Arts
(2022-04-01) Hillis, Amy
The Helen Carswell Chair in Community-Engaged Research in the Arts welcomes the submission of research proposals that can inform the practice, programming, or curricula of a community music school. This call for proposals is open to York graduate students and faculty in any department/field. We can support community arts projects with financial funding up to $20 000. The deadline for submissions is July 1st, 2022.
Open Access
Final Reports 2021. Sankofa Beatzz: Testing the Efficacy of the Funds of Knowledge Strategy for Music Education
(2021-11-17) Jefford, Munjeera
This research is about the Funds of Knowledge (FKN) strategy (Moll, 2005) that shows teachers how to build on inclusivity at the Regent Park School of Music (RPSM). The FKN strategy scaffolds students’ interests to include racialized families and their cultural backgrounds. Teachers asked students: 1) if they see themselves reflected in the music they are being taught? 2) what kinds of music reflects their interests, races, and cultures? 3) how their family culture can be reflected in music learning?
Open Access
2021-2022 Helen Carswell Research Team Profiles
(2021-10-06)
Profiles of members of The Helen Carswell Research Team for 2021-2022 including Uzo Anucha, Sophie Bisson, Patty Chan, Barbara Evans, Pratik Gandhi, and Sharon Hayashi.
Open Access
Karen Headlam Cyrus, Ph.D., LRSM, OCT, Helen Carswell Research Associate 2017-2021
(2021-10-06) K. Cyrus;
Profile of Karen Headlam Cyrus, Ph.D., LRSM, OCT, Research Associate of the Helen Carswell Chair in Community Engaged Research in the Arts from 2017 to 2021.
Open Access
2020/2021 Annual Report - Helen Carswell Chair in Community Engaged Research in the Arts
(2021) Hillis, A.
Open Access
Community Music Organizations: Playing through a pandemic
(2021) Hillis, A.;
This public webinar will feature a panel of representatives from community music organizations in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood and city of Toronto. Joining us will be Wendy Jones of the Pan Fantasy Steelband, Lucas Marchand of RPSM- Jane & Finch, Andres Tucci Clarke of Sistema Toronto, and Bryna Berezowska of the Nai Choir. All four community music organizations have adjusted their programming to be delivered online throughout the pandemic. Panelists will discuss both their challenges and solutions for virtual teaching, learning and engagement. This is an opportunity for Toronto-based community music organizations to share their experiences and to discuss strategies for continued social growth.
Open Access
2021 Call for Proposals - Helen Carswell Chair
(2021) Hillis, A.;
The Helen Carswell Chair in Community-Engaged Research in the Arts welcomes the submission of research proposals that can inform the practice, programming, or curricula of a community music school. This call for proposals is open to York graduate students and faculty in any department/field. We can support community arts projects with financial funding up to $20 000. The deadline for submissions is July 1st, 2021.
Open Access
Building pan-African repertoires to disrupt anti-Black racism in music education
(2021) Cyrus, Hamilton, Jones & Lewis; ;
Posters and recorded copies of a webinar on building pan-African repertoires.
Open Access
Black music in music education: repertoire, representation, and courageous conversations
(2019) Cyrus, Burke, and Wilson
Academic poster presented at OMEA conference (2019).
Open Access
The 2019 Final Reports: Components of a digital technology music class
(2020) Ong, Joel; Gershon, Walter S.

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