School of Music

Areas of Interest and Expertise

• Music in Canada, women in music, musical activism and protest, choral music, and music in 19th-century Nova Scotia. 
• My passion as a teacher and researcher is helping musicians understand how their work is an integral part of human experience and how music has been deeply intertwined with socio-cultural and political practice throughout the ages.
• I am committed to advancing research about music in Canada and have a particular interest in exploring topics pertaining to the role of music within advocacy, activism, and social justice.  
• As the inaugural Evans Teaching and Learning Scholar for the Faculty of Professional Studies (2023-26), I initiated the development of an open educational resource (OER) dedicated to the topic of music as activism, advocacy, and social justice within Canada.
• I am also interested in the practice of public musicology: advancing musical knowledge and making research accessible beyond the academy. In this vein, I have begun to explore using video as a method of research dissemination, combining writing and research with sound, image, and storytelling.
• Combining many of my interests, my favorite activity as a music practitioner and researcher is choral programming - I love how the medium of a choral concert can be used to connect with audiences and share a message through the inimitable power of music.
• Collaborative keyboard (as both a pianist and organist).

Community & Ensemble Involvement: 

• I direct the Acadia University Singers.
• Long-time member of the Acadia University Wind Ensemble.
• I am the organist and music director at St. John's Anglican Church, Parish of Horton, in Wolfville.  Something I find fulfilling about this position is how it challenges me to multi-task as a musician: I'm often directing the choir as I accompany them from the piano, and within the context of a worship services which necessitates thinking about the flow and function of the music we provide. I also enjoy working with a multigenerational choir that brings together musicians from a variety of different backgrounds. Also, we have a thriving Choral Scholar program that brings university musicians into the choir, and I appreciate how this opportunity is another facet through which I can offer students mentorship.
• I play French horn in the Bridgewater Fire Department Band during the summer months (and help as much as possible during the school year). I joined the band when I was in grade nine and have played with them ever since!
• I am on the board of directors for the Canadian University Music Society (MusCan). This is an exciting committee to be on because it brings together university music teachers and researchers from across Canada.  

Fun Fact:

• I have two amazing - albeit very opinionated! - dogs, Molly and Lucy. We love walking, and especially, exploring trails together. We've also done a lot of classes together: Molly was in Agility when she was younger and now Lucy has started Rally Obedience. As a result, I've become fascinated by dog training. Of course, the end result of what we do as musicians is nothing like dog training, but on a fundamental level of how [put in italics] we learn, we're really no different than the dogs! Molly and Lucy have definitely taught me both patience and humility!