May 2014 - News!

Conferences, Symposiums, Workshops     view all upcoming

AIRS News

• Successful AIRS ‘Melody-On-The-Spot’ Challenge at the East Coast Music Association
  

AIRS wishes to thank Mike Speelman and his team of UPEI volunteers who represented AIRS in our partnership with the East Coast Music Association (ECMA) in presenting the ‘Melody-On-The-Spot: AIRS Challenge’ at the 2014 ECMW in Charlottetown, PEI on 3-5 April 2014. ECMA artists and interested attendees were invited to participate in the fourth edition of the exciting ‘Melody-On-The-Spot’ Challenge contest. The ‘Melody-On-The-Spot’ challenge is a creative, improvisational contest in song-writing where you have a chance of crafting a new song ‘on the spot’ inspired by a choice of visual images provided by the AIRS research team. There’s one minute to compose, and one minute to sing. A panel of industry professionals will judge recordings of the songs, and prizes will be awarded to the individuals with the most creative and entertaining song.

• At the Podium 2014 Conference, there were two incredible presenters! Both phenomenal leaders, Darryl Edwards and Carol Beynon, shared wisdom and expertise at Podium 2014
  

Darryl Edwards    

Darryl Edwards, tenor, began his career a choral conductor, studying at UWO with Deral Johnson, and in summer sessions at Westminster Choir College with Shaw, Trego, Hausemann and Willcocks. He founded the Woodstock Fanshawe Singers, taught vocal/choral music at Saunders SS in London, ON, and then conducted the UWO Chorale. He holds B.Mus., B.Ed., M.Mus. degrees from Western U, and a DMA from U Michigan. He performs as a tenor soloist internationally. He is now Head of Voice Studies at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, and Artistic Director of the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (COSI).

Carol Beynon    

Dr. Carol Beynon is the Vice Provost of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (Acting) at the University of Western Ontario, former Dean of the Faculty of Education, Associate Professor of music education, and the Senior Artistic Director of the Amabile Boys & Men’s Choirs of London, Canada.  A former teacher, her research interests include studies in gender and singing, intergenerational curriculum development in singing, and informal music learning. She has several articles in peer-reviewed journals and co-author/editor of two books: Learning to Teach (2001) and Critical Perspectives in Canadian Music Education (2012).

Other News

• May is Better Speech and Hearing Month in the USA - and during the month a telephone screening test for hearing impairment, the "National Hearing Test" is being offered for FREE
  

To help raise awareness of this test and also to determine the negative influence of the fee, it has been decided to offer it free during May, 2014.  This is made possible by a grant from NIH/NIDCD, the US National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.  Information about the test is available at the NHT website. This convenient, private, and clinically validated screening test can be taken in the comfort of one's home. During May the test can be taken simply by calling 1-866-223-7575 (also available from Canada) and following the instructions. Left and right ears are tested and the results are given at the end of the call (“within normal limits”, “slightly below the normal range”, or “substantially below the normal range”).