Roger Mantie is Professor, Department of Arts, Culture and Media at University of Toronto Scarborough, with a graduate appointment at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. He enjoyed previous appointments at Arizona State University and Boston University. He is the author of Music, Leisure, Education: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives (2021, Oxford University Press), co-author…
Ron Davis Alvarez is a musician, teacher and founder of the Dream Orchestra. He specialises in training teachers to lead youth orchestras and has lectured at conferences and masterclasses around the world. In 2016 in Gothenburg, Sweden, Ron Davis Alvarez founded the Dream Orchestra with children and teenage refugees who had no musical training from…
Rory McLeod is a musician, entrepreneur, and concert designer who takes joy in creating authentic human connections through shared musical experiences. As Executive and Artistic Director of Xenia Concerts, he works with stakeholders in the disability and neurodiversity community to produce accessible concerts and provide accessibility training to artists and presenting organizations across Canada. Also…
Sandrine studied violin with Denise Lupien and Yukari Cousineau while completing her studies in music therapy. After ten years of practicing music therapy in the field of social pediatrics, Sandrine focuses on developing and leading accessible music education programs through Musique à l’unisson, where she is the co-founder and Executive Director. Deeply committed to the…
Matthew Bell, Frontier Economics, OBE looks at the wider impacts of participation in artistic and cultural activitities and how these findings can influence government policy decisions. For over 25 years he has advised governments around the world on the potential impact of new policies and ongoing impacts of existing policies. He has worked particularly in…
Dr. Shawn Earle is the CEO of Sistema Toronto and an accomplished clarinetist, educator, and arts administrator. He has led community engagement initiatives and creative projects in roles such as Education and Outreach Manager and Director of Artistic Operations for the Regina Symphony Orchestra. As a performer, Dr. Earle has appeared across Canada, the USA,…
Melanie Doane is a JUNO Award-winning recording artist who, for the past 15 years, has brought a powerful educational dimension to her musical career. Inspired by her father, renowned music educator and Order of Canada recipient J. Chalmers Doane, Melanie founded the Doane Music School to carry forward his legacy of accessible, high-quality music education….
Micah Hendler is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus (JYC), a celebrated Israeli-Palestinian music and dialogue initiative that brings together young singers from East and West Jerusalem to create music and build understanding across divides. Under his leadership, the JYC has performed on global stages including TED, America’s Got Talent, and…
Michael Carter is a teacher, disability activist, and musician. He earned degrees in Jazz Performance from Brandon University and University of Toronto before pursuing his education degree at York University. As a disabled person (he uses this term interntionally to recognize the ways our world disables disabled people), his work is rooted in supporting students…
Dr. Michael H. Thaut, PhD, is Professor of Music at the University of Toronto, with cross-appointments in the Faculty of Medicine (Rehabilitation Science, Medical Science, Neuroscience). He also holds appointments at two university teaching hospitals as a Collaborator Scientist in the Neuroimaging Division at CAMH and at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s…