Richard Marsella
Executive Director
Community Music Schools of Toronto
About Richard Marsella
Richard Marsella has served as Executive Director of Community Music Schools of Toronto since January 2010. In 2021, he earned his PhD in Music Education from the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Lee Bartel, focusing his research on the concept of the “musical playground” as a vehicle for community development. This work builds on his teachers’ manual How to Play Your World (Musagetes, 2017). From 2002 to 2007, Marsella directed the Parade of Noises in the Peel Region, engaging over 700 young students in a unique musical experience using instruments made from recycled materials—a celebration of creativity, sustainability, and unconventional sound. Between 1999 and 2008, he founded and programmed the Brampton Indie Arts Festival, a multidisciplinary event at the Rose Theatre in downtown Brampton that featured artists such as The Nihilist Spasm Band, Marc Ribot, Ron Sexsmith, The Rheostatics, Hayden, and Scott Thompson from The Kids in the Hall. Deeply committed to community engagement, Marsella’s work centers on innovation and inclusivity in music education, driving Community Music Schools of Toronto to new heights of impact and creativity.
Events with Dr. Richard Marsella
Music Education – Preserving Culture, Preventing Erasure
Music is a connecting thread that runs through cultures, extending from the very origins of identity to today’s contemporary expressions. The central role of music makes it an essential part...
Roundtable: Building Bridges to a Better Future
When young people grow up facing adversity, whether through economic deprivation, violence, displacement, or multigenerational trauma, feelings of hopelessness, disengagement, and hostility can become internalized responses to their outward circumstances....
SIMM Panel: Social and Community Music Projects and their Possible ‘Impacts’
If community music projects are to have genuine value, we need to challenge outmoded and romanticized narratives, many of which are rooted in paternalistic assumptions from the past. Presenter Dr....
Starting a Music Program in Your Community – Tips for Start-Ups
Starting a music program from the ground up can be a powerful way to foster community, engage youth and create a lasting cultural, educational and social impact. This roundtable brings...