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I hold BMus and MA degrees in Music Theory from McGill University, an ARCT diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, a Musicology Certificate from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, and a PhD degree in Music Theory from the University of Michigan.
Upon completion of doctoral studies, I became a postdoctoral fellow funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial fund at the University of British Columbia. Prior to my appointment at Laurier, I was assistant professor of music theory at Dalhousie University and music director at St. Mary’s Basilica in Halifax, NS.
My research contributes to the fields of music theory, musicology, music theory pedagogy, and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). I specialize in the post-tonal compositional practice of Nikolai Roslavets and the cultural and political contexts in which his work developed. I am also investigating the development of Ukrainian art song in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Pedagogical research interests include the role of metacognitive reflection in music theory instruction, strategies that support learner agency, and Polyvagal-informed teaching and learning.
At Laurier, I have been awarded internal research and travel grants. Selected awards include:
- Laurier Travel Grants to present research at conferences in Tucson, AZ, Victoria, BC, Sydney, Australia, and Santa Barbara, CA.
- Laurier Instructional Development Travel Grants to present research at conferences in Banff, AB, Victoria, BC, Kingston, ON, Boulder, CO, Sydney, Australia, and Santa Barbara, CA.
- Laurier Conference Grant and Congress Cultural Projects Grant to host the Canadian University Music Society Conference at WLU in 2012.
- Merit Awards.
Recent Presentations and Publications:
- "Pandemic Lessons on Emotion in Music Teaching and Learning," Canadian University Music Society Annual Conference, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS (2022).
- “Designing the Reflective Essay: An Instrument for Integration and Customization of Music Theory Learning Experiences,” Pedagogy into Practice 2019: Teaching Music Theory in the Twenty-First Century Conference, Santa Barbara, CA (2019).
- "Metacognition: An Overlooked Skill in Music Theory Instruction” Engaging Students: Essays in Music Pedagogy, 5 (2017).
- “Promoting Metacognitive Reflection in Music Theory Instruction” Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, 30 (2016), 23-85.
- “Innovating Music Theory Instruction Through Metacognitive Reflection,” College Music Society International Conference, Sydney, Australia (2017).
- “Advocating for Integration of Metacognitive Strategies into Music Theory Instruction,” Pedagogy into Practice: Teaching Music in the Twenty-First Century Conference, Cleveland, TN (2017).
- “Incorporating Reflective Practice into Music Theory Instruction: Why and How?” College Music Society Pacific Northwest Conference, Vancouver, BC (2017).
- "Engaging Students as Disciplinary Practitioners in an Introductory Theory Course," Engaging Students: Essays in Music Pedagogy, 3 (2015).
- “Learning Theory Through Authentic Collaborative Projects,” Engaging Students Unconference, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO (2015).
- “Transforming Passive Receptivity of Knowledge into Deep Learning Experiences at the Undergraduate Level: An example from Music Theory,” Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching, 8 (2015), 55-77.
- “Transforming Passive Students into Engaged Learners,” Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Conference, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON (2014).
- "Roslavets, Nikolay Andreyevich", in Grove Music Online (Revised 2013-14).
- “Toward Developing an Engaging Music Theory Pedagogy: Student Perspectives on the Value of Project-Based Learning,” Canadian University Music Society Conference, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC (2013).
- “Integrating Best Practices in Post-Secondary Education into Music Theory Pedagogy at the Undergraduate Level,” 2012 Symposium on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Banff, AB (2012).
- “Linking the Piano Music of Scriabin and Roslavets,” Lecture Recital with Anya Alexeyev, piano. Canadian University Music Society Conference, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON (2012).
- “The Learning Portfolio as a Tool in Undergraduate Music Theory Instruction”, College Music Society Pacific Southwest Chapter Conference, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (2012).
- “Introducing the Learning Portfolio into Music Theory Core Pedagogy,” College Music Society Symposium, 51 (2011).
- “Introducing the Portfolio into Music Theory Pedagogy at the Undergraduate Level”, Dutch-Flemish Society for Music Theory, Enschede, The Netherlands (2011).
- “Exploring Commonality in the Idiosyncratic Piano Music of Scriabin and Roslavets”. Canadian University Music Society Conference, The University of Regina, Regina, SK (2010).
- “Investigating the Development of Synthetic Chords in the Music of Scriabin and Roslavets”. The College Music Society Great Lakes Chapter 28th Regional Conference. Ball State University, Muncie IN (2010).
I am passionate about guiding students to discover how the study of music theory contributes to their development as musicians.