April 16, 2016 is World Voice Day. More than 500 events around the world are drawing attention to the importance of the speaking and singing voice in everyday life.

Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing (AIRS) UPEI World Voice Day Celebration, 4:00 pm 

The first event is a series of short talks on research on the singing voice, followed by a short concert from members of the UPEI Multicultural Choir and Song Circle. This is all under the auspices of the AIRS project, supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Dr. Annabel Cohen, professor of psychology and the director of AIRS, will give a brief overview of the scope of AIRS research which has been ongoing for 7 years in PEI, across Canada, and in over a dozen countries world. Three of Dr. Cohen’s honours undergraduate students will also present. Jessica McKellar will talk on the recognition of popular music by members of three generations: university students, their parents and grandparents. Kyle Dutton and Eric DeSilva’s topic focuses on their study on a singing test (AIRS Test Battery of Singing Skills) completed by 40 UPEI student athletes. Following these presentations, members of the AIRS Multicultural Choir and Song Circle will sing songs from Britain, Japan, China, Kenya, and Ukraine, and will lead a few traditional rounds of singing for those who would like to join in.

The event is in the SDU Main Building Faculty Lounge at 4:00 pm. A light pizza dinner will be provided to enable attendees to stay on campus and attend the second celebratory event.