UPEI’s AIRS project holds its fourth annual regional workshops on singing
The Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing project (AIRS) will hold its fourth annual regional workshops June 25 and 26 in UPEI's Don and Marion McDougall Hall, Room 246, from 9:00 am-5:00 pm.
AIRS is an exciting seven-year research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada. More than 70 researchers from around the world contribute to the project's three focus areas: the development of singing ability, singing and learning, and the enhancement of health and well-being through singing. The research aims to provide resources and best practices for teaching and encouraging singing across cultures and generations, and a means for enhancing quality of life through improved intercultural and intergenerational understanding.
Tuesday's workshop features research presentations by recent honours graduates Erica Ross and Denise Beaton; UPEI faculty members such as Dr. Martha Gabriel and Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, Canada Research Chair in Island Studies; as well as a keynote presentation by Dr. Steven Brown, Director of the NeuroArts Lab in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University. Dr. Brown's presentation is entitled: 'Neuroimaging of Pitch Production.'
The event begins Monday, June 25, with a small, expert workshop focused on the resilience of song. A full-day workshop Tuesday, open to the public, highlights research presentations on singing and development, education, and health care, and interactive hands-on demonstrations of research in singing in the UPEI AIRS research space.
The workshop also features presentations by AIRS partners, including Music PEI, Culture PEI, the PEI Alzheimer's Society, and Young at Heart Musical Theatre. Cameo appearances include the AIRS UPEI Multicultural Song Circle and the Grace Christian School (His Girls) among other performers throughout the day.
'Singing is a natural human ability and AIRS is discovering how it can best be exploited to the benefit of individuals, government, and society. We are so fortunate that UPEI is at the hub of this large research enterprise aiming to examine singing in all its dimensions,' said Dr. Annabel Cohen, Professor of Psychology and Director of the AIRS project. 'This AIRS workshop provides the opportunity to share our growing knowledge with the community. We also welcome the insights that community members bring and the important problems to which they direct our attention.'
Members of the public are encouraged to register for the workshop by contacting Ross Dwyer at rdwyer@upei.ca. For more information, visit the AIRS website, http://www.airsplace.ca/. All are welcome!
