An annual student-organized and run conference for music educators will be held at Brandon University in January.
The 19th annual Da Capo Conference is an all-day workshop of professional development opportunities for pre-service and current music educators. This year’s conference will be held on Jan. 18, 2025, at the Brandon University School of Music.
The conference is arranged every year by the Brandon University Student Music Educators Association, or BUSMEA, an organization made up of music education students serving music education students. Their goal is to offer professional development opportunities to our members through workshops and other related events. Da Capo is an Italian musical term meaning “from the beginning” and it is often used in musical scores to indicate a repetition.
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Peter Meechan, who will present a session titled “Focusing on our ‘Why’: Keeping the Music (and the Education) in Music Education”.
“We are beyond thrilled to have award-winning Canadian-British composer Peter Meechan join us at Da Capo,” said BUSMEA President Leeanne Gerry. “His music has been commissioned, recorded, broadcast, and performed by some of the world’s leading symphony orchestras, wind ensembles, brass bands, conductors, and soloists. His work is extensively performed throughout the world, and it is amazing to bring him to Brandon.”
Meechan’s work Perpetua won the 2021 Sousa-ABA-Ostwald Composition Contest and in October 2020, he was awarded the CBA (Canadian Band Association) ‘Canadian Composers’ Award’ – only the ninth recipient since the award’s inception in 1991. In 2022 he was elected into the membership of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.
Other confirmed presenters at Da Capo include Brandon University professors Dr. Wendy Zander and Prof. Diogo Peixoto. Local Brandon music educators Anna Penno, Heather Klassen, and Carolyn Gwyer will also be presenting, as well as Kevin Doell, Justine Burke, Joanne Kosheluk, and representatives from the Manitoba Kodaly Society.
Also joining Da Capo as roundtable presenters are new music educators Ben Kensok, Janina Macalalad, and Faith Colobong who will offer their insights into their first year of teaching.
Session topics for this year’s conference include Sound, Amplification, and Technology for Music Educators, Conducting FUNdamentals, The Job Interview, Things That Just Work – Activities, Tips, and Tricks for Early Band, Craftsmanship and Content: Demystifying Repertoire Selection, Creating More Welcoming Spaces AKA: Allyship as a Way of Being, Speak Like a Child: Fostering Curiosity and Creativity in Beginning Jazz Improvisation, The Kodaly Method: Philosophy, Foundation, and Demonstration (Grades k-4), The Kodaly Method: Application and Development (Grades 5-8), and Range & Tone: Finding the Perfect Spot for Each Voice in Your Choir.
“Everyone is welcome to attend Da Capo — including music educators, music education students, high school students, music administrators, education students, and performance students,” Gerry said.
Registration forms are available at https://forms.gle/3nbwpJ5RmvqKsXpB7 with a deadline of Jan. 10. Feel free to contact any BUSMEA member or email busmea@brandonu.ca with any questions. Don’t forget to check out our Instagram @bu_busmea to stay up to date on the Da Capo Conference and other upcoming events.
Contact
- Brandon University
- communications@brandonu.ca
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