Brandon University Student Music Educators Association (BUSMEA) is an organization made up of music education students serving music education students. The association’s goal is to offer professional development opportunities to its membership through workshops and other related events, to supplement their educational experience at the Brandon University Faculties of Music and Education.
BUSMEA is pleased to announce the 20th annual Da Capo Conference. The Da Capo Conference is an all-day workshop of professional development opportunities for pre-service and current music educators held on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at the Brandon University (BU) School of Music in the Queen Elizabeth II Music Building.
In addition to celebrating the 20th annual Da Capo Conference, this year marks the 40th anniversary of this student-led organization. In celebration of these milestones, this year’s event is set to include alumni celebrations and feature winners from the Beginning Band Composition Competition, a new project that BUSMEA and the Westman Band Directors Association (WMBDA) have been collaborating on this year. Furthermore, BUSMEA is thrilled to kick off its 20th year with a fun social event on Friday evening, Jan. 16, at the Dock on Princess in Brandon. The event will begin at 7 p.m., and feature NYOH (Not Your Ordinary Hooligans), a dynamic eight-piece collective of Filipino-Canadian musicians, primarily School of Music alumni, who are music educators from Winnipeg.
BUSMEA is excited to welcome Dr. Wendy Zander and Greg Gatien as keynote speakers for their session “Lessons from the Process – Leadership and Resilience”. Dr. Zander is the Instrumental Music Education Specialist and conductor of the Symphonic Band at Brandon University where she teaches courses in music education and conducting. She is also the advisor of the Brandon University Student Music Educators Association (BUSMEA) and former President of the Manitoba and Canadian Band Associations. Dr. Zander was Lead Writer of the Manitoba Grade 9-12 Music Curriculum Framework and is a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator across North America. Greg Gatien teaches in the Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music department and has served as Dean of Music at BU since 2016. Teaching saxophone, improvisation, jazz history, and directing ensembles, Gatien is an active educator and maintains a busy schedule adjudicating festivals and giving masterclasses. Also an active and accomplished performer, Gatien has played with many icons of the jazz tradition and is a frequent collaborator with renowned pianist and composer John Harmon as well as multi Juno-award winning composer and pianist David Braid.
Brandon University professors Dr. Sheelagh Chadwick, Dr. Sheila Scott, Dr. Andrée Dagenais and Aren Teerhuis are presenting alongside music educators including Anna Penno, Carolyn Gwyer, Bobbi Schaminee, Claire Powell, John Hodge, Meagan Lawson, Chloé Plamondon, Angie Weisgerber, Michelle Archibald, and Andrew Coombs. Irreplaceable administrator and music educator Kevin Doell (Sunrise School Division) is returning for his twentieth year, providing leadership and insight treasured by our professional community. Joining Da Capo as roundtable presenters are newly minted music educators Ben Kensok, Zack Cormier, and Kendra Martinussen who will offer their insights into their first years of teaching.
Session topics for this year’s conference include Playing Pop Tunes with Your Jazz Band, Telling a Compelling Story in Choral Songs, Conducting FUNdamentals, Orff in the Elementary Classroom, Differentiated Learning, Growing Musicians for Life: Educators at the Heart of Two Worlds, Off Podium Communication, Collaboration for Mindful Education in Inclusive Classrooms, New Teacher Roundtable, and the insights for directing Musicals. Additionally, Da Capo 2026 will feature a reading session for works from the Beginning Band Composition Competition, so participants are asked to bring instruments!
All are welcome to attend Da Capo including music educators, music education students, high school students, music administrators, education students, and performance students. BUSMEA would also be honoured to celebrate music education and our milestone year with any alumni who wish to join us at the event and attend our “Mingle and Memories” session Saturday! Registration forms are available at https://forms.gle/8SM1MTP4i2GkUXEi9 – please preregister to join for lunch and register for limited seating at Friday evening’s dinner. Email busmea@brandonu.ca with any questions. Don’t forget to check out their Instagram @bu_busmea to stay up to date on the Da Capo Conference and other upcoming events.
The Da Capo 2026 schedule can be found here: https://www.brandonu.ca/busmea/files/Da-Capo-2026-Schedule-1.pdf
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