Conference Highlights

Opening Keynote

Patrick Schmidt

Professor of Music and Music Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, USA

Patrick Schmidt's scholarship focuses on critical pedagogy, policy studies, and urban music education, and is recognized internationally. He is the author and co-editor of several major volumes, including Policy and the Political Life of Music Education (Oxford University Press, 2017), Policy as Practice: A Guide for Music Educators (Oxford University Press, 2020), and the Oxford Handbook of Music Education and Social Justice (2015). He also serves as a docent at the Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts, Helsinki, and has held leadership positions at Western University (Canada) and Florida International University.

Closing Keynote & 50th Anniversary

Celebrating 50 Years of the ISME Policy Commission

David Forrest

Professor of Music Education, School of Art, RMIT University, Australia

David Forrest is Professor of Music Education in the School of Art at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. A leading scholar in music education policy, his research spans the development and implementation of policy at state, national, and international levels. He is a Fellow of the Australian Society for Music Education (FASME), recipient of the 2020 Inaugural Member Service Award from the International Society for Music Education, and has published extensively on doctoral research in music education and on the educator and composer Dmitri Kabalevsky. He will deliver a keynote celebrating 50 years of the ISME Policy Commission, founded in 1976.

Excursion — Wednesday, July 22

Cultural Policy Hub at OCAD University

On Wednesday afternoon, participants are invited to visit the Cultural Policy Hub, housed at OCAD University in downtown Toronto. The Hub is a national network of researchers and partner organizations dedicated to cultural policy discussion, development, and capacity-building across Canada's arts and culture sector. This excursion offers an excellent opportunity to connect with scholars and practitioners engaged in cultural policy work beyond the field of music education. There is no cost to participants beyond subway fare.

Conference Banquet

Eataly Toronto

Thursday, July 23 · 19:00

$66.50 per person, payable directly to the restaurant prior to the conference.

Beverages available at additional cost.

Daily Schedule

Keynote
Full Paper
Symposium
Roundtable
Lightning Talks & Poster Session
Administrative / Social

Monday, July 20

  • 12:00–13:00

    Administrative

    Registration

  • 13:00–14:00

    Administrative

    Conference Opening

  • 14:00–15:00

    Keynote Presentation

    Patrick Schmidt

    Teachers College, Columbia University, USA

  • 15:00–16:30

    Symposium · 90 min

    "Between Global Influence and Local Identity: Rethinking Music Education in Contemporary Asia"

    Hung Pai Chen, Aesthetic Education Network Project (Ministry of Education Advisory Teams), Taiwan

    Tadahiko Imada (Online), Hirosaki University, Japan

    Joo Hyun Kang, Korea National University of Education, Korea

    Pan-hang Tang, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

  • 16:30–17:30

    Collaboration Breakouts · 60 min

    Policy Network Group Sessions

    Group 1: Equity, Access & Social Justice in Music Education Policy

    Group 2: Cultural Policy, Institutions & the Arts Sector

    Group 3: Curriculum, Teacher Education & Policy Enactment

    Group 4: Research-Policy Interface & Knowledge Mobilization

    Participants meet in assigned groups with a facilitator.

    Pre-register for your Policy Network Group →

  • 17:30–18:30

    Social

    Welcome Reception

Tuesday, July 21

  • 9:00–9:30

    Full Paper

    "Examining the Policy Entrepreneurship of Teachers"

    Rhiannon Simpson, University of Melbourne, Australia

  • 9:30–10:00

    Full Paper

    "From Ideology to Neutrality: Policy Enactment in Ecuadorian Schools"

    Johanna Abril, Touching Sound, Ecuador

    University of Toronto Music Library, Edward Johnson Building

  • 10:00–10:30

    Full Paper

    "Designated Experts: Constructing Credibility for Policy Enactments"

    Christer Larsson, University of Gothenburg, Academy of Music and Drama, Sweden

  • 10:30–11:00

    Full Paper

    "Music Education under Late Capitalism: Reexamining Norms, Desire, and Commodification"

    Tadahiko Imada, Hirosaki University, Japan

  • 11:00–13:00

    Break & Lunch

    Break & Lunch

  • 13:30–14:30

    Lightning Talks + Poster Session

    Access, Lifelong Learning, Governance & Policy Enactment

    Rong Yang (Online), Sarah Shugarman, Nonthawat Saetung & Saya Thuntawech, Marja-Leena Juntunen, Xiaowen Li, Sophia Wang, Prem Gurung (Online)

    7 talks × 5 min + poster exhibit.

    • "Professional Practice of Later-life Music Education Through Socio-Political Lenses in Finland and China" — Rong Yang (Online), Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland
    • "Equitable Access to Comprehensive Elementary Music Education in Ontario: A Critical Policy Analysis" — Sarah Shugarman, University of Toronto, Canada
    • "Guidelines for Promoting Orchestras as Lifelong Music Learning Resources in Thailand" — Nonthawat Saetung & Saya Thuntawech, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
    • "From Autonomy to Assessment: Music Education in Finland on the Road to the Matriculation Examination" — Marja-Leena Juntunen, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland
    • "Publicness and Morality in Music Education: A Deweyan Framework Reinterpreted by Paul Woodford" — Xiaowen Li, Tokyo College of Music, Japan
    • "Whose Stage Is It? Tracing Private and Social Sector Involvement in Ontario Music Festivals, 1945–2025" — Sophia Wang, University of Toronto, Canada
    • "Policy Practice through Systems Reflexivity for Gender Equality in Music Education" — Prem Gurung (Online), Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland
  • 15:00–16:30

    Symposium · 90 min

    "Who Counts as an Artist? Cultural Policy Disguises in Toronto's Arts Sector"

    Nasim Niknafs, Ely Lyonblum, Saghar Moghadamfar, Sinem Eylem Arslan — University of Toronto, Canada

Wednesday, July 22

  • 9:00–10:30

    Symposium · 90 min

    "Bridging Research and Policy: Rethinking How We Shape Music Education for All"

    Bridget Whyte, MusicMark, UK

    Patrick Schmidt, Teachers College, Columbia University, USA

    Tuulikki Laes, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland

  • 10:30–11:00

    Full Paper

    "Democratization and School Music Education in Postwar Japan"

    Ikuko Shitamichi, Tokyo College of Music, Japan

  • 11:00–11:15

    Break

    Break

  • 11:15–12:15

    Roundtable Set A · 60 min (concurrent)

    Teacher Education, Policy Literacy & Institutional Change

    Richard Tilley, Patricia Flynn

    • "Diversifying and Democratizing Music Teacher Education in a Time of Political Unease" — Richard Tilley, Nazareth University, USA
    • "Philanthropy Influencing Public Music Education Policy: A Case Study of Ireland's Music Generation" — Patricia Flynn, Dublin City University, Ireland

    Roundtable Set B · 60 min (concurrent)

    Governance, Curriculum & Structural Reform

    Carla Aguilar, Kaisa Johanna Vähi

    • "Diversifying the Workforce: Opportunities for Secondary General Music" — Carla Aguilar, Metropolitan State University of Denver, USA
    • "The Influence of Social-Political Transformations on the Curriculum of Estonian Music Schools" — Kaisa Johanna Vähi, University of the Arts Helsinki, Estonia
  • 12:15–14:30

    Lunch

    Lunch & Free Time (before excursion)

  • 15:00–16:30

    Excursion

    Cultural Policy Hub at OCAD University

Thursday, July 23

  • 9:00–9:30

    Full Paper

    "Young Musicians in a Community Venue: The Big Impact of a Small Policy"

    Bronya Dean & Lynda Johnston, University of Waikato, New Zealand

  • 9:30–10:00

    Full Paper

    "Music Education and a New Social Order"

    Geir Johansen, Norwegian Academy of Music, Norway

  • 10:00–10:30

    Full Paper

    "Simplifying Music Education and Empowerment in Africa's Evolving Landscape"

    Sylvester Mwai (Online), Daystar University, Kenya

  • 10:30–11:00

    Collaboration Breakouts · 30 min

    Policy Network Group Sessions

    Group 1: Equity, Access & Social Justice in Music Education Policy

    Group 2: Cultural Policy, Institutions & the Arts Sector

    Group 3: Curriculum, Teacher Education & Policy Enactment

    Group 4: Research-Policy Interface & Knowledge Mobilization

    Pre-register for your Policy Network Group →

  • 11:00–13:00

    Break & Lunch

    Break & Lunch

  • 13:30–14:30

    Lightning Talks + Poster Session

    Governance, Political Economy, Digital Futures & Precarity

    Julian Vorst, Mário André Wanderley Oliveira, Daniel Hellman, David Forrest, Alexis Kallio

    5 talks × 5 min + poster exhibit.

    • "The Role of Music Education in Addressing Right-Wing Extremist and Populist Music" — Julian Vorst, University of Münster, Germany
    • "Agribusiness, Education, and Culture: Symbolic Strategies and Their Implications for Music Education in Brazil" — Mário André Wanderley Oliveira, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
    • "Future of AI in Music Teacher Education: Integrating or Resisting Large Language Models" — Daniel Hellman, Missouri State University, USA
    • "Reviewing Revive: A Midway Evaluation of the Implementation of Australia's Cultural Policy" — David Forrest, RMIT University, Australia
    • "Preventative Policing Through Pop? The Role of Music in Shaping Youth–Police Relations in Queensland" — Alexis Kallio, Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, Australia
  • 14:30–15:00

    Break

    Break

  • 15:00–16:30

    Symposium · 90 min

    "Reframing Music Career Pathways: Policy Misalignment and the Future of Music Education in Canada"

    Kyle Zavitz, Laura Menard, Lynn Tucker — University of Toronto, Canada

  • 16:30–17:00

    Full Paper

    "Lifelong Learning and Leisure: The Search for Music Classes Among Adults"

    Maura Penna, Ana Rosa Fernandes, Ingrid Simplicio, & João Tomaz da Costa Neto, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Brazil

  • 17:00–21:00

    Commission Banquet

    Eataly Toronto — Commission Banquet

    $66.50 CAD per person, payable directly to the restaurant by July 8 (prepayment). Beverages at additional cost.

Friday, July 24

  • 9:00–9:30

    Roundtable Set C · 30 min

    Justice, Identity & Democratic Futures

    Beth Tuinstra, Camilla Kvaal

    • ""Attempts to Erase Me Does Not Change My Identity": Policy, 2SLGBTQIA+ Resistance, and Music Education" — Beth Tuinstra, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
    • "Gendered Polarization in a Late Capitalist Democracy: How Does It Relate to Music Education?" — Camilla Kvaal, University of Inland Norway, Norway
  • 9:30–10:00

    Full Paper

    "Interrogating Internalized Ableism In/For Music Education"

    Juliet Hess, Michigan State University, USA

  • 10:00–10:30

    Administrative

    What's Happening In and Around ISME?

    Marja-Leena Juntunen, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland

  • 10:30–11:00

    Administrative

    Commission Open Forum

  • 11:00–12:00

    Closing Keynote & 50th Anniversary Celebration

    David Forrest

    RMIT University, Australia

    Celebrating 50 years of the ISME Policy Commission

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Submission Deadline: July 15, 2026

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