Education professor Vanessa Mio-Quiring is excited about offering youth music training through the Lab School program.
Passionate about string pedagogy, teacher training, and youth teaching, education professor Vanessa Mio-Quiring has developed courses for music performance and education majors at numerous post-secondary institutions.
Her commitment to the development of music education for young students is now reflected in the University of Windsor Lab School, which offers youths from four to 17 years old the chance to develop their musical skills in a group setting.
This fall, the Lab School will offer a program in strings and flute, along with a brand-new jazz mentorship program allowing high school students to work alongside University of Windsor music students.
“In the work and excitement of preparing a final concert, students in the lab develop life and leadership skills, the ability to work collectively as a team, and lasting relationships that nurture their overall well-being,” says Dr. Mio-Quiring.
Teamwork is also demonstrated by the Lab School organizers. In addition to Mio-Quiring, they include Bruce Kotowich, director of the School of Creative Arts, music professors Sally Bick and Michael Karloff, education professor emeritus Jonathan Bayley, and Lillian Scheirich, concertmaster of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.
Drs. Bick and Bayley are collaborating with Mio-Quiring on a project funded by an Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, underscoring the importance of this work at a time when school boards have limited music programs or removed them entirely from the curriculum.
“The Lab School also focuses on the political and social importance of community based musical arts, and experiential elements related to inclusion and integration,” says Dr. Mio-Quiring. “We focus on mastery, challenging our students, encouragement, meaning, and belongingness.”
Classes are 60 minutes in length and start Sept. 21. If you are interested in enrolling your child in any Fall 2024 Lab School offerings, visit the Continuing Education page for more information.
UWindsor alumni, staff, students, and family registrations are eligible for a discount. Direct inquiries to continue@uwindsor.ca.