OCDSB Music
PD Day
MONDAY APR. 27, 2026
MONDAY APR. 27, 2026
SCHEDULE/MAP (link to Main Floor map)
8:15 - Registration (Main Lobby) - Bagels and Coffee hosted by Long & McQuade (Library)
8:45 - Canterbury High School Vocal Performance
9:00 - Workshop A - Keynote Speaker Gilles Comeau
10:00 - Workshop B (see choices below)
11:00 - Workshop C (see choices below)
11:50 - Grab and Go Snack - Main Lobby (more food at 2:00 PM!)
12:15 - Workshop D (see choices below)
1:00 - Workshop E - Body Mapping (everyone to the library)
2:00 - Round Table @ Boston Pizza (2980 Conroy)
Workshop Locations/Descriptions (Reads in Order of the Schedule)
WORKSHOP A - 9:00 AM - Keynote Speaker (Library) (1 choice)
Music education has traditionally relied heavily on teachers' intuition and experience. This raises the question: How can research, particularly findings from neuroscience and psychology, enhance our understanding of music teaching and learning? By examining research results, we can challenge established educational practices and gain deeper insights into effective methods for helping students achieve a high level of musical mastery.
WORKSHOP B - 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM (5 choices)
1 - Double Bass (Rm 131)
2 - Clave in the Band/Classroom (Rm 138)
3 - Instrument Repair for the Teacher (Rm 190)
4 - 3D Printing for the Music Room (Rm 135)
5 - Beginning Band Repertoire (Library)
*Descriptions below*
In this session, NAC bassist Max Cardilli will explore key considerations for teaching beginning bassists in ways that support steady progress and help prevent injury. He will share several recommended method books for both students and teachers, and discuss the importance of healthy, individualized playing postures and bow holds to suit each player’s unique body and needs.
A hands on workshop to get your students playing with Latin style. This workshop will also offer suggestions on how you can use this as a curriculum rich “Latin Pop Unit” in your classroom.
Come meet the newest member of the Long & McQuade instrument repair team, Dan Salinas. He'll be hosting an informative session on what music educators can do to be able to diagnose instrument issues, the do's & don'ts of instrument care, and quick in-classroom fixes.
Are you looking for cost-effective ways to manage your instrument resources and stretch your budget further? Consider the possibility of 3D printing! In this session, Nick Roy will go over the basics of how to use a 3D printer to create mouthpieces, ligatures, and other musical accessories, including how to find effective models, how to use CAD and slicing software, how to operate and troubleshoot printers and filament systems, and how to ensure you have appropriate materials for finishing models. A complete list of instructions and resources will be shared with all participants upon conclusion of the session. Participants are encouraged to bring their own instruments and reeds if they want to playtest some mouthpiece patterns.
Canadian composer David Marlatt will talk about the importance of choosing the right concert band repertoire.
In the first session he will focus on defining the Concert Band grading system.
In the second session he will focus on repertoire selection for use at Festivals.
WORKSHOP C 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM (4 choices)
1 - Using Canva as a Communication Tool (Rm 131)
2 - From Page to Performance: Colour Based Score Analysis That Sticks (Rm 129)
3 - Backward Design Course Planning (Rm 138)
4 - Choosing Concert Band Festival Repertoire (Library)
*Descriptions below*
Looking at the basics of how to use Canva for different purposes or how to create templates for your students for classroom assignments! This will be a hands on approach - so bring a chromebook and be prepared to learn and have fun!
A practical approach to music analysis using colour directly in the score. Participants will learn how colour-coding specific musical elements helps musicians focus their attention, deepen understanding, and translate analysis into clearer, more confident performance choices. The emphasis is on simple, intentional strategies that make rehearsal more efficient and lead to stronger, more consistent implementation in performance.
Ever feel like you run out of time to include that “new idea” you decided was something you wanted to do with your class? Ever get to report card season and realize you “don’t have enough marks” and have to scramble? Backward Design isn’t just for scaffolding or creating rich tasks - it’s a concept that, when applied to your own (and your students’) organization, is a powerful tool to help manage your time and workflow. This session will be a practical look at using Backward Design as a method of working smarter, not harder.
Canadian composer David Marlatt will talk about the importance of choosing the right concert band repertoire.
In the first session he will focus on defining the Concert Band grading system.
In the second session he will focus on repertoire selection for use at Festivals.
'Grab and Go' Snacks in the Main Lobby! 🍎 11:50 - 12:10 PM
WORKSHOP D 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM (4 choices)
1 - Composing When You Don't Know How to Compose (Rm 131)
2 - Where You Stand Matters: Building Bland, Balance and Vocal Freedom (Rm 129)
3 - It's Easier than It Sounds: Fingerpicking Guitar Technique (Rm 124)
4 - Concert Percussion - Level Up (Rm 138)
*Descriptions below*
Composing for many students can be an overwhelming task. Learn how to create a musical line with just a simple drop of a pencil, and figure out how to harmonize that line with simple chords! Hands on workshop - so please bring your chromebooks and if you have access to a musical notation application, that may come in handy!
An in-depth look at how intentional voice placement improves blend, tuning, balance, and vocal health in choirs of any size. Participants will explore how placement affects what singers hear, how freely they sing, and how the ensemble functions as a single instrument. The focus is on practical, humane strategies that support confident singers and a more unified choral sound — without ranking voices or forcing technique.
Tired of the same old strum patterns? Ready to give your thumb, fingers, and brain a fresh, musically rewarding experience and workout? Explore the amazing possibilities of Travis picking, as we examine, discuss, break down, and, yes, play! the country blues classic Freight Train by Elizabeth Cotten. Discover just how useful this alternative approach to humming and strumming can be for you and your students, especially when applied to more familiar songs like Take Me Home (Country Roads), Landslide, Dust In the Wind, Blackbird, and more!!
How to use simple fixes like roll speed, mallet choices and stick technique to get a rich sound and better accuracy! Percussion warm ups included. And... a quick lesson on how to rewrap marimba mallets.
WORKSHOP E 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (1 choice)
Body Mapping with Jennifer Johnson (Library)
*Description below*
Body Mapping is a method that helps musicians prevent and address injury by aligning their mental conception of how their body is designed to move with the actual anatomical truth. Anatomical images and models are used to correct common misconceptions found in music pedagogy such as "get your shoulders down" or "sit up straight". In this presentation, Jennifer will help music pedagogues recognize the red flags of common mismappings, suggest new more anatomically accurate language to use in their studios and classrooms and provide movement explorations that can be used with students to ensure healthy movement patterns with their instruments.