ABOUT
Welcome to the website of the Kodály Society of Ontario!
Making music is an essential component of a child's life. One has only to reflect on past music classes, concerts, assemblies and impromptu singing sessions to be reminded of the delight, emotional satisfaction and the pure pleasure children derive from joyous music making. As teachers of music, it is our mission to provide our students with many opportunities for engagement in quality music experiences.
We invite you into the joyful music making community that is the Kodály Society of Ontario.
Core Beliefs
Founded in 1985, the Kodaly Society of Ontario is a group of music educators dedicated to assisting teachers to teach music in the classroom. Our philosophy of music education comes from the Hungarian ethnomusicologist Zoltan Kodaly who believed that:
True musical literacy (the ability to read, write and think music) is the right of every person.
To be internalized musical learning must begin with the child's own natural instrument- the voice.
An early start is essential, begin training at the earliest possible moment.
The folk music of a child's cultural heritage (the musical mother tongue) is the best material to teach the skills and concepts necessary for musical literacy
Only music of the highest artistic quality is to be used in the education of children.
Music education is necessary for the development of the total person (music should be at the core of the curriculum (affective, cognitive, psychomotor).
Music education of children rests in the hand of their instructors, therefore they must be the best possible musician-educators.
Honorary Members
John Barron (D)
Dr. Kim Eyre
Don Landry (D)
Edith Lantos (D)
Heather Morris
Jeanette Panagapka
Carolyn VanderBurgh
UPCOMING EVENTS
Click the image for more information and registration!
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CARLY AGUIAR, president
Carly is an Elementary Music Teacher with the London District Catholic School Board. She studied Music Education and Orchestral Performance on harp under Sarah Davidson, Lori Gemmell, and Sharlene Wallace at Wilfrid Laurier University. She obtained her Bachelor of Education at York University. Carly is passionate about providing a quality music education where every student can build relationships, collaborate, be creative, and see themselves reflected in what they are learning.
Chantel Vallier, secretary
Chantel Vallier received her Bachelor's and Master of Music Education from Western University. She completed all three of her Kodály levels at Western University. Presently, Chantel works for Thames Valley District School Board as a teacher-librarian and teaches grade 4-8 music at a school in London. This includes teaching vocal music, ukulele, recorder and band. Chantel’s current interests include social-emotional learning in the music classroom, the application of Kodály in instrumental teaching, and supporting students' voices and learning through literature.
Tom Corken, Director
Thomas Corken (he/him) is a choral leader, educator and singer based in London, Ontario. Tom is completing his Bachelor of Education at Western University and is working with Amabile Choirs of London, conducting several ensembles. Past conducting positions include the Mississauga Children’s Choir, the Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir and the Grand Philharmonic Choir in Kitchener. Tom completed his Master’s in Choral Conducting at Western University while conducting with Aeolian Pride Choruses, and completed his undergraduate studies at McMaster University while working with the Hamilton Children’s Choir.
Tom’s work takes him around the world, most recently to Kenya and South Africa where he collaborated with the Nairobi Chamber Chorus, the Tygerberg Children’s Choir and the Cape Town Camerata. Tom has presented at PODIUM, Choral Canada’s national choral conference, he has contributed to Dynamic magazine, is Kodály Level Two certified, was named a Canada Graduate Scholar and has been awarded the Ken Fleet Choral Conducting Scholarship. Tom provides choral music workshops to elementary and secondary schools across southwest Ontario.
Jackey Cunneyworth, Director
Jaclyn (she/her) has worked as a performer, teacher and music director with numerous arts organizations in Ontario and Texas including Theatre Woodstock, West Texas Children’s Choir, Hamilton Children’s Choir, Music Theatre Productions, and Southern Ontario Lyric Opera. She completed her PhD in Music Education from Texas Tech University, Masters of Percussion Performance from Oklahoma City University, and Bachelor of Music Education from Western Ontario. She has worked as an elementary music teacher for Thames Valley District School Board since 2018, and continues to perform and music direct in the community.
Laurel Forshaw, Director
Laurel Forshaw (PhD) is a choral conductor, music educator, and researcher. Her research in decolonization and Indigenization seeks to draw attention to the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous participation in higher music education within Canada and to encourage and engage in meaningful decolonization and Indigenization within music education and higher music education. Laurel holds a Master of Arts in Music Education (Choral Conducting) and Kodály and Orff-Schulwerk certification from the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, and serves on faculty for the Kodály certification program at Western University and as treasurer for the Kodály Society of Canada. Laurel has served as a course instructor at the University of Toronto (elementary music education) and Lakehead University (conducting) and has recently returned to teaching at Lakehead University. An active choral conductor, Laurel was most recently conductor of the Strata Vocal Ensemble in Hamilton, ON, and before that, she was Artistic Director of the Dulcisono Women’s Choir, and founder and Artistic Director of the Rafiki Youth Choir, both in Thunder Bay, ON.
Dr. Kim Eyre, Ex-officio
Dr. Kim Eyre is a mostly retired music educator approaching her 4th decade in the profession. She has taught music in elementary schools in London, ON, the Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University and the Faculty of Education, Western University. She is the coordinator of the Kodály Certification Program at the Don Wright Faculty of Music, Western University. Her degrees include Doctor of Philosophy (University of Toronto), Diploma (Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music, Kecskémet, Hungary), Master of Music (Holy Names University, Oakland, California), Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Music (University of Western Ontario). Kim has served as the president of both the Kodály Society of Canada (KSC) and the Kodály Society of Ontario (KSO). She has presented at local, provincial national and international music conferences and has instructed at summer courses at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Alberta. Kim’s primary research interests include identity formation and reformation of pre-service and in-service elementary specialist and generalist music teacher and a reimagining of Kodály music education in Canada. She continues to be a passionate advocate of music education.
CONTACT US
If you have any questions for the KSO board members, please complete the form below.
Please complete the form below
SCHOLARSHIPS
For 2026, the following scholarships are available from the KSO:
One scholarship of $300 for a student enrolled in Level I at Western University
One scholarship of $300 for a student enrolled in Level III at Western University
Proof of successful completion of Kodály study at Western must be provided before scholarship funds are released.
Acceptance of a KSO scholarship commits the recipient to writing a reflection on their experience in the course for the Fall 2026 KSC newsletter. Deadline: August 28, 2026. Please submit a bio and headshot with the article.
Students taking the courses for graduate credit at Western are not eligible to apply for a scholarship.
If you have questions concerning the scholarship process or any other information, please contact KSO Past-President, Kim Eyre by emailing kim@kodalysocietyofcanada.ca
Due Date: June 20, 2026
Join today!
Membership has its advantages!
Memberships for the KSC are purchased through provincial branches. If your province does not have a branch, please choose the closest province.
Provincial branch members automatically become members of the Kodály Society of Canada, joining together with musician-educator colleagues from across Canada to serve as a voice for music education in Canada.
Membership benefits include:
KSC journal, Alla Breve
KSC e-Blast and Blog
A network of teachers of music from across the country
Member’s only content, including access to past workshops and Kodály resources
Voting rights in your provincial branch and the KSC
Membership fees recur yearly, and may be cancelled anytime via your member’s account
Become a member of the KSC through the Kodály Society of Ontario. Students use code KSOSTUDENT for a $30 membership. Retired teachers use code KSORETIRED for a $40 membership.