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Junior Research Fellows
Junior Research Fellows are PhD students and Postdoctoral fellows at Laurier or other institutions who have a demonstrated interest in the research agenda and/or activities of the Laurier Centre for Music in the Community, who request to the Director to be a Junior Research Fellow, and whose request has been accepted by LCMC. The result of the application will be communicated in writing by the Director. Junior Research Fellows can be members for three-year terms.
Student Members are individuals in Masters or first two years of their PhD, and may be Laurier students, or students from other institutions, who have requested to the Director to be a Student Member, and whose request has been accepted by LCMC. The result of the application will be communicated in writing by the Director.
Members are eligible to vote in the Annual General Meeting, and may nominate themselves for a position on the executive committee.
We welcome students to participate in LCMC from Laurier, whose research focuses on community music. We also welcome graduate students from other universities as capacity allows.
Email lcmc@wlu.ca for more info.
Cynthia Kinnunen
PhD Candidate, Laurier Faculty of Music
Cynthia Kinnunen is a music educator, community musician, contract teaching faculty and PhD candidate (Community Music) at Wilfrid Laurier University. She holds a Master of Arts in Community Music, Bachelor of Arts [Hons] in music, diploma in arts/non-profit administration, and Grade Ten Conservatory piano certification. Her current teaching portfolio includes: online and in-person lifelong learning community programs such as the popular Royal City Ukulele Ensemble; teacher/pedagogy workshops; private instruction; and undergraduate courses. Her research interests include musicking across the lifespan (particularly midlife and beyond); social music-making and community ensemble learning (social, relational, and systems thinking in these contexts); health and well-being, especially in the lives of women and in facilitation/teaching; and of course, the ‘ukulele in pedagogical, social and community contexts. Current methodological approaches include narrative inquiry, a/r/tography, and arts-based research (ABR) methods.
Website: cynthiakmusic.com
Instagram: @cynthiakmusic8
Linkedin: @cynthiakinnunen
Bluesky: @cynthiak8.bsky.social
Nathan Stretch
PhD Candidate, Laurier Faculty of Music
Website: nathanstretch.ca
Treasa Levasseur
MA Student, Laurier Faculty of Music
Treasa Levasseur (she/they) is a settler on Dish With One Spoon territory, an an Irish citizen. A JUNO nominated singer songwriter and in demand sideperson, Levasseur holds a BFA in Theatre, has a lively community arts education practise, and is the recipient of Folk Music Ontario's inaugural Estelle Klein Community Builder Award. She is a nascent academic, an avid reader, and an enthusiastic performer. Treasa is currently co-creating her first full length musical.
Alex Purcell
PhD Student, Laurier Faculty of Music
Alex Purcell is a musician, researcher, and educator based in Toronto. He holds an MA in Music from York University and is pursuing a PhD in Community Music at Laurier. His work explores the intersection of music, autism, and emerging technologies, with a focus on VR-based participatory musicking. As both an autistic researcher and performer, Alex emphasizes inclusive, co-created approaches that highlight music’s role in fostering belonging, self-expression, and wellbeing. He also performs in ensembles ranging from jazz fusion to Jewish wedding music.
Ian Whitman
PhD Student, Laurier Faculty of Music
