Diane regularly gives talks and workshops on music and Shakespeare, teaching with music, songwriting, etc.

This page contains a list of recent highlight talks...
MARCH 2008:

  • Sunday, March 17: "Shakespeare in Song", presented at SciBarCamp, Hart House, University of Toronto



    • FEBRUARY 2008:

  • Friday, February 15: "Shakespeare in Music", presented at the University of Florida, Gainesville, USA



    • NOVEMBER 2007:

  • Friday, November 29: "Teaching with music: from Shakespeare to physics", presented at the Quebec Provincial Association of Teacher's Conference, Palais des Congres, Montreal


    • JUNE 2007:

  • Monday, June 18: 7pm Talk and musical excerpts, McNally Robinson, Saskatoon
  • Thursday, June 21: 8pm Talk and musical excerpts, McNally Robinson, Grant Park, Winnipeg



    • APRIL-MAY 2007:

  • April 27: Interaction Days, University of Guelph, Diane will speak to Grade 11 students about Physics of Music
  • May 1: Performance at the Macdonald Stewart Art Center, 1pm, accompanied by watercolours from "Songs of Sweet Fire"
  • May 5: Diane will be the keynote speaker at the "Day with a difference" conference for girls (Grade 8) at the University of Waterloo. She will speak about the challenges and rewards of balancing arts and sciences. Click to register.


    • JANUARY-MARCH 2007 - Protons and all that jazz...

    Diane was invited to be the Keynote speaker at Kiwanis Club of Guelph (January '07) and the Probus Club (March '07). The presentation included song excerpts and paintings from "Songs of Sweet Fire."


    OCTOBER 2006 - Teaching with Music

    Diane was invited to give a workshop at Dawson College in Montreal at their annual pedagogical day. She spoke on the topic of "Teaching with Music." She demonstrated how simple and fun demos can illustrate concepts like harmonics on a guitar string when teaching physics. The second half of this workshop focused on how Shakespeare's songs and sonnets served as a starting point for Diane's music. Using a multi-media approach, which included playing excerpts from her album and showing slides of her paintings, she discussed how music can be used to inspire students in the visual arts as well. Thank you to all the wonderful Dawson teachers who wrote in to express their appreciation!


    SEPTEMBER 2006 - Panelist, Guelph Jazz Festival Colloquium '06

    Diane was invited to be a Respondent at this year's Colloquium session on the topic of "Improvisation as Pedagogy: Expression, Embodiment, and the Enactment of Communities."




    SUMMER 2006 - S@GE Celebrity Speaker

    Diane gave several talks to primary and secondary students about balancing life in the arts and sciences.




    WINTER 2006 - Protons and all that jazz...

    Diane was invited to be the Keynote speaker at the Zonta Club of Guelph (March '06) and the Wellington Men's Club (January '06). The presentation included song excerpts and paintings from "Songs of Sweet Fire."


    SEPTEMBER 2005 - Session chair, Guelph Jazz Festival Colloquium '05

    Session chair on "Improvisation: Rights, Risks, and Responsibilities."


    JULY 2005 - Music as an Instrument for Social Change

    Diane was invited to be a guest speaker at a one day conference on "Art and Democracy" held at Concordia University in Montreal. Her talk included discussions and excerpts of works by Verdi, John Lennon, Marvin Gaye, and many others. She also sang "Strange Fruit".




    SEPTEMBER 2004 - Songwriting workshop

    Diane was asked to give a bilingual songwriting workshop at the annual "Think Again" conference held on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for Canada's Millennium Scholars. She led 10 enthusiastic undergraduates, whom she guided as they wrote lyrics (in English and French) for a melody she had written beforehand. That evening, they performed the song at the conference banquet, accompanied by the fabulous Montreal pianist, Jeff Johnston.