Dr. Rena Upitis and her research partners, Ms. Angela Ester of The Royal Conservatory and Dr. Philip Abrami of Concordia University, have been awarded $168,994 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Leader’s Opportunity Fund for their project Digital Tools for Music Education.

• See the Queen's news story: iSCORE music research receives additional funding

iSCORE, the first electronic portfolio designed to support music education, is the result of the team's research into effective ways to inspire and empower people to learn music.  

Learning more about the use of iSCORE as well as making it available widely throughout North America are the main foci for the research team's new 5-year SSHRC-funded project.  

• See the news announcement: Rena Upitis & Research Partners Awarded SSHRC Grant for iSCORE Encore

The CFI funding, Dr. Upitis explains, will enable the team to purchase the equipment for the project:

"But it's more than just equipment for the researchers: it's laptops for the studio teachers who will be taking part -- a very important way of not only enabling the research, but for compensating the studio teachers involved." 

The equipment for the research project includes two Disklaviers (digital pianos), one of which will be at Queen's, and the other at Wilfrid Laurier University. The Disklaviers will allow the Queen’s researchers to develop digital curriculum materials and to share them with their colleagues teaching at Wilfrid Laurier.

In addition to Disklaviers for the researchers and the laptops for teachers, "the CFI funding also calls for creating a Living Music Library -- filled with digital resources created by and for music teachers," says Dr. Upitis.

Hundreds of teachers and instructors are already using iSCORE, and thousands more are expected to be introduced to the tool through The Royal Conservatory’s professional development programs.  The Living Music Library will serve tens of thousands of music students across North America. 

Jane Willms, the new iSCORE project manager situated at Queen's, says that she "is very excited to join a team of people who are making a positive difference in the lives of music students and teachers."  

As a former music teacher, she values the practical implications of this project.

"The iSCORE portfolio will support and enrich music learning, encouraging life-long learning and appreciation of music and helping to create connections among students and teachers in the global music community." 

Congratulations to Dr. Upitis and her team for winning additional funding for their iSCORE encore.  
We hope they enjoy working with their new digital tools!