IDEA Corner

IDEA Corner: Choir as a Gender-Affirming Space

Join us for our next session in our IDEA Corner series for a conversation about gender in the context of choral singing and how to support gender diverse singers in choir. We are excited to welcome guest speakers Roan Regan and Caleb Rondeau to share their experiences with gender and choir. We invite all Manitoba choral directors, educators, and singers who are interested in this topic to join in the conversation!

Note that participants may be asked to read one or two articles ahead of time, and the session will not be recorded.

The event is FREE and is open to MCA members and non-members!

Click here to register for the event.

GUEST SPEAKERS:

Roan Regan (he/they) is a 20-year-old student at the University of Winnipeg majoring in Filmmaking and English. He has been a part of the Winnipeg choral scene since elementary school, taking part in divisional and in-school choirs. Most recently, Roan has been a member of the community choir Nuovoce. Art making in many forms has been a part of Roan’s life since birth. His joy of music has withstood the test of time in large part to exceptional music educators and dedicated friends along the way. Though Roan has only been pursuing his transition on a medical level for six months, his gender journey has gone on longer. Roan believes that arts education can bridge a gap for many trans students, providing a safe space for trans folks of all ages.

Caleb Rondeau (he/they) is a student at the University of Manitoba currently obtaining his Bachelor of Music - Music Education degree. Caleb showed great commitment to choral singing early on, taking part in concert choir and vocal jazz at Sturgeon Heights as well as the SJASD Senior Divisional Choir under the direction of Avonlea Armstrong-Green. He currently sings with the University of Manitoba Singers under the direction of Dr. Elroy Friesen as well as NUOVOCE with Justin Odwak and Sarah Sommer. A fun fact about Caleb is that he only joined choir for the pizza party in elementary school. Living proof that some recruitment strategies really work!