"This could be a really good life": Music and Youth Mental Health Part 2
April 24th at the University of Toronto Scarborough
On Friday, April 24, 2026, SoundLife Scarbrough will host “This Could Really be a Good Life”: Music and Youth Mental Health Part 2. We are excited to build on the discussions we had last year and continue to explore the role of music in supporting youth mental health and wellbeing. Once again, we’re bringing together musicians, educators, youth, health researchers, and community leaders to further explore intersections between music and wellbeing.
This is a FREE forum! Start your day with feeling inspired by our opening plenary panel discussion, followed by interactive workshops designed to spark conversations, share insights, and foster community. Free lunch and snacks provided. As passionate leaders making a difference, this is your space to connect, collaborate, and empower.
Join us at U of T Scarborough and be a part of conversations and work on hope, healing, and harmony.
This event is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Speakers
UTSC Principal Linda Johnston
Professor Linda Johnston is Vice-President, University of Toronto and Principal, University of Toronto Scarborough. She was previously Dean of the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto following senior administrative roles at Queen’s University Belfast and The University of Melbourne where she held the first Chair in Neonatal Nursing Research in Australia. She has most recently served as past-Chair of the Council of Ontario Universities Programs in Nursing, past Co-Chair of the Joint Provincial Nursing Committee and member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing. She is a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Soochow University and Zhejiang University China, and at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the European Academy of Nursing Science, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Her research interests include identifying the impact of global health initiatives in neonatal care. Her policy interests include the development of clinical academic career pathways and the advancement of the nursing profession in low- and middle- income countries.
Taylor Kurta
UTSC Professor, certified music therapist (MTA) and PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies in the Aging, Health, and Well-Being stream.
Panel
Join this engaging panel discussion exploring how music and community can serve as a practice of care. Moderated by Tim Tang, UTSC’s Dean of Student Experience & Wellbeing, this conversation is rooted in the University of Toronto Scarborough’s Culture of Care; examining how the conditions for joy, healing, and youth wellbeing are built across our classrooms, community centres, and the spaces in between.
Tim Tang (Moderator)
Tim Tang is a post-secondary leader with over 15 years of experience from universities in Ontario and Alberta with expertise in student affairs, enrolment management, internationalization, advancement and alumni relations, and EDI/I initiatives. Tim currently serves as the Dean of Students at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus (UTSC), overseeing the Student Experience and Wellbeing portfolio.
Michael Jameer
Michael Jameer (he/him) is a music educator and advocate for inclusive, technology-forward pedagogy. Currently serving as the Assistant Curriculum Leader for Arts at Jarvis Collegiate Institute in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Michael specializes in engaging students through culturally relevant programming. He leveraged the MusiCounts Slaight Family Foundation Innovation Fund to pioneer a music production course that utilizes DJing, beat-making, and songwriting to meet curriculum expectations. This unique program aims to re-engaged students disconnected from traditional music education and foster a more inclusive culture within the school. He continues to amplify student voices by curating artist-led workshops in DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti. Michael is committed to providing fellow educators with actionable strategies that can use music production technology and popular music to drive inquiry in the classroom. He is a past presenter at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Seconday Arts Creating Spaces Conference, the Ontario Music Educators’ Assocaition (OMEA) Harmony Conference, and he is looking forward to presenting at the International Society for Music Education (ISME) World Conference later this summer.
Bridgette Rivaldo
Bridgette Rivaldo is a dedicated nonprofit professional with over 19 years of experience in the sector, currently serving as the Program Manager for BGC West Scarborough. Bridgette oversees 16 youth, children, and licensed childcare programs, providing leadership in program delivery, staff supervision, and operational management. Bridgette also plays a key role in supporting grants, budgets, and funding while building and maintaining strong relationships with partners, funders, and donors to secure sustainable funding and ensure the continued operation of programs. Her work is focused on creating meaningful, accessible experiences for children and youth who might not otherwise have these opportunities. She is a graduate of the Children and Youth Worker program and a certified trainer in HIGH FIVE, SNAP, Personality Dimensions, Jays Care Rookie League, Jr. NBA, Soft Skills, and Resiliency (R2), bringing a strong focus on positive youth development, emotional wellbeing, and skill-building. Passionate about her work, Bridgette is driven by a personal commitment to making a difference in the lives of young people, striving to provide the kind of support and opportunities she never had growing up. www.wsncc.org
Irish Millie
Irish Millie is a 19-year-old Canadian fiddler, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer from Peterborough, known for blending East Coast drive, bluegrass energy, and contemporary trad grit. A seven-time Canadian Folk Music Award nominee, she received two 2026 nominations for her EP Between Then and Now — Young Performer of the Year (her fifth in the category) and Single of the Year for “You Were There.” She has performed on major stages including Canadian Folk Music Awards and Folk Music Ontario Conference, and has played for audiences of over 10,000 at Peterborough Musicfest. With international touring credits in Denmark and recognition as a 2026 North2North Breakthrough Artist representing Canada in Sweden, Irish Millie is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting young voices in Canadian music. irishmillie.ca
Evan Kingsley
Evan Kingsley is a student currently enrolled in the performing arts honors music program at Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate Institute, where he is an active member of the orchestra. Outside of school, he performs alongside some of the best young jazz musicians in Toronto as an alto saxophonist for the JAZZ.FM91 Youth Big Band. This fall, he will begin the Music Industry and Technology program at UTSC. Every day, Evan strives to contribute to both his musicianship and his community.
Music Facilitators
Lynn Tucker (Ukulele Workshop)
Lynn Tucker is Associate Dean Experiential and Global Learning, and Associate Professor, Teaching Stream at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC). She proudly conducts the UTSC Concert Band and teaches additional courses in community music, musicianship, and small ensembles. Engaging people in lifelong music-making is at the forefront of her work with research interests in learner-centred pedagogy, instrumental pedagogy, facilitation, community music, avocational music-making, and leadership. Lynn is President of the Canadian Band Association and Editor of the CBA’s professional journal Canadian Winds/Vents canadiens, Past-President of the Ontario Band Association, and serves on the board of directors for the Coalition for Music Education in Canada. Her dedication to fostering accessible music-making opportunities for students regardless of career path was recognized with a Canadian Music Educators’ Association Excellence in Leadership Award.
Subin (Hip Hop Dance Workshop)
Subin is a Toronto-based dancer, choreographer, and instructor specializing in hip hop and K-pop. With several years of teaching experience, she focuses on creating a supportive and engaging learning environment for dancers of all levels. Her classes emphasize musicality, groove, and confidence, encouraging students to develop both technique and personal style. You can also find more of my work on Instagram: @subeeean_04
Third workshop - more information to come...
Roundtable Discussion
A health researcher, creative and university student come together for “Roundtable: Music as a Social Determinant of Health?” to explore what music really offers young people navigating mental health. Part presentation, part conversation; this session combines evidence with lived experience and real community practice to ask: what does music as a social determinant of health really mean?
Mark Campbell (Moderator)
Mark V. Campbell is a DJ, scholar and curator. His research explores the relationships between Afrosonic innovations and notions of the human. Dr. Campbell is currently the Principal Investigator in the SSHRC funded research project, Hip Hop Archives: The Poetics and Potentials of Knowledge Production. His recent books include the monograph AfroSonic Life (2022), the co-edited collection of essays, We Still Here: Hip Hop in North of the 49th Parallel published (in 2020) and his forthcoming co-edited collection Hip Hop Archives: The Politics and Poetics of Knowledge Production with Murray Forman is due out in 2023. Mark is Assistant Professor of Music and Culture at the University of Toronto Scarborough and holds Research Fellow positions with the Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence and the Research Centre for Music, Sound and Society in Canada.
Dr. Suzanne Sicchia
Professor Suzanne Sicchia is an award winning Associate Professor Teaching Stream in the Department of Health & Society, and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She also serves as the Associate Dean Undergraduate Programs & Curriculum (ADUPC), for the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus. She has a PhD in Medical Science, a MHSc in health promotion, and a MSc in social theory and health from the former Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Before joining UTSC, she worked as a Research Associate in the ‘Global Health’ and ‘Violence and Health’ units of the former Centre for Research in Women’s Health, WHO/PAHO Collaborative Centre in Women’s Health. During this time, she worked extensively on the joint CIHR/NIH Globalization Gender & Health: Research-Policy initiative. Project partners included the NIH Office for Research in Women’s Health, Fogarty International Centre, and the Institute for Aboriginal Peoples’ Health and the Institute for Gender & Health, at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. More recently she has served as an external reviewer on global health governance-related grants for the CIHR, SSHRC, and IDRC. Suzanne also founded the UTSC International Health Film Series & Expo, and the UTSC Critical Book Club. Her interests include critical public health, global health governance, community-based participatory research, social theory and health, structural violence, and critical pedagogies.
Rudy Ray
Rudy Ray Kwaku is a Ghanaian-Canadian trumpeter, actor in film and television, curator, and community arts facilitator based in Toronto. An alumni of UTSC with a background in neuroscience, mental health, and addictions work, his practice explores the intersection of music, healing, and community well-being. Rudy has performed across festivals, concert stages, and community spaces, and is the founder of Rudy Ray & Co., an artist collective that brings together music, storytelling, and cultural expression. Through his work with youth, artists, and community partners, he uses music as a tool for connection, belonging, and creative empowerment.
Learn more at www.rudyray.com and https://onq-live.com/artists/specialty-acts/rudy-ray/
Thara-Gaelle Bastien
Musician and Post-Secondary Student
Event Band
UTSCJAZZ
This event is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
