Ardelle Ries, DMus, MMus, BMus

Area of Study / Keywords

accessibility arts child voice community music inclusion arts Kodály-based music education multigenerational singing music education music & wellness musical identity

About

A professor of music at the University of Alberta (UA) Augustana Faculty, Ardelle Ries was born and raised in rural Central Alberta immersed in art, poetry, music, family and community connection. With a passion for singing, musical inclusion, multigenerational music education and community building, Ardelle has conducted choirs of all ages in public school, post-secondary and community settings. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in musicianship, music education, pediatric vocal pedagogy, and music & wellness. A staunch advocate for Canadian choral music, Ardelle has commissioned and premiered choral works from established and emerging Canadian composers and is the editor of the second edition of Reflections of Canada, a compilation of a cappella Canadian folk songs arranged for choirs. In 2018 and in partnership with the UA and the Camrose Association for Community Living, and to explore and enjoy the transformative nature of participatory choral singing in an inclusive community context, Ardelle established SingAble, a multigenerational community choir. With generous support from the UA and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council, her research interests also include "post-pandemic" assessment of children's attitudes toward singing through the From the Voices of Children project. After nearly four decades of dedicated service to choral music education, Ardelle is a grateful recipient of numerous awards and honors from Choir Alberta, the Alberta Kodály Association, the UA Augustana Faculty, the Alberta Council of Disability Services Program, the Camrose Association for Community Living, the Kodály Society of Canada and the City of Camrose. She happily resides in Camrose, Alberta with her husband, Roger Admiral. 

Pronouns: she | her

Research

I am passionately involved in research related to the child voice, Kodály-based musicianship training, multigenerational singing, singing identity, inclusion and accessibility arts, community music, and music & wellness.

Teaching

Musicianship, The Child Voice, Kodály Music Education, Multigenerational Inclusive Community Choral, Music & Wellness