"As a music educator I have always been interested in creating new initiatives and musical practices that highlight diverse voices, experiences, needs and wishes of my students."
Photo by Eeva Anundi
I have over 20 years of experience in working as a music teacher/educator in multiple contexts from basic education to extra curriculum music schools in Finland. Since 1999 | have worked as a leading music teacher (responsible for music education) at Espoo Adult Centre, the second biggest Adult Education Centre in Finland. Two times I have been awarded as the adult educator of the year (2004, 2014).
Having graduated from the Sibelius Academy , University of the Arts Helsinki (Master of Music), I have also worked as Associate Lecturer for music education student teachers at the Sibelius Academy at Uniarts since 2005, among others. 2018 - 2021 I worked as a doctoral associate (Doctoral School, MusEd). Since 2022 I have given - in collaboration with L2 lecturers - Learn-Finnish-by-Singing workshops for international students and staff at the University of the Arts (Sibelius Academy, Theatre Academy and Fine Arts Academy). Since 2023 these workshops have included students and staff from the University of Helsinki and Aalto-University as well. Since 2024 I have been part of the supervision group for international bachelor students at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts and for master students at the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
Choirs have always played a particular role for me as a musician, music educator, and finally as a researcher. I have conducted and founded a variety of choirs from children to senior and from those-who-think-they-can’t-sing to professional choirs in formal and non-formal contexts. At the moment, I am focusing on multilingual choirs in which musical and linguistic activities are intertwined with embodied and multisensory approaches.
As a music educator and choir conductor, I am interested in developing new teaching and learning approaches and practices in (trans)professional collaboration as well as together with the participants of my teaching groups.
Development of Teaching Practices and approaches
2023-
Learn Finnish by Singing pedagogy in a university context, in collaboration with the University of the Arts Helsinki language team and a Finnish-as-a-second-language (S2) lecturer
2018-
Development of Learn Finnish by Singing choral pedagogy
2014-2018
Song writing and composition pedagogy for adult amateur singers, in collaboration with the Department of Music Education at the University of the Arts Helsinki
2012-
Development of Learn Finnish by Singing pedagogy in collaboration with Finnish-as-a-second-language (S2) teachers in the field of liberal adult education and in connection with integration training and preparatory basic education
2008
Basic education in music for adults (including curriculum development)
2000-
Adult–child family piano pedagogy
1995-, 2018
Expressive choir pedagogy for children and young people (Central Helsinki Music Institute); application to senior choir pedagogy (ages 64+), 2009– (Espoo Adult Education Centre)