Lotus Music

Are you or someone you care for looking for adaptive music activities this fall? Lotus Music has options for all ages and a variety of interests. Our instructors tailor classes to the interests and abilities of the group, ensuring an engaging and welcoming class for all! Learn more about all our programs at https://lotusmusic.ca/school/ 🎹🍂🥁

What a wonderful week we had hosting ISME Commission on Special Music Education and Music Therapy last week at uOttawa for their Pre-Conference Seminar! Lotus Music researchers presented findings from some of our most exciting recent projects, and we celebrated the new Oxford Handbook on Special Music Education and Music Therapy with its cover star, Leon.

Thanks to ISME for collaborating with us on this wonderful week to gather and learn!

Learn more about our research projects at https://lotusmusic.ca/research/

Last weekend, we celebrated our rebrand - and the talents of our students! - with our community at our spring recital. What a wonderful day of music we shared with our students, families, teachers, leadership team, board members, and a special visit from our MP, Jenna Sudds.

Thanks to everyone who joined us on this special day!

What a wonderful adaptive concert we enjoyed yesterday with musicians from the National Arts Centre / Centre national des Arts Mentorship Program! Our community loved this chamber concert featuring beautiful melodies from Dvorak to Howl's Moving Castle. Always a pleasure to collaborate with the NAC 💙

We are pleased to re-introduce ourselves under our new name, Lotus Music! As we continue our mission to bring the joy of adaptive music to all, you'll now find us online with new links and a new look (updated links are below). Thanks for joining us on this exciting next step 💙

Updated links...

Website: www.lotusmusic.ca
PD Institute: www.institute.lotusmusic.ca
Email: [email protected]
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/musiquelotusmusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/musiquelotusmusic
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/musiquelotusmusic

Exciting changes coming your way...

We are thrilled to announce that we are launching a rebrand next week! Swipe for a sneak peek at our new logo 👀

This update is such a meaningful step for us as an organization. We can't wait to continue spreading the joy of adaptive music education with a refreshed name
and look that better reflects who we are, where we're going, and the people we serve.

Stay tuned for more details on Monday 💙

Join Dr Erin Parkes for a professional development session on Participatory Music as Social Enterprise this Thursday at 3:30 PM EDT 🎹

Participatory Music as Social Enterprise — Meet our guest musician | Rencontrez notre musicienne invitée: Erin Parkes (Executive Director and Founder, Lotus Centre for Special Music Education)

Erin founded Lotus Centre in 2012 based on a passionate belief that music education should be accessible to all. A PhD graduate in Music Education from McGill University and a leading expert in adaptive pedagogy for neurodivergent and disabled students, she founded the Lotus Institute for Professional Development in 2020.

Erin is an adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa and an active researcher at various national music and health institutes.

Join us for our next free professional development session with Erin Parkes:
📅 Thursday, May 28, from 3:30 to 5 pm (EDT)
📍 Online (the link will be sent in advance)
🆓 Free to register:
https://www.newmusicnetwork.ca/participatory-music-as-social-enterprise/

🎶

Erin a fondé le Lotus Centre en 2012, animée par la conviction profonde que l’éducation musicale devrait être accessible à toutes et tous. Titulaire d'un doctorat en éducation musicale de l'Université McGill et experte reconnue en pédagogie adaptée pour les élèves neurodivergents ou en situation de handicap, elle a créé le Lotus Institute for Professional Development en 2020.

Professeure adjointe à l'Université d'Ottawa, Erin est une chercheuse active au sein de plusieurs instituts nationaux en musique et santé.

Rejoignez-nous pour notre prochaine séance de développement professionnel gratuite avec Erin Parkes:
📅 Jeudi 28 mai, de 15h30 à 17h (HAE)
📍 En ligne (le lien sera envoyé à l’avance)
🆓 Inscription gratuite:
https://www.reseaumusiquesnouvelles.ca/la-musique-participative-comme-entreprise-sociale/

•••
The series is supported in part with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) | Cette série est financée en partie par le Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada, CRSH

Join us at CFMTA's Connecting Canada 2026 for a roundtable with Lotus teachers and researchers Jeff Sabo, Olivia Adams, and Dr. Erin Parkes.

CFMTA Invites All Music Teachers to Register Now for Connecting Canada 2026.
https://sites.google.com/view/cfmta-cc
Only $80 for the All Access Pass! Weekly option is $25 each.
Live & pre-recorded workshops begin July 6, with access until August 31.
CFMTA Members - look for your exclusive discount code in the monthly Of Note e-newsletter.

Hear the Lotus Centre Singing Collective and Rock Band perform "Mitêh" live for CBC Music, powered by MusiCounts 🥁

We are so proud of our talented, hard-working students 💙

CBC Music Class 1 like. ""Mitêh" - Lotus Centre for Special Music Educ. (LC Singing Coll. & Rock Band) "

Join us this summer as we host the pre-conference seminar with ISME Commission on Special Music Education and Music Therapy! We can't wait to welcome ISME to Ottawa this summer.

ISME Pre-Conferences are live!
pre-conferences.isme.org/registrations/