CAML Review / Revue de l'ACBM (Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres / Association canadienne des bibliothèques, archives et centres de documentation musicaux)

Jacyna, Laura

2022 IAML Conference Report

Deck, Trevor

Jemison, Kyla

Picanto.ca (Database)

Doi, Carolyn

Jones, David

 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 1 (JUNE /JUIN 2022)  PAGE 11 
Spotlight on Music Collections:  
EMI Music Canada Fonds 
 
 
This edition of Spotlight on Music Collections takes us to Calgary, Alberta, and features a 
conversation with David Jones at the University of Calgary, who is working to preserve the EMI 
Music Canada Fonds. David speaks to some of the unique and familiar Canadian artists represented 
in the collection, aspects of digital migration, and a preview of what the digital collection (launching 
summer 2022) will contain.  
Spotlight on Music Collections aims to profile interesting or unique music collections and archives in 
Canada through the voices of those who work with them. If you have a suggestion for a collection or 
individual that should be featured in a future edition of this column, please contact 
carolyn.doi@usask.ca. 
 
What is your role at the University of Calgary? 
My name is David Jones, and since 2020, I have been the Project Archivist for the EMI Music Canada 
fonds at the University of Calgary Archives and Special Collections. Prior to this role, I worked as an 
Audiovisual Conservation Assistant at U of C, working with the digital migration team. 
 
IMAGE 1. DAVID JONES, PROJECT ARCHIVIST, ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS WITH THE EMI MUSIC CANADA ARCHIVAL BOXES. 
PHOTO CREDIT: ANDY NICHOLS, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY. 
 
 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 1 (JUNE /JUIN 2022)  PAGE 12 
What are the EMI Music Canada Fonds and how did they come to arrive at the University of 
Calgary? 
EMI Music Canada was one of the major record labels in Canada and played a vital role in fostering 
a domestic market and roster here in Canada. The label has its roots in Capitol Records of Canada, a 
subsidiary of the American label Capitol Records, established in 1949 in London, Ontario before 
moving to Toronto in 1956. In 1955, Capitol was acquired by the British label EMI, which is why the 
label has been known at times as Capitol Records of Canada, Capitol Records-EMI of Canada and 
finally EMI Music Canada. By the 1960s, the label enjoyed a financial windfall following the success 
of the Beatles and other British Invasion bands. Capitol Records of Canada had been the first North 
American label to bring these acts to the continent and soon was able to establish a domestic A&R 
department, record pressing plant and later CD manufacturing facilities. The label opened branch 
offices throughout Canada and established a French repertoire division in Montreal.  
Many familiar and successful Canadian acts were represented by the label, such as Anne Murray, 
Tom Cochrane, Susan Aglukark, Glass Tiger, Stompin’ Tom Connors, Northern Pikes Edward Bear, 
Helix, The Rankin Family, Rita MacNeil, Skinny Puppy, k-os, The Tea Party and so many others. There 
are literally thousands of artists represented by the label, which distributed international artists and 
artists from subsidiary and associated labels, such as Virgin Music Canada, Nettwerk, Anthem and 
Aquarius, among others. The fonds contains the complete assets of the company which consists of 
about 5500 boxes of textual, photographic, audiovisual, and digital content. It can be daunting to 
sum up without getting into the details, but we have the entire corporate archive of a major record 
label – something that is very rare to see in a public institution. I’m particularly interested in the 
places at the far reach of the label, such as demo tapes, sub-labels, and A&R activities. The label had 
quite a reach across the spectrum of Canadian music and culture, which of course carries with it a 
lot of power in determining the landscape of cultural production across the country.  
I asked my colleague at U of C, Annie Murray, one of the original Principal Investigators of the 
project, to comment on how the material came to the U of C: “When Universal Music acquired EMI 
Music Canada in 2012, they were considering where to place the archival materials documenting 
the history of Capitol Records of Canada and EMI Music Canada. They were aware of the National 
Music Centre being established in Calgary and thought Calgary might be a good place to preserve 
the history of the labels. Andrew Mosker of the National Music Centre eventually connected with 
the University of Calgary’s Libraries and Cultural Resources to explore the possibility of the archives 
coming to the university. In fall 2014, a small team from Libraries and Cultural Resources began 
discussions and planning with Universal Music Canada. The first materials were transferred in 2015, 
and the donation was announced to the public in March 2016 to coincide with the Junos being held 
in Calgary.” 
 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 1 (JUNE /JUIN 2022)  PAGE 13 
I understand that digital preservation and digitization of the archive is a major aspect of the 
project. Can you describe that work and some of the long-term goals that go along with the 
digital preservation of the EMI Music Canada fonds?  
Yes, digital preservation, and what we refer to as digital migration, are central aspects of the 
project. We are at a very critical time where much of the recorded history of the second half of the 
twentieth century is at risk of disappearing. Thanks to a grant from the Mellon Foundation and 
ongoing support from Universal Music Canada, we have the resources to migrate as much as we can 
from the at-risk formats in the archive. The U of C has built an in-house migration studio with 
professional hardware and playback machines, many of historical vintage, to accommodate the 
migration of some of the more prevalent formats in our collection. Accompanying the studio is an 
imaging lab where high-resolution digital images capture every angle of the original object and 
accompanying material. These objects might be open reel audiotapes (such as 24-track 2-inch, or ¼-
inch, 2-track open reel audiotape), video formats (such as U-Matic, Betacam and 1 and 2-inch open 
reel videotape) or audiotapes (Digital Audio Tapes, Compact Cassettes). For digital-born data 
records, we have a digital forensics lab to access and preserve data from obsolete formats.  
I asked our electronic records archivist, E-A Johnson, to comment on this question: “Making sure 
that the material in the EMI Music Canada fonds is accessible long-term is an integral part of the 
work we’re doing with this collection. For the born-digital material in the collection, which came in 
on floppy disks and hard drives among other formats, it’s important that we migrate it onto more 
stable forms of media. We’re also currently implementing a digital preservation system that will 
ensure that the digital material doesn’t degrade over time. This system can also migrate files that 
may be in proprietary or out-of-date file formats to more standard and open formats, to make sure 
that the files themselves are readable in the future. Our goal is that the material in this collection is 
preserved so that users of the fonds will be able to access this material decades down the line.” 
Finally, it is important to note that one of our main goals with this project is to make the content 
available to researchers and anyone who is interested in it. This includes the paper and 
photographic portion of the archive, which is being arranged and described and physically stored at 
our facilities in Calgary, as well as the audiovisual content, for which we have been developing an 
online digital asset management system.  
What has been one of the biggest challenges of working with the various media in the fonds? 
I’m sure that everyone involved in the project can name their own particular challenge or 
challenges. For me, since my role is to do a lot of the archival processing on the fonds, I need to be 
able to identify and contextualize audiovisual assets. This requires having a deep knowledge of A/V 
formats and their role in the production and promotion of the commercial offerings of the record 
label. Knowledge of music history and cultural production in Canada and elsewhere is also useful. 
There is a lot of learning to do on the job, and I often rely on contacts and colleagues to help me out 
with this. 
 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 1 (JUNE /JUIN 2022)  PAGE 14 
Can you share one of your favourite things about working on this project? 
I think it’s the ability to combine several of my interests in one. In at least some capacity I’m a 
musician, technological experimentalist, historian, and music lover. In my personal life, I collect 
recorded music, music-making machines and playback equipment. I’ve written and published on 
music and popular culture and spent some time performing on stage, recording in studios, and 
playing with bands. 
Do you have a favourite object that is in the collection? 
It’s hard to settle on a single object, but objects with the most dramatic appearance are probably 
the film reels and vintage cans, especially when inspecting them on a light table. But there is a 
specific and unassuming DAT tape that I particularly like. It’s the original master of a Skinny Puppy 
album with a track that, due to copyright infringement, never got released. I was a big fan in my 
teenage years and had never heard the full album as it was originally intended.   
IMAGE 2. ORIGINAL LP MASTER FOR SKINNY PUPPY'S ALBUM "LAST RIGHTS" ON DAT TAPE. NOTE THE SPELLING OF THE ALBUM TITLE AS 
IT APPEARS ON THE ORIGINAL MASTER BEFORE THE COPYRIGHT STRIKE. IMAGE CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL 
COLLECTIONS. 
 
 
What is one thing you would you like readers to know about EMI Music Canada? How can we 
learn more about the work that’s happening with this project? 
Oh, that would definitely be the upcoming launch of our digital collection this fall. Visitors to our 
Digital Collections site will be able to stream audio and video content and view high-definition 
photographs of the original asset. Researchers and anyone who is interested in the subjects or 
content can request full access to assets for their own use. The archive contains invaluable 
information on so many different aspects of music, film, and video production in Canada. This 
 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 1 (JUNE /JUIN 2022)  PAGE 15 
includes offering critical insight into major labels, artists and corporate or administrative bodies 
involved. As a body that had such reach across the cultural landscape here, going for a deep dive 
into the archival finding aids or through the Digital Collections site can be surprisingly rewarding. It 
will be an extremely rich source for academic and popular research.  
Those interested can keep an eye on digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca where the digital collection will 
be staged this fall.  
 
IMAGE 3. HANDWRITTEN NOTES BY THE MASTERING ENGINEER, WHICH IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE TECHNICAL RECORDS THAT 
ACCOMPANY THE AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS. IMAGE CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS. 
 


English

Spotlight on Music Collections: EMI Music Canada Fonds

Willmann, Hannah

 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 1 (JUNE /JUIN 2022) Page 25 
Contemporary Musical Expressions in Canada. 
Edited by Anna Hoefnagels, Judith Klassen and 
Sherry Johnson. Montréal: McGill-Queen’s University 
Press, 2019. 536 pp. ISBN: 9780773558809. 
Reviewed by: Hannah Willmann 
 
Contemporary Musical Expressions in Canada, 
edited by Anna Hoefnagels, Judith Klassen, and 
Sherry Johnson, is a welcome addition to the 
increasing efforts of scholars to decenter a 
Eurocentric narrative of music history. The editors 
and authors seek to provide a collection of 
subversive microhistories of music in Canada, put in 
dialogue in order to avoid the superficiality that can 
occur when merely matching diversity and inclusion 
quotas under the guise of multiculturalism (6). The 
editors even take a reflective position, questioning 
their own work, and acknowledging that research 
and writing can do damage and reinforce 
hierarchies (6). They dedicate the volume to Beverley Diamond, whose work has profoundly 
impacted the development of ethnomusicology in Canada, and whose contributions to the field are 
evident throughout. In addition to noting Diamond’s work, the first chapter provides an extensive 
(though not comprehensive) state of the research of ethnomusicology in Canada since 1990.   
The three main sections of the volume provide structure while avoiding framing the stories within a 
narrative that promotes cultural homogeneity. The first section of the book is organized around the 
concept of tradition. Recognizing that tradition is a loaded term, the authors in this section examine 
the interplay of tradition and development, especially in response to changing technology, 
performance, and reception. In her chapter on French Canadian veillées (social gatherings which 
may include singing and dancing), Laura Risk explains the interrelated histories of staged versions 
(which are structured and performed in commercial settings) and unstaged versions (which 
continue to be part of Québec culture). Her comparison is not for the sake of arguing for the 
authenticity of the unstaged over the staged, but rather to show how the staged versions 
 
 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. 
 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 1 (JUNE /JUIN 2022) Page 26 
contributed to the understanding of folklore and tradition in the early twentieth century, and how 
unstaged events blur distinctions between genres through the breadth of music they include.  
To further complicate the relationship between tradition and innovation, Margaret Walker 
investigates kathak dance in Canada. This classical Indian dance, with roots in Vedic practices of the 
Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan regions, continues to develop in Canada and around the world (87). 
Walker’s explanation of tradition as a foundation for creativity, rather than as a rigorous standard 
which must be maintained, provides a helpful framing as the purpose of the genre shifts based on 
its various contexts – contexts which provide opportunity for intercultural dialogue and 
collaboration.  
As ethnomusicology seeks to rid itself of the vestiges of imperialism and coloniality, researchers 
continue to acknowledge the biases of song collecting as a practice that impacts the legacy and the 
present of the original song cultures. Chris McDonald’s chapter on folk music in Nova Scotia serves 
as an example of how this canon shaping process continues to impact how future generations 
accept or refuse these stereotypes (or perceived traditions) in their performances.  
In section two of this volume, each of the chapters treat genre and musical practices as a point of 
connection and creation rather than as distinct, bounded entities. Through these chapters it is 
evident that negotiations between tradition and innovation can apply both to music practices and 
generic categorizations. For instance, in addressing Metis (style) fiddling, Monique Giroux notes 
that there are particular style markers, including clogging, cross-tuning, and asymmetrical phrasing 
which have meant that scholars tend to see the genre as fixed.1 In practice, however, this 
interpretation is complicated by the changing social context and cultural relevance of the practice 
which Giroux sees as bridging past and present, static and evolving.  
Fiddling is also the subject of Ian Hayes’s contribution to the volume where he investigates the 
disparate ways through which the “liveness” of Cape Breton fiddling events is replicated in 
recording. Although it is not as much about genre as it is about replicating or invoking a particular 
aesthetic and communal environment, the chapter echoes this section’s theme of the flexibility of 
artistic practices via Hayes’s analysis of the recording medium.  
 
 
 
1 Giroux uses the term Metis without an accent following the work of Metis scholar Brenda Macdougall, One of the 
Family: Metis Culture in Nineteenth-Century Northwestern Saskatchewan (UBC Press, Vancouver: 2010), who 
argues that including the accent emphasises French heritages over Indigenous identity or other European 
backgrounds. Giroux’s use of the term “style” in parentheses serves to show that this type of fiddling is also 
practiced outside of Metis culture, but that to Metis fiddlers in particular, community is more important than style 
(234). 
 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 1 (JUNE /JUIN 2022) Page 27 
Although the book’s title refers specifically to musical expressions in Canada, Colin McGuire 
demonstrates the intricacy of cross-genre interaction in his discussion of lion dance in Toronto. This 
practice, which bridges martial art and percussion, functions as a core aspect of reinforcing Chinese 
identity and countering racism.  
Like Hayes’ chapter, Jesse Stewart and Niel Scobie do not focus as much on generic characteristics 
as on the socio-cultural role that Canadian hip-hop artists (e.g., Michelle “Michie Mee” McCullock 
and Wes Williams) play in communicating aspects of diasporic and hybridized identities. Stewart 
and Scobie identify this hybridization particularly through the use of “code-switching” (using 
multiple languages) and sampling as a reflection of the primary “trope” of call and response in 
African diasporic music (308–9).  
The third and final section focuses on the construction of difference. Beginning with Louise 
Wrazen’s chapter on how the practices of Polish Górale (or Highlanders) contribute to ethnocultural 
diversity in Toronto, the chapters in this section challenge notions of diversity as simply a twenty-
first century buzzword and instead address tangible practices (especially those which have lacked 
funding and attention) that shape diversity. These chapters serve the editors’ goals of centering 
microhistories by countering the fact that some instances of diversity get more attention than 
others. For example, Rebecca Draisey-Collishaw addresses how broadcasting can serve as a 
gatekeeper of intercultural encounters. Modelling her discussion around “fusion programming” on 
the CBC, Draisey-Collishaw presents a nuanced argument that acknowledges the potential for 
programming to inadvertently reinforce inequality by how such programs are framed. In one 
instance, Draisey-Collishaw notes that while the radio’s first “Come By Concerts” program from St 
John’s, Newfoundland featured a choir with mixed Eastern European heritage and repertoire, the 
positioning of the choir in an accompaniment role to local musician Pamela Morgan reinforced a 
hierarchical structure of culture around Western ideals (400).   
Similarly, Judith Klassen’s examination of “heterogeneity” and “permeability” amongst Mennonite 
communities in rural Manitoba is a helpful reminder against the tendency towards essentializing 
that can occur in cross-cultural dialogues and artistic practice. Klassen describes the impact and 
evolution of Mennonite practices such as Brommtopp (a mumming tradition) and “circle games” as 
examples of the flexibility within various cultural communities. Like Klassen, Marcia Ostashewski 
counters the idea of cultural homogeneity by examining the role of church music practice in 
preserving Ukrainian identity, but makes note of the ways these practices have been developed and 
changed, and are localized rather than homogeneous.  
This volume offers a potent reminder and helpful investigation of the complexity of such terms as 
tradition, genre, authenticity, and diversity. The authors took care to explain their use of these 
terms and to show how they are neither fixed nor impermeable. What also makes this text valuable 
is not only the diversity of the subject matter but of approaches to that subject matter, for example, 
 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 1 (JUNE /JUIN 2022) Page 28 
in the three different chapters on fiddling and in the interdisciplinary nature of the two chapters 
focused not on music but on dance (kathak and lion dance). 
Students and scholars of all levels will find this to be an excellent resource whether they are 
addressing music within Canada or looking for examples of the progress that is being made in how 
ethnomusicological research is responding to the broader social movements of decoloniality and 
anti-racism.2 Contemporary Musical Expressions in Canada represents a step towards centering 
diverse stories and practices in ethnomusicology. 
 
 
 
2 Following Walter Mignolo, I make the distinction between “decolonization” as a physical, political act and 
“decoloniality” as its epistemological, intellectual accompaniment. Walter D. Mignolo, The Politics of Decolonial 
Investigations (Durham: Duke University Press, 2021), 13. See also Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang, “Decolonization is 
Not a Metaphor,” Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society 1, no. 1 (2012): 1–40. 


Contemporary Musical Expressions in Canada – edited by Anna Hoefnagels, Judith Klassen and Sherry Johnson (Book)

Elliott, Robin

Penner, Katherine

CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 2 (DECEMBER /DÉCEMBRE 2022) PAGE 8 
Le Prix Helmut Kallmann : Remis à des personnes qui se sont distinguées 
par l’excellence des services qu’ils ont offerts dans les bibliothèques de 
musique et les archives musicales au Canada  
Helmut Kallmann Award: For Distinguished Service Relating to Music 
Libraries and Archives in Canada 
Présenté à / Presented to Brian Thompson, 2022 
Citation 
Written by the Kallmann Award Committee: 
Carolyn Doi, Robin Elliott, Katherine Penner, 
and Trevor Deck 
Delivered by Trevor Deck on June 8, 2022, 
during CAML 2022 
In surveying the work of Brian Thompson, 
the parallels with the career of Helmut 
Kallmann are striking. Brian and Helmut 
both began their career in the CBC Music 
Library, Helmut in 1950 and Brian over 40 
years later, in 1992. From a solid base in 
music librarianship, both men branched out 
to make expansive and indispensable 
contributions to the field of Canadian music 
studies, and in similar areas. 
Much of Brian’s research, like Helmut’s, 
sheds light on musical life in the nineteenth 
century. Brian’s particular interest in the 
music of Canada arises naturally out of his 
PhD dissertation, completed at the 
University of Hong Kong in 2001, on Calixa 
Lavallée, the composer of the Canadian 
national anthem and one of the most 
important musicians active in Canada during 
the nineteenth century. Arising out of his 
PhD thesis, his book on Lavallée (Anthems 
and Minstrel Shows, McGill-Queen’s 
University Press, 2015) has been recognized 
as not only the most significant biographical 
study of Lavallée, but also one of the 
Rédigée par les membres du comité du Prix 
Helmut Kallmann : Carolyn Doi, Robin Elliott, 
Katherine Penner, and Trevor Deck 
Prononcée par Trevor Deck le 8 Juin 2022, Durant 
le Congrès 2022 de l’ACBM 
En parcourant le travail de Brian Thompson, les 
parallèles avec la carrière d'Helmut Kallmann 
sont frappants. Brian et Helmut ont tous deux 
commencé leur carrière à la musicothèque du 
réseau anglais de la Société Radio-Canada, 
Helmut en 1950 et Brian plus de 40 ans après, en 
1992. À partir d'une base solide en 
bibliothéconomie musicale, les deux hommes se 
sont diversifiés pour apporter des contributions 
expansives et indispensables au domaine des 
études de la musique canadienne et dans des 
domaines similaires. 
Une grande partie de la recherche de Brian, 
comme celle de Helmut, éclaire la vie musicale 
au XIXe siècle. L'intérêt particulier de Brian pour 
la musique canadienne découle naturellement 
de sa thèse de doctorat, complétée à l'Université 
de Hong Kong en 2001, sur Calixa Lavallée, 
compositeur de l'hymne national canadien et 
l'un des plus importants musiciens actifs au 
Canada au XIXe siècle. Issu de sa thèse de 
doctorat, son livre sur Lavallée (Anthems and 
Minstrel Shows, paru chez Les Presses de 
l’Université McGill-Queen's en 2015) a été 
reconnu non seulement comme l'étude 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 2 (DECEMBER /DÉCEMBRE 2022) PAGE 9 
cornerstone works in 19th-century Canadian 
music studies. Brian unearthed a vast 
amount of new material on Lavallée, 
especially on his activities in the United 
States. One of the challenges involved in 
studying Lavallée is that, while his work in 
Canada is relatively well documented and 
studied, his long career in the United States 
(where he spent over half of his life) was 
largely a blank map until Brian’s research. 
Thanks to Brian, the range of Lavallée’s 
varied activities over the course of his entire 
career has finally been unearthed and 
assessed. 
In 2016, Brian collected, edited, and 
annotated Lavallée’s complete piano music 
for publication by the Avondale Press of 
Vancouver. In 2017, he was a Guest Curator 
for the Library and Archives Canada 
sesquicentennial exhibition Canada: Who 
Do We Think We Are? Here is an excerpt 
from an interview with Brian about what 
inspired his contribution about Lavallée for 
this exhibition: 
As a boy, hockey, music, history and 
politics all fascinated me. The first 
two I had in common with most kids 
my age. The third and fourth were 
more obscure. Nevertheless, as a 
musicologist, I made music, history 
and politics part of my work, and 
while writing about Calixa Lavallée, 
the composer of “O Canada,” I 
realized that I had found a way to 
bring hockey into the mix—the 
national anthem, as sung by the 
great Roger Doucet, had been a part 
of my Saturday nights from fall until 
spring. 
Brian is a leading authority not just on 
Lavallée, but in the field of 19th-century 
North American music studies in general; his 
scholarly work in this area is based on 
meticulous archival research and 
biographique la plus importante de Lavallée, 
mais aussi comme l'une des œuvres phares du 
XIXe siècle en études de la musique canadienne. 
Brian a déniché une grande quantité de nouveau 
matériel sur Lavallée, en particulier sur ses 
activités aux États-Unis. L'un des défis liés à 
l'étude de Lavallée est que, bien que son travail 
au Canada soit relativement bien documenté et 
étudié, sa longue carrière aux États-Unis (où il a 
passé plus de la moitié de sa vie) était en grande 
partie une carte vierge jusqu'aux recherches de 
Brian. Grâce à Brian, l'éventail des activités 
variées de Lavallée tout au long de sa carrière a 
enfin été découvert et évalué. 
En 2016, Brian a rassemblé, édité et annoté 
l'intégralité de la musique pour piano de Lavallée 
en vue de sa publication chez Avondale Press de 
Vancouver. En 2017, il a été conservateur invité 
pour l'exposition Canada : Qui sommes nous? de 
Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, destinée à 
souligner le 150e anniversaire de la 
Confédération. Voici un extrait d'une entrevue 
avec Brian sur ce qui a inspiré sa contribution sur 
Lavallée pour cette exposition : 
Enfant, le hockey, la musique, l'histoire 
et la politique me fascinaient. Les deux 
premiers que j'avais en commun avec la 
plupart des enfants de mon âge. Les 
troisième et quatrième étaient plus 
obscures. Néanmoins, en tant que 
musicologue, j'ai intégré la musique, 
l'histoire et la politique à mon travail, et 
en écrivant sur Calixa Lavallée, le 
compositeur de « Ô Canada », j'ai réalisé 
que j'avais trouvé un moyen d'intégrer le 
hockey dans le mélange—l’hymne 
national, chanté par le grand Roger 
Doucet, avait fait partie de mes samedis 
soirs de l'automne au printemps. 
Brian est une autorité de premier plan non 
seulement sur Lavallée, mais dans le domaine 
des études musicales nord-américaines du 19e 
siècle en général; son travail scientifique dans ce 
domaine est basé sur une recherche 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 2 (DECEMBER /DÉCEMBRE 2022) PAGE 10 
imaginative use of secondary sources. For 
music librarianship in general, his years as 
website editor and cataloguing supervisor in 
the initial days of Naxos.com helped to 
establish and organise an essential resource. 
In terms of improving access to Canadian 
resources, the authoritative catalogue of 
works in Anthems and Minstrel Shows is a 
model.  For each title there is information 
about the text, author, date and place of 
composition, dedication, instrumentation, 
key, extensive descriptions of first/early 
performance, publication, plate numbers 
when known, with locations of scores and 
selected recordings.  The introduction gives 
respectful credit to the collection of 
Lavallée’s music assembled for the CBC 
Toronto Music Library by Helmut Kallmann. 
Brian’s other research concerns 19th-
century musical life in the United States and 
Canada, and how this relates to and was 
influenced by trans-Atlantic musical currents 
and practices. He has published his work in 
some of the most important journals in the 
field of North American music studies, 
including the Journal of the Society for 
American Music and Nineteenth-Century 
Music Review. His reviews and review-
articles have appeared in other leading 
journals including Ethnomusicology, Fontes 
Artis Musicae, and MLA Notes. He has also 
written for Oxford Music Online and 
numerous other journals and newspapers, 
and served as the Review Editor for the 
CAML Review from 2017 to 2020.  
There are other aspects to Brian’s career 
that make him stand out as an ideal 
recipient of the Kallmann Award, one of 
which is his remarkable versatility. His 
background in jazz studies (which was the 
focus of his undergraduate degree at 
Concordia University), his graduate degree 
from McGill University in Library and 
archivistique méticuleuse et une utilisation 
imaginative de sources secondaires. Pour la 
bibliothéconomie musicale en général, ses 
années en tant qu'éditeur de site Web et 
superviseur de catalogage dans les premiers 
jours de Naxos.com ont aidé à établir et à 
organiser une ressource essentielle. 
En termes d'amélioration de l'accès aux 
ressources canadiennes, le catalogue d'œuvres 
faisant autorité dans Anthems and Minstrel 
Shows est un modèle. Pour chaque titre, il y a 
des informations sur le texte, l'auteur, la date et 
le lieu de composition, la dédicace, 
l'instrumentation, la clé, des descriptions 
détaillées de la première et des premières 
exécutions, la publication, les numéros de 
gravure lorsqu'ils sont connus, avec l’endroit où 
se les partitions et les enregistrements 
sélectionnés. L'introduction rend hommage à la 
collection de musique de Lavallée réunie par 
Helmut Kallmann pour la musicothèque à 
Toronto du réseau anglais de la SRC. 
Les autres recherches de Brian portent sur la vie 
musicale du 19e siècle aux États-Unis et au 
Canada, et comment celle-ci est liée et 
influencée par les courants et les pratiques 
musicales transatlantiques. Il a publié ses 
travaux dans certaines des revues les plus 
importantes dans le domaine des études de la 
musique nord-américaine, notamment le Journal 
of the Society for American Music et Nineteenth-
Century Music Review. Ses critiques et articles de 
revue ont été publiés dans d'autres revues de 
premier plan, notamment Ethnomusicology, 
Fontes Artis Musicae et MLA Notes. Il a 
également écrit pour Oxford Music Online et de 
nombreuses autres revues et journaux, et a été 
rédacteur en chef de la revue CAML de 2017 à 
2020. 
Il y a d'autres aspects de la carrière de Brian qui 
le distinguent comme un récipiendaire idéal du 
prix Kallmann, dont l'un est sa remarquable 
polyvalence. Sa formation en études de jazz (qui 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 2 (DECEMBER /DÉCEMBRE 2022) PAGE 11 
Information Studies, and his cross-
disciplinary research interests that bridge 
the musicology/ethnomusicology divide and 
are based on a solid background in music 
librarianship, all point to a colleague who 
successfully researches, teaches, and 
advises in a great variety of subject areas. 
On a personal note, Brian is friendly and 
approachable, easy to get along with, 
collegial, and genuinely interested in the 
research of others and in contributing to the 
greater good of the profession. He is an 
extremely active participant on the 
international conference circuit, having 
given papers throughout the UK and Europe, 
Asia, Australia, and North America. He 
regularly works these conference papers up 
into excellent quality peer-reviewed 
publications. He always has articles in the 
pipelines and book projects on the go, 
providing striking evidence of his ongoing 
productivity. His current book project on the 
minstrel show performer James Unsworth 
for Cambridge University Press will further 
consolidate Brian’s position as a leading 
scholar of North American music and trans-
Atlantic musical connections during the 19th 
century. 
The quantity and quality of Brian’s research 
and teaching accomplishments, and his 
prolific, ongoing contributions to the 
professions of music librarianship and music 
scholarship are exemplary. He is an ideal 
candidate for the Helmut Kallmann Award, 
and it is our pleasure to confirm that it is our 
recommendation that he be granted this 
richly deserved honour. 
était au centre de son diplôme de premier cycle 
à l'Université Concordia), son diplôme d'études 
supérieures de l'Université McGill en 
bibliothéconomie et sciences de l'information, et 
ses intérêts de recherche interdisciplinaires qui 
comblent le fossé musicologie/ethnomusicologie 
et sont basés sur une une solide expérience en 
bibliothéconomie musicale, tous pointent vers 
un collègue qui recherche, enseigne et conseille 
avec succès dans une grande variété de 
domaines. 
Sur une note personnelle, Brian est amical et 
accessible, facile à vivre, collégial et 
véritablement intéressé par la recherche des 
autres et par sa contribution au plus grand bien 
de la profession. Il est un participant 
extrêmement actif sur le circuit des conférences 
internationales, ayant donné des comunications 
à travers le Royaume-Uni et l'Europe, l'Asie, 
l'Australie et l'Amérique du Nord. Il travaille 
régulièrement ces communications dans des 
publications d'excellente qualité évaluées par 
des pairs. Il a toujours des articles en 
préparation et des projets de livres en cours, 
fournissant des preuves frappantes de sa 
productivité continue. Son projet de livre actuel 
sur l'interprète de spectacles de troubadours 
James Unsworth pour Les Presses de l’Université 
Cambridge consolidera davantage la position de 
Brian en tant que spécialiste de premier plan de 
la musique nord-américaine et des relations 
musicales transatlantiques au cours du 19e 
siècle.  
La quantité et la qualité des réalisations de Brian 
en matière de recherche et d'enseignement, 
ainsi que ses contributions prolifiques et 
continues aux professions de bibliothécaire 
musical et d'érudition musicale sont 
exemplaires. Il est un candidat idéal pour le prix 
Helmut Kallmann et nous avons le plaisir de 
confirmer que nous recommandons qu'il reçoive 
cet honneur amplement mérité. 


Le Prix Helmut Kallmann

Bews, Eric

2022 CAML Conference Report

CAML Editors

CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 2 (DECEMBER/DÉCEMBRE 2022)  PAGE 44 
CAML Milestones 
This column aims to share organization news, celebrate our colleagues’ accomplishments, and 
document changes for future researchers looking back. Have news to share? Contact the co-lead 
editors to have your news published in the next issue! 
Announcements 
Houman Behzadi (McGill University) was elected to the Board of the Music Library Association as 
Member-at-Large for a 2-year term beginning after the MLA annual conference, March 1-5, 2023. 
Maria Calderisi (Library and Archives Canada, ret’d) was awarded Honorary Membership by the 
International Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Centres (IAML) at their 2022 
Congress in Prague, CZ. You can read the full citation here. 
Megan Chellew (McGill University) has stepped down from the CAML Review editorial team after an 
astounding 10 years. She joined the team just after the IAML Congress in Montreal in 2012 and has 
served as Associate Editor ever since. Thank you for all your service, Megan. You will be missed! 
New Members 
Since our last issue, there is 1 new CAML member, in the Student category. 
Staffing News 
Nicole Blain, formerly Director of Library Services and Centrediscs at the Canadian Music Centre, 
began a new position at Toronto Public Library as French Librarian in October 2022. 
Gavin Goodwin, Creative Arts Librarian at Mount Allison University, was renewed for another 1-year 
term ending June 30, 2023. 
Katie Lai is the new Liaison Librarian responsible for leading the instructional and information literacy 
program for the Marvin Duchow Music Library (McGill University), beginning 31 October 2022. Katie was 
Assistant University Librarian at OCAD (2021-22) and Music Liaison Librarian at Hong Kong Baptist 
University (2006-21). She has also worked at the Gertrude Whitley Performance Library (2003-2006), 
serving the large ensembles of the Schulich School of Music. Katie holds a Juris Doctor degree from the 
Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a Master of Music as well as a Master of Library and Information 
Studies from McGill. She has published in many important journals of music librarianship, including 
Notes, Music Reference Services Quarterly, and Fontes Artis Musicae. 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 2 (DECEMBER/DÉCEMBRE 2022)  PAGE 45 
Julie Lefebvre, formerly Senior Documentation Technician at the Marvin Duchow Music Library at McGill 
University, began a new position in September 2022 as Coordinating Librarian of the Conservatoire de 
musique et d’art dramatique du Québec libraries. 
Phoebe Robertson (Reviews Editor for CAML Review) began a tenure-track position at Arkansas Tech 
University in August 2022. Her title is Assistant Professor of Music (Flute and Music History). 


CAML Milestones

Nevins, Maureen

Message de la Présidente

Guise, Janneka

Message des rédactrices en chef

 
CAML REVIEW / REVUE DE L’ACBM 50, NO. 1 (JUNE /JUIN 2022)  PAGE 10 
CAML Milestones 
This column aims to share organization news, celebrate our colleagues’ accomplishments, and 
document changes for future researchers looking back. Have news to share? Contact the co-lead 
editors to have your news published in the next issue! 
New Members 
Since our last issue, there are 7 new CAML members. 
Staffing News 
Phoebe Robertson (Reviews Editor) completed her DMA at the Manhattan School of Music and 
received her hood on 17 May 2022. 
Victoria Sigurdson is the new Media Collections Librarian at York University Libraries (YUL), as of 1 
February 2022. In this role, she is responsible for advancing the YUL portfolio in media collections: 
film, sound recordings, audiovisual recordings and photography, both digital and analogue. She will 
also be supporting the teaching, learning and research needs of all users, in addition to managing 
acquisitions, overseeing the processing of media materials, and developing policy and plans related 
to preservation, retention and migration. Victoria brings to the position over 10 years of experience 
empowering teaching, learning and research communities through the development of university 
library media collections and services. 
Former co-Lead Editor Jada Watson will join the faculty of the University of Ottawa’s School of 
Information Studies on 1 July 2022 as Assistant Professor in Digital Humanities. She has also 
received the Canadian Society for Digital Humanities/Société canadienne des humanités 
numériques’s Outstanding Early Career Award. “Dr. Watson has had significant leadership success 
in the digital humanities at the international, national, university level. She was a key member of 
the DH2020 local organizing committee. She is the director of the University of Ottawa’s École d’été 
en sciences humaines numériques / Digital Humanities Summer Institute Technologies East week-
long workshop series (SHNTech/DHSITE). SHNTech/DHSITE is the only bilingual digital humanities 
summer institute in Canada. It has grown significantly in both quality and size under her leadership, 
and has garnered her national attention…” 
 
 
 
 


Milestones