Speaker Series

SINGWELL &
CHORAL CANADA PRESENT

The Art & Science of Singing Together

Singing with others makes us feel good –– and for good reason. This seemingly simple activity has a network of complex social, emotional, physiological and biological processes underpinning it.

Starting in October 2024, join The SingWell Project, in collaboration with Choral Canada, for an online series of conversations diving deeper into how group singing can improve wellbeing, social connection, communication function and more.

SingWell’s world-leading researchers will offer a focused look at the benefits of group singing for people with aphasia, Parkinson’s disease, lung health challenges, stuttering, and hearing loss –– as well as other populations who are likely to experience social isolation or able to benefit from social prescribing. They will be joined by choral directors and participants with firsthand insights and tips on what activating these benefits looks like in practice.

Registration is free, and recordings of the sessions will be provided to everyone who signs up to attend.

UPCOMING DATES & TOPICS

Hearing Loss

MARCH 21, 2025

12-1PM ET: Presentations
1-1:30PM ET: Live Q&A

A deep dive on how group singing can promote wellbeing, communication function and more for people with hearing loss, in conversation with:

dr. benjamin zendel

Dr. Benjamin Zendel is SingWell’s Research Theme Leader on Hearing Loss. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Aging and Auditory Neuroscience, and is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he is the director of the Cognitive Aging and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory. He is also an Associate Member of the International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research and an Adjunct Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute. Dr. Zendel earned his PhD in Psychology from the University of Toronto, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Université de Montréal. Dr. Zendel studies hearing and cognition, with a particular focus on music and aging. His work explores how we perceive music and speech, how musical training impacts the perception of music and speech, and how perception and music training are impacted by aging. As part of the SingWell team, Dr. Zendel leads the Hearing Loss theme, and conducts research on how group-singing could benefit people who experience age-related decline in their hearing abilities.

SinA FALLAH

Sina Fallah graduated from the University of Toronto in 2008 with an Honours in Psychology and a Major in Philosophy. He has been a violinist for the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra from 2002-2008 where he then became a violinist for Sneak Peak Orchestra from 2008-2009. Sina was the winner of the Hétu Undergraduate Student Prize in 2006 and Director’s Award from the Canadian Acoustical Association in 2007. Sina was the prototype examiner for the Emoti-Chair from 2010-2011. He worked as a collaborator and instructor with Archie’s Cochlear Implant Lab at Sick Kids Hospital from 2011-2013. Sina is now a collaborator with the SMART Lab at Ryerson University where he has been from 2009-present. He has recently been a Research Collaboration Partner with WaveDNA from 2013-2014. Sina is also the Founder and Director of Centre for Music Education & Cognition Est. in 2009, where he provides music lessons.