Morse shares what music composition has taught him about teaching

Dr. Kevin Morse from the Department of Music will deliver the first-ever virtual Tucker Talk on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 3 p.m. via MS Teams. Morse was awarded the University’s prestigious Tucker Teaching Award in 2020 — Mount Allison’s highest recognition of teaching excellence.

“Teaching alongside so many faculty colleagues who really invest in this part of their work is inspiring. I’m humbled to be recognized with the Tucker Award,” he says.

Morse’s talk, entitled “What Music Composition Has Taught Me About Teaching,” will draw on his experience as a teacher and musician — using the craft of musical composition as a framework for thinking about what matters most in courses — the core elements that anchor teaching.

“Teaching under normal circumstances requires a great deal of time, energy, and planning,” says Morse. “Add to that new technologies and teaching formats and approaching our teaching can start to feel a bit overwhelming.”

Morse will share some of the ways he has been thinking about his own teaching practice in the face of the challenging landscape of 2020.

“One approach that has helped me has been to think about my teaching in the same way I approach creating a musical composition,” says Morse. “This isn't a talk about music specifically, but about how we think about teaching much more broadly.”

A music professor and composer, Morse graduated from Mount Allison in 2002 and holds a PhD in Music Composition from Western University. He is an active professional composer, writing music for a range of ensembles, from operas and orchestral music to works for solo instruments and chamber ensembles. He has taught at Mount Allison since 2011, delivering creative courses including Music Composition, Orchestration, and Arranging; as well as research and writing-based courses in Canadian Music and Opera History.

Morse says the visibility that the Tucker Award brings to teaching at Mount Allison is tremendously important and the Tucker Talk is a critical part of that.

“We have such a fantastic community of thoughtful, engaging teachers here at Mount A and the Tucker family's support of this initiative really helps to call attention to that. This event encourages our entire university community to come together to think about how and why we teach and also to connect with and learn from each other in the process.”

In 1980, Edmund, Harold, and William Tucker established the Herbert and Leota Tucker Teaching Award at Mount Allison in honour of their parents. This prize has been awarded annually to a member of the faculty, judged to have made the most significant contribution in the previous five years, with particular emphasis on excellence in teaching.

To attend the Tucker Talk virtually on Thursday, Jan.14 at 3 p.m., join on MS Teams and ensure that your camera and microphone are turned off.