Name: Yvonne Wyroslawska
PhD Title: Active music-making in the perinatal period: impact on mental health and wellbeing.
Department: Music
Supervisors: Dr Katie Overy & Dr Angus Macbeth
Email: y.wyroslawska@ed.ac.uk
Biography
Yvonne Wyroslawska is a musician specialising in early years pedagogy using the Kodály concept and Colourstrings approach to music education. Yvonne has an MA (Hons) Music from the University of Glasgow, a Licentiate in Music Teaching (LRSL) with distinction, and an MEd (Learning & Teaching in the Performing Arts) from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Her postgraduate studies in Kodály pedagogy have taken her to Hungary, London, New York, and California, where she completed the Organisation of American Kodály Educators Specialist Certificate at Holy Names University, the first University in the USA to offer a Kodály qualification. She is qualified as a Colourstrings Associate Teacher (Kindergarten Levels 1 and 2) with distinction and has run Colourstrings Music Kindergarten classes since 2007. In 2012 Yvonne was invited to undertake the Colourstrings Diploma which allows her to train future Colourstrings teachers, and to date has delivered training in Glasgow, London and Vancouver, and now online to students worldwide.
Yvonne works across Scotland delivering music education projects in a range of environments (nurseries, primary schools, conservatoires and privately). She has designed and delivered Early Years Music Education projects and training for a multitude of arts organisations, including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, University of Stirling, Glasgow Gaelic School, Angus YMI and and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and is an Early Years Music and Story Specialist for the Scottish Book Trust, working to promote early years literacy and singing. Additionally, she provides music education training for early years staff, nursery and primary school teachers across Scotland. Yvonne is an ardent advocate for the benefits of music education, and sits on the Education Committee of the Musicians Union.
Yvonne has a background of traditional music culture and several years of dance training, both of which form an integral part of her practice. She also teaches ballet, holding a Diploma in Dance Instruction (Cecchetti Ballet) with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.
Funding
In 2021 Yvonne was the recipient of Creative Scotland Open Funding to run free-of-charge music sessions for new mothers, aimed at benefitting maternal mental health through active music participation, and will be delivering these sessions throughout 2021/22 in collaboration with partner organisations in health and social care.