On August 13, the sixth annual Music and the Mind – Maritimes conference brings researchers, educators, musicians, and health professionals to UPEI for a free day of talks and live music—and everyone is invited. 

The conference offers a formal but relaxed setting, for seasoned professionals and student researchers in the Maritime provinces to present their work in music cognition and related fields. An eclectic evening concert celebrates music and the mind. Members of the public are welcome to attend and to share their thoughts and concerns about the role of music in the lives of individuals and society. 

Hosted by UPEI’s Music Cognition and Auditory Perception Research and Training Laboratory, directed by Dr. Annabel Cohen, this year’s conference theme is “Implications for Music Education and for Wellbeing.”

Keynote speaker Dr. Betty Anne Younker, former Dean of Music Education at Western University, will be joined by speakers from UPEI’s Departments of Music and Psychology, Mount Allison University, Mount Saint Vincent University, and more. Talks are organized into four sessions: psychology, music, education, and health, with opportunities for audience participation throughout the day.  

The day opens with the Gathering Song, led by Lenox Evans in honour of Epekwitk, and closes with Musical Waves, a free eclectic concert coordinated by Liz Pan in the Steel Recital Hall at 7 pm.

“The conversations are my favourite part,” says Juno Chen, program coordinator for this year’s conference, working closely with Dr. Cohen. “A psychologist and a music teacher will hear the same 15-minute talk and ask completely different questions and members of the public will offer additional insights. That mix is the whole point; it’s inspirational and advances understanding.”

The conference runs from 9:30 am–5 pm in Room 142 at UPEI’s Bill and Denise Andrew Hall, with refreshments and lunch provided and an optional dinner at 5:30 pm. Conference and concert admission is free. Register at forms.gle/JL2bpNKitvyUpDQ29. For more information, visit musicog.discoveryspace.ca/events/music-and-mind-maritimes-2026.