Dr. Laura Risk

Biography

Laura Risk is an Assistant Professor in Musicology at the University of Toronto Scarborough, and is cross-appointed to the Graduate Department of the Faculty of Music at the same institution. Her research primarily focuses on the formation of musical genres, the mechanics of innovation, and the aural musical communities, particularly examining traditional music in Quebec. She engages in various applied ethnomusicology projects such as archiving historic recordings, producing community CDs, and designing professional development workshops for community music educators. Laura has published articles in notable journals like Ethnomusicology and MUSICultures, as well as chapters in forthcoming volumes. Additionally, she co-authored the Glengarry Collection: Highland Fiddle Music with Aonghas Grant and co-produced the CD Douglastown: Music and Song from the Gaspé Coast, which won the 2014 Prix Mnémo. Laura earned her PhD in Musicology from McGill University in 2017, where she received the Governor General’s Gold Medal in Human Sciences. Her research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and other prestigious organizations. She currently serves as the Editor of the online journal Music Action and is a collaborating member of the Centre de recherche interuniversitaire sur la littérature et la culture québécoises (CRILCQ) as well as a member of the Institute of Music Canada. Laura is also an active performer and teacher of traditional fiddle music.

Research Interests