Diane Kolin
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dianekolin.bsky.social
Diane Kolin
@dianekolin.bsky.social
43 followers 44 following 58 posts
Founder of ArtsAbly, MA, Musicologist, Singer, Senior Project Manager PMP®, PhD candidate in Musicology (ABD), Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility (RHFAC) Professional, Disability Rights Activist, RAMPD Pro artist.
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dianekolin.bsky.social
I have a new book chapter out in the "Disability and Musicking" anthology edited by Leon de Bruin, Anthea Skinner and Jane Southcott, with a preface by Evelyn Glennie! 🙂

Congratulations to all the authors and to our editors. This book looks amazing!

www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph?do...
A picture of someone on stage in a lying down position with an arm and fist up as a sign of defiance. The title of the book reads: Disability and Musicking, Resistance, Defiance, and Innovation, edited by Leon de Bruin, Anthea Skinner and Jane Southcott, foreword by Evelyn Glennie.
November 27, 2025 at 8:15 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Thank you to my colleague Roman Romanov for inviting me to present ArtsAbly’s public art accessibility assessment work to his students at OCAD University. I had the pleasure of giving feedback on students’ final project presentations, with conversations about the importance of accessible designs.
A student presenting her accessibility narrative for her final project. I am sitting in my wheelchair surrounded by all the students of the class. Roman is at my left, kneeling on the ground. A view on the CN Tower from a classroom window. Main entrance of OCAD university, with very colourful windows and painted surface, and its name written above the door. Three poles, one pink, one yellow and one blue, hold a black and white ceiling in front of the entrance.
November 14, 2025 at 11:18 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
The subway was empty this morning and I started my 9:30 class late to welcome people stuck in snow. Fugue, counterpoint and basso continuo on the program. Back to normal Canadian winter life on York University campus 🎶
A picture of the empty subway train and a window outside with we can see trees covered with snow. A Canadian flag on York University campus, on the main square covered with snow and trees with fall colour leaves. Another view of the main square covered with snow, with more colourful trees. My auditorium classroom, empty since the picture was taken before students entered the room. There is a piano on the front left part.
November 11, 2025 at 5:13 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Finally back from AMS. The plane was three hours late but nothing to do with the US situation 😅 Home sweet home (under snow)! Brrrr it’s cold!
View on a United Airlines plane from my Air Canada plane on the tarmac. Nice aerial view from my pane window at night. Me in the UP Express, the train going to Toronto city centre from the airport. Behind me is a screen showing a cartoon version of Toronto skyline.
November 11, 2025 at 12:06 AM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Cool Dungeons & Dragons session organized by Open the Gates Gaming @openthegatesgaming.bsky.social in the universe of the opera “Lucia di Lammermoor” with our DisMus group @amsdismus.bsky.social. A perfect way to end a quite eventful and stressful AMS-SMT conference.
A white man with a grey sweater in front of a game board. Our table showing the players Tekla, Andrew and Sarah, and the Dungeon master Scott. My hand holding the game cards with some strengths and spells coming with my character. Another table with other players and another dungeon master.
November 9, 2025 at 10:38 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Day 3 is over. I am exhausted but happy. Our session went very well. Kudos to the Disability and Music Study Group @amsdismus.bsky.social for organizing and to my two co-presenters Elizabeth McLain and Molly Joyce. Still one more day to go. There will be gaming and opera talks!
A picture of me looking tired with a Disability and Music pin on my black top, and a glass of white wine in front of me. A sticker that reads Music and Disability Study Group, and a small purple stone in the shape of a heart.
November 9, 2025 at 2:17 AM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Day 2 is a wrap! There were many great papers about disability-related topics today, from historical explorations of disability in early music in Europe to archival recordings in schools for the Deaf, analysis of compositions in movies featuring disabled characters, and a Braille Music workshop.
Slide of a presentation entitled “Music and visual disability in the early modern Hispanic world: the tradition of blind organists.” There is an image of a manuscript score under the title. Slide of a presentation entitled “Braille and beyond, making music theory accessible through inclusive design.”
November 8, 2025 at 1:36 AM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Day 1 complete! Nice to see friends and colleagues. Saw some very good presentations already. Also, great feeling when someone saw my name tag and told me she put one of my articles about disability and music on her reference list for the class she teaches and students love it 😊
A picture of me, a white woman with red glasses and short hair wearing a black and white striped top, in front of a panel that says American Musicological Society Conference, Welcome, Registration Desk.
November 7, 2025 at 3:24 AM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Just a few days before flying to Minneapolis for the American Musicological Society conference to talk about ArtsAbly, Disability Culture and Disability Activism. My session is scheduled on Saturday, November 8 at 12:30 pm, organized by the Music and Disability Study Group @amsdismus.bsky.social.
First page of the program of my session, Musicking in Disability Community: Access Intimacy and Cultural Activism. Second page of the program presenting details about my talk, ArtsAbly and Disability Culture.
November 3, 2025 at 7:15 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
I love it when students enjoy the curriculum 🙂 This morning I was talking about Ground Bass during my tutorial, illustrating the topic with the famous Canon in D by Pachelbel, when a student asked me if he could play along. He treated us with a mini concert. I cherish these moments.
A slide showing the title "Baroque: Johann Pachelbel - Canon in D Major" with a note saying that Ground Bass is consists of eight notes following a specific pattern in music. On the bottom right corner, a picture of my student playing his violin.
October 28, 2025 at 9:18 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
My first ever pull-out kitchen shelves! I wanted to purchase this for many years. I can now store kitchen ustensiles in this unreachable closet from a sitting position. Happy me! I am really grateful to the friend who spent a few hours sweating to install it 🥰
A pull-out shelf inside a high kitchen closet. The shelf is pulled out of the closet and almost reaches the kitchen counter, allowing me to use it from my wheelchair.
October 26, 2025 at 12:07 AM
dianekolin.bsky.social
One of my favourite moments as a Teaching Assistant at York University is leading the organ and harpsichord discovery workshop, with the help of Anindyo Das who presented and played both instruments. It was the last time I did it since I am almost done with my PhD. 🎶
A man with black hair, black pants and a white pullover stands close to a practice organ, explaining how it works. A student tries the organ for the first time. Another one stands on the left and looks at the other student. The man who demoed the organ now sits at the harpsichord, a music instrument looking like a piano with an open lid. Students are around him. Students get closer to the instrument to look inside.
October 21, 2025 at 5:53 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Tomorrow I will present my adapted vocal pedagogy research at the UCLA Conference on Trauma and Disability in the Arts, and discuss the topic with colleagues during the Vocal Pedagogy panel. Join us on Friday, Oct 17, at 5:30 pm EST.

More info and livestream link: www.dianekolin.com/event/theori...
October 17, 2025 at 2:31 AM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Great concert in perspective! I will sing “Vertigo” with Amadeus Choir on Saturday, November 1, 2025 @ 7:30pm at The Playground (388 Carlaw Ave, Toronto)

Book your single tickets or season subscription on amadeuschoir.com/events/ and get a 10% discount with code ALTO2.
A red poster with a photo of an aerial dancer and white text for the concert “Vertigo, a choral tango” with date and time, and link to the Amadeus Choir events page.
October 11, 2025 at 1:08 AM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Singing at Roy Thomson Hall @roythomsonhall.bsky.social in Toronto tonight with Amadeus Choir. Also, advocating for a better accessibility of the choir loft! 👩‍🦽

"Music at the Movies: A Tribute to John Williams" starts at 8 PM. Please come and say hi!

roythomsonhall.mhrth.com/tickets/musi...
Two hands getting out of rolls of films, one of which is holding a conducting baton.
September 26, 2025 at 6:31 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Happy Canada Day 🇨🇦
Building in Ottawa with Canadian flags
July 1, 2025 at 12:52 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
I am thrilled to announce that I have been nominated to Diversability’s 5th Annual D-30 Disability Impact List! Thank you to everyone who nominated me for this honor, and who has supported my work in the disability community. Honorees are announced in July, so stay tuned to see if I am selected!
A navy and teal gradient background with white text center aligned. The words “#D30DisList” are at the top arched over the Diversability “D” logo. Below, text, “The D-30 Disability Impact List”; below that are the words “I am a 2025 Nominee” between two white laurels. A white Diversability Logo is centered at the bottom.
June 8, 2025 at 3:33 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
PhD progress update: my dissertation defense is postponed. A new date and time will be announced later, during the next academic term. No worries, it is just postponed. A little bit more patience. Thank you to those who are accompanying me in the process.
A white mug with the text "PhD in progress". Above, a text reads "Defense is postponed" and below "New date to be announced soon."
June 7, 2025 at 4:49 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Thank you RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities) for the invitation to be featured as Pro Member of the Month 🙂
May 19, 2025 at 7:00 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
A countertenor won Eurovision this year 🙂

Full article here: www.classicfm.com/music-news/e...
A picture of a young man singing with the text “2025 Eurovision winner is a countertenor who sang with the Vienna Opera” posted by “Classical FM”
May 19, 2025 at 2:47 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
It is official since today! My PhD dissertation has been approved for defence 🙂 It is scheduled for June 24 at 2 PM EST at York University. The committee is now complete! It contains musicologists, music theorists, dancers, and Critical Disability Studies specialists from Canada and the USA.
A white mug with black text saying “PhD in progress” with the drawing of a progress bar.
May 15, 2025 at 12:47 AM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Yesterday was the last rehearsal of Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and Mozart’s “Vesperae Solennes de Confessore” with Lisette Canton before traveling to New York to perform both pieces at Carnegie Hall with the New England Symphonic Ensemble on May 24. Exciting!
Scores of Vivaldi’s Gloria and Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore in a black music folder.
May 14, 2025 at 11:59 AM
dianekolin.bsky.social
I was in Hamilton for the day and going back to Toronto meant spending more than 1h30 in traffic on the highway. So I stopped at Port Credit instead and had a lovely time along the water.
Rowers on the River Wooden path with view on the port. Blue benches and lights are installed on the sides. View on the lake, some kayakers on the water. A boat in the port.
May 9, 2025 at 11:50 PM
dianekolin.bsky.social
It took us a bit longer than expected but we are now back to work, working on the next podcast episodes and Disability Culture news. Stay tuned!

#ArtsAbly #BackToWork #DisabilityCulture #ArtsAblyInConversation #Podcast
The text "ArtsAbly is back to work" with the url to ArtsAbly's website, artsably.com. In the background, a plant leaf, a coffee cup, a computer keyboard and notebooks.
May 1, 2025 at 5:23 AM
dianekolin.bsky.social
Yay Canada 🇨🇦🎉
A picture of Mark Carney with the text Liberal win
April 29, 2025 at 4:52 AM