Dawn Muir is a Canadian music educator of Jamaican parentage, whose teaching is enriched by graduate studies in education (M.Ed., Ontario Institute for Education; PhD, Cambridge), Level III Orff certification, and ongoing studies in world music (World Music Drumming Level 2, Jamaica School of Dance Summer School, South Indian Drumming - York University). 

Dawn attended high school in Jamaica while her father, Dr. George Eaton, served as the Head of the Civil Service and Special Advisor to Prime Minister Michael Manley from 1975-1979. Having seen her father choose to make a significant contribution to his country of origin, over and above being a successful founding faculty member of York University in Toronto, she felt a similar pull to make a useful contribution to Jamaica within her own professional domain. 

African drumming and dance has had a significant presence in Winnipeg schools over the last 15 years; the holistic performance of music with movement, improvisation, and play in the African tradition makes it a rich and engaging repertoire for children’s music classes and Orff pedagogy. Dawn’s love of drumming and dance, as well as world music, made made these innovations particularly appealing and pointed her naturally to rediscovering and expanding her own Jamaican roots which incorporate African traditions. After years of sharing this music with her students in classes and her colleagues through workshops, she has seen the universal appeal of this rhymical, melodious tradition and is happy to share this further with colleagues through the production of this book of songs and games and rhymes.

Workshop Schedule