Sadaf Sohrab

Background

About Sadaf Sohrab

I am a MA in Music Education student at UofT, OCT-certified, and passionate about music education, arts integration, and culturally responsive pedagogy. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music (Honours) from York University, I am a classically trained violinist, pianist, and fiddle player. My teaching philosophy is deeply rooted in community engagement, student-centered learning, and decolonizing music education. Research Interests & Projects: Community Music Pedagogies & Equity – Investigating how music education can foster social-emotional learning, activism, and critical thinking, particularly within underserved communities. Culturally Responsive & Anti-Racist Teaching – Examining how traditional Eurocentric music education fails to serve diverse student populations, with a focus on South Asian communities in Canada. Arts Integration – Conducted research on how music education enhances reading comprehension and critical thinking in K-8 classrooms, advocating for music as an integrated subject rather than a supplementary one. The arts are rarely considered as a "core" subject, yet have the powerful transformative ability to enhance learning through proper integration practices. Through my work, I've developed culturally relevant lesson plans, social-emotional learning initiatives, and inquiry-based arts curricula. I actively challenge the Western canon’s dominance in music education, incorporating diverse musical traditions to foster engagement, identity development, and accessibility. My goal is to bridge research and practice, ensuring that music education is a tool for empowerment, activism, and holistic student growth. Ultimately I hope to help as many young people as possible as they are our future!