Dean Cynthia Johnston Turner Serves Canada Through Music

June 30, 2025

When most people think about serving their country, they picture military service in uniform. But for Dr. Cynthia Johnston Turner, Dean of the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University, service has taken a more melodic path. One that involves a baton, a score and a profound sense of purpose.

In a unique and powerful initiative, Dean Johnston Turner has been invited by the Canadian government to work with developing leaders in the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces. Since January 2025, she has been travelling to Ottawa to mentor Captain Matthew McCrady, acting commander and conductor of the Central Band. It’s a deeply meaningful collaboration that merges musicianship with leadership, pedagogy with patriotism.

The opportunity first arose from the Ontario Band Association conducting symposium held at Ashbury College, where some members of the Central Forces Band served as the lab ensemble. Captain McCrady was so inspired by Johnston Turner’s teaching that he requested to study with her directly. That request launched an intensive, months-long mentorship involving score study, rehearsal technique, orchestration, leadership, and much more.

Their days in Ottawa begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. with rehearsals alongside the Central Forces Band. Captain McCrady leads. Johnston Turner offers feedback. The musicians themselves, many of them seasoned professionals, also weigh in. Together, they create a collaborative teaching environment grounded in respect and shared growth.

“It’s a wonderfully dynamic process,” reflects Dean Turner. “The paradox of conducting and leadership is that it is not about the self. At the same time, knowing oneself is crucial to good leadership. One of the most memorable moments was early on when I was able to identify something in Matt’s conducting and person that really unlocked a door for him. That kind of breakthrough is profound, and I'm immensely proud of Matt."

In the afternoons, the work continues one-on-one. They study scores, explore the repertoire, and delve into the broader dimensions of what it means to be a leader, not just a conductor.

While the work is deeply musical, it’s also intensely personal and patriotic. “Military music is foundational to the wind band tradition,” she says. “It’s the soundtrack to some of the most important moments in our lives. Graduations, memorials, ceremonies of honour. Helping to shape the leaders behind that music is a responsibility I don’t take for granted.”

Johnston Turner is no stranger to military ensembles. She has previously conducted the U.S. Navy and Army Bands. But this marks a special milestone: working with Canada’s top military musicians in service to her home country. And though she admits the facilities could be better, the people and the mission more than make up for it.

“Musicians are wonderful humans. When you get great people and great players together, it’s thrilling.”