Shining Music Graduate Jaimee Jarvie builds Multiple Sclerosis community through song

When Faculty of Fine Arts graduate Jaimee Jarvie (BMus '13, MMus '24) was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, her path to understand and accept her new reality led her to graduate studies at the University of Lethbridge. Working with her previous mentor during her undergrad, Jaimee was able to bring together a community of MS advocates to share stories through spoken word and song, further deepening her love of music and its ability to heal.

The performance of my final research-creation work was the highlight of my time at ULethbridge. Being joined on stage by 13 incredible singers, and watching the culmination of years of hard work unfold on the stage was incredible. It was an honour to be trusted with the stories of the participants in my project, and to bring the voices of MS to a stage, taking their tales of adversity and weaving them into something beautiful.

Meet Jaimee. Change-maker. Singer. Activist.
Hometown: Lethbridge, Alberta
Program: Master of Music

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my free time, I cross stitch! I started a cross stitch business, @jamjarstitch, approximately two years ago, and I create custom cross stitch portraits. Right now I am cross stitching a jar of dill pickles just for fun! I love spending time with my cats Jack and Penelope, and with my loved ones.

What are three awesome things about yourself?

1. I own Shrek Crocs.
2. I own a cross stitch business called jam jar stitch.
3. I don't take life too seriously, and I love to laugh!

Why did you choose to pursue graduate studies at ULethbridge?

I took a decade off of school and fostered a career in management and in teaching private voice lessons. In 2019, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and upon the diagnosis, I started to question my path in life. While scrolling on social media, I came across a singer also living with MS who was sharing her story through song. It instantly dawned on me that I was not alone in this journey.

I soon found singers, composers and musicians globally living with the disease who were willing to collaborate on a research project with me. I contacted Dr. Janet Youngdahl with my proposal, and the rest is history. As Lethbridge is my home town, it felt right for me to continue my studies here. I have a strong connection to the music community here, and the support was outstanding. Dr. Youngdahl allowed me to tailor my program to my exact needs, and we watched the thesis shift and grow into the performance it finally became.

What does your research focus on? What do you hope your research will accomplish?

My research-creation thesis project was a combination of spoken storytelling and storytelling through song by members of the Multiple Sclerosis Community. The project included MS Advocates: Britt Quiroz (A Hot MS), Kathryn Ferguson, Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Beal, rock and roll singer and frontman of the band Everclear, Art Alexakis and local singers Tiffany Badiuk and Randi Martens.

The main focus of the research was the idea that singing and wellness/healing are connected, with a focus specifically on MS. In the research, singers shared stories of diagnosis, disease modifying treatments and the journey to acceptance and understanding. Each of the participants had to overcome severe adversity in learning to live, sing and continue in a new and ever changing body, and it was through the power of music that we were able to connect, support one another and create a beautiful live performance of spoken word and song.

Pieces performed were Jeff Beal's The Salvage Men by choral ensemble JamChor, Light of a Clear Blue Morning by Dolly Parton, arranged by The Wailin' Jennys, performed by local trio Nerve Damage, Where were you, an original song written by Britt Quiroz about her own journey through MS, and Hot Water Test by Art Alexakis, about his diagnosis with the disease.

My hopes for my research are as follows: I want this project to reach people living with MS who need someone as badly as I did in the beginning of my journey - to provide support, comfort, encouragement and also shed some light and humour on the not-so-pretty side of MS. I also want it to reach those who don't know anything about MS.

In presenting the project, I had many people who didn't know about the disease approach me and thank them for the knowledge. As MS is an invisible "snowflake" disease, no two people experience the same thing, and very often you can't see that they have it. I aim to create awareness and advocacy through song, and take something as jarring as a life-changing diagnosis, and create beauty and strength through music.

What is your most memorable ULethbridge experience?

The performance of my final research-creation work was the highlight of my time at ULethbridge. Being joined on stage by 13 incredible singers, and watching the culmination of years of hard work (some of that online in the pandemic!!) unfold on the stage was incredible. It was an honour to be trusted with the stories of the participants in my project, and to bring the voices of MS to a stage, taking their tales of adversity and weaving them into something beautiful.

What is the most important lesson you learned as a graduate student at ULethbridge?

The most important lesson I learned during my time as a graduate student was how to adapt to change! I received my acceptance two weeks before the world shut down due to the pandemic. I was uncertain how a project that revolved around live ensemble singing could even come into fruition. I was constantly being met with challenges and change, and it helped me to let go of the idea of perfectionism in my music and trust in the process. It was when I let go of the control that I was able to nurture the relationships of those I was working with, creating a far more meaningful project in the end!

Is there someone who had an important influence on your life during your studies?

My supervisor Dr. Janet Youngdahl has been without a doubt one of the biggest influences in my ULethbridge experience, and in my life. I began studying with Janet during my undergrad in 2008 and she has always shown support, patience and given me incredible guidance. She believed in this project from day one, and stood by me as it shifted and grew into its final form!

Did you receive scholarships and awards? How did they help you throughout your studies?

I received the Douglas Parnham Memorial Scholarship for Choral Music, the Abbondánza Fine Arts Graduate Scholarship and a GSA Graduate Teaching Award. These scholarships obviously helped offset the cost of life, but they also solidified my confidence in what I was researching and working towards. Being recognized for outstanding achievements in choral music, vocal performance and teaching was an honour, and motivated me to continue striving for excellence in my field.

What are your hopes/plans for the future?

I am the General Manager of the Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts Festival and nurture a full private voice studio through the ULethbridge Conservatory of Music. My plans for the future are to create space for the young musicians in this community to perform and showcase their work. As a singer living with MS, I have learned that singing isn't one-size-fits-all, and I will strive to meet the needs of this next generation while making learning and performing fun!

What advice would you like to give those beginning their journey at ULethbridge?

My advice to anyone beginning their journey at ULethbridge is to find their passion. Discover that thing that excites you more than anything else. Life is short and can be unpredictable, so find the thing that set your heart ablaze, and give it your all.