Dr. Willingham, a Professor in the Music Faculty at Laurier, coordinates the music education and choral programs. From 1998 to 2004, he was on the faculty of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, teaching in the preservice program in music education. Prior to that, he taught in the public high school system, and was coordinator of music for the Scarborough Board of Education.
Dr. Willingham is the founding coordinator of the graduate program in Community Music and directs the Laurier Centre for Music in the Community. His co-authored book, Engaging in Community Music, An Introduction (Routledge Publishers) was released last year.
A contributor of chapters, papers, and articles to a number of publications, Willingham was for ten years the editor of the Canadian Music Education/Musicien éducator au Canada he co-edited the book, Creativity and Music Education. He is a past president and Honourary Life Member of the Ontario Music Educators' Association.
Willingham has guest conducted many choirs throughout Canada, USA and parts of Europe. Recently he has given papers in conferences or workshops in Munich and Eichstätt Germany, San Antonio USA, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland, York, U.K., Budapest, Salvador and Porto Alegre, Brazil, Tblisi, Georgia, Baku, Azerbaijan, Vancouver, and Toronto.