Ep. 27 - Interview with Stacy Werner, Education Director of Musicplay Online & Carey-Lyn Gould, CEO of Themes & Variations Inc.
Introduction
Thanks for joining us for Episode 27 of the Welcome to Music Podcast! In this episode, Susie chats with Stacy Werner (Education Director for Musicplay Online MPO) and Carey-Lyn Gould (CEO of Themes & Variations Inc.)
Join us for an inspiring conversation as Stacy and Carey-Lyn share their journey into MusicPlayOnline — the widely loved Canadian-American digital platform for elementary music educators — and how they stepped into leadership following the unexpected passing of founder Denise Gagne. They reflect on continuing Denise’s legacy, their commitment to music advocacy, the creation of the Denise Gagne Memorial Society Fund, and their vision for the future. You'll also hear about upcoming events, about MPO’s 10th Anniversary, and their favourite teaching resources. Don’t miss this heartfelt and insightful episode and your chance to receive a one-month FREE subscription to MusicPlayOnline!
Let’s start at the very beginning…
Hello everyone, and it's so nice to have you here at the Welcome to Music podcast for music and classroom educators in Early Childhood and Primary/Elementary schools, music therapists, studio music teachers, parents, and anyone who uses music with kids to support their well-being and development from zero to 12 years. My name is Susie Davies-Splitter, and I've been teaching music to all ages in early childhood, schools and universities over many years. With my husband Phil, we run Welcome to Music where we create music resources, we have a membership community, and present training and programs for kids and educators. Our goal is to help build confidence and creativity and enrich lives through the joy of music. I hope that this podcast can support and inspire you and maybe even make your job a little easier through sharing tips, chats, lesson plans, interviews and great quality music resources to use with your children. I use an inclusive, multi-modal, multi-sensory, and Orff-based approach to help make the learning stick. Please enjoy the Welcome to Music podcast and find us at www.welcometomusic.net
About Themes & Variations
Themes & Variations is a Canadian publishing company founded by Denise Gagne, a highly respected music educator. The company has published numerous resources for music teachers, including:
- The Musicplay print series
- Recorder and Orff resources
- Seasonal concert materials
- Professional development tools
They focus on making music education accessible, engaging, and pedagogically sound, and MusicplayOnline is an extension of their core philosophy, adapted for the digital classroom.
What is MusicplayOnline?
MusicplayOnline is a digital platform designed primarily for elementary music educators devised by Denise Gagne in Canada. It provides a rich variety of teaching materials suitable for Kindergarten to Grade 6, and even into middle school, including:
- Interactive songs and games
- Lesson plans and curriculum maps aligned with national and provincial/state standards
- Videos, notation, instrumental accompaniments, and assessments
- Activities for recorder, ukulele, boomwhackers, body percussion, solfa, rhythms, instruments of the orchestra, and more
- Tools for distance learning, in-class teaching, or blended instruction
It’s especially popular for its user-friendly layout, age-appropriate songs, and inclusion of diverse cultural materials.
Stacy Werner Bio: Education Director for Musicplay Online
Stacy Werner is a music specialist with over 15 years of experience teaching choir, instrumental ensembles, piano, and classroom music. She teaches K–6 music in Alberta, Canada, and also serves as Education Director for Musicplay Online, a platform dedicated to supporting music educators in enhancing their teaching practices.
Stacy has presented across North America, sharing practical strategies that make music fun for students and manageable for teachers. She is the author of the “Super Simple Music Centers” series, published by Themes and Variations. Stacy has completed training in both Orff and Kodály pedagogy at the University of Kentucky and the University of Alberta. Inspired by her mentor and mother, Denise Gagne, Stacy is passionate about creating joyful, meaningful music experiences for students.
Outside of teaching, Stacy enjoys cheering on her son and daughter at their hockey games. In her free time, she loves skiing, hiking, and practicing yoga.
Carey-Lyn Gould Bio: CEO of Themes & Variations Inc.
Carey-Lyn Gould is the CEO of Themes & Variations Inc., a publishing company dedicated to creating affordable and innovative resources for elementary music educators since 1994. Starting as a summer student in 2014, Carey-Lyn rose through the ranks and took over as CEO following the passing of founder Denise Gagné in 2024.
She brings a unique blend of creativity, strategy, and a collaborative spirit to her role, driving initiatives like the transformation of MusicplayOnline into a comprehensive and flexible learning platform. Carey-Lyn’s personal passion for accessible learning and her deep respect for teachers fuel her mission to make teachers’ lives easier, so they can have more time and freedom to nurture student growth and creativity.
Interview Questions
- How are you both involved with Themes and Variations and MusicPlayOnline (MPO) now?
- Music Advocacy - how are you helping teachers to advocate for music?
- Charity in Denise's name - Denise Gagne Memorial Society Fund
- Share a couple of resources
- Do you publish other resources other than MPO?
- Does MPO have a grand vision?
- Events coming up
- 10th anniversary of MPO
- Anything else to share?
Stacy’s favourite Resources from MPO
- Movement Songs and Alphabet Action Songs
- MPO Interactive Games
- Tool Kit – custom word generator tool
- John Jacobson musicals
Carey-Lyn’s favourite Resources
- My List – you can put your own resources into this list, add favourites, videos, audio, interactive, pdfs, share with other teachers and students, add links to YouTube or Google Drive and share lesson plans with substitute teachers.
Goals for MPO
- Building a platform for all
- Pay attention to the users
- Universal desigh for learning
- Adding more accessibility to the games
- Supporting Music education & Professional Development
- Keep adapting and meeting our students
Links:
- Summer Symposium – Sing, Dance, Play (14th to 16th of July) - summer symposium in St Louis Missouri, USA - 18 hours PD.
Livestream Option: https://workshops.musicplay.ca/courses/sing-dance-play-2025-virtual/ - Musicplay Workshops: https://workshops.musicplay.ca/
- MusicplayOnline: https://musicplayonline.com/
Special Offer for Podcast Listeners - Get 1 Month FREE! (No Purchase Necessary)
Step 1:
Welcome to Music Podcast listeners are entitled to one month FREE subscription to MPO – click HERE and use the promo code WELCOMETOMUSIC (This code expires on December 31st, 2025). This offer is no purchase necessary in order for you to try out the platform. Please see below to purchase in AUD.
Step 2:
We are a Musicplay Online authorized dealer. If, after your free trial, you would like to purchase a one-year subscription, go to our store to pay for this in AUD (the best price option with the conversion rate).
Please note: If you purchase a subscription directly through Musicplay, you will be charged in USD (which will likely increase the cost). Take advantage of our special price by shopping with us directly!
Step 3:
Purchasing through Welcome to Music gives you a non-renewing 1-year subscription. If you'd like additional time added to your account next year, please return to our store to purchase an additional year.
WELCOME TO MUSIC MEMBERSHIP
Imagine having a treasure trove of resources designed to make your teaching journey a breeze. The Welcome to Music membership is your ultimate toolkit for primary/elementary music educators, early childhood teachers, music therapists and anyone that uses music with children 0-12 years. Here’s what is inside:
✨ 90+ Hours of PD Certificates: Dive into our extensive library of on-demand courses and webinar replays, earning professional development certificates at your own pace.
🎤 Library of Webinars and Workshops: Unlimited access to our complete collection of webinars and workshops, packed with resources including topics such as: Bucket Drumming, Instruments in the Classroom, Games, Performance Ideas, Indigenous songs, Lilting lullabies & tranquil tunes, Story Songs, Folk Dances, World Music and many more, all with PD certificates
📚 Ready-Made Resource Kits: Over 250 lesson plans, activity sheets, and teaching resources to save you hours of prep time, including complete music notation with songs, dances, choral music, percussion arrangements, recorder pieces, ukulele accompaniments, music reading worksheets, arts and crafts, links to the curriculum and assessment and much more
💻 On-Demand Courses: Interactive courses covering everything from Music with Babies & Tots, Early Childhood Music to Advanced Ukulele!
👨🏫 Exclusive, Community Forum and member-only private Facebook group: Connect with a vibrant community of educators, share ideas, and receive continuous support from Susie, Phil, and the team.
💡 Always Fresh Content: New resources added regularly, and all webinars available shortly after they go live!
🦘 Lots of Aussie Content: A huge and growing collection of Susie and Phil’s original and traditional songs with added resources and instructional videos alongside resources from other notable Australian music and movement educators
🈹 25% Member Discount off Welcome to Music products: All members receive 25% off any physical or digital products (excluding Black Belt Ukulele products) in the Welcome to Music Store! https://welcometomusic.net/
Become a member of the Welcome to Music community today and enjoy all these fantastic benefits. Visit our Membership Page
Closing
This podcast has been brought to you by Welcome to Music – building confidence, creativity and enriching lives through the joy of music. In the show notes, you'll find links to a summary of this episode and our social media platforms. In the blog, you will find all the notes and links to this episode.
Our goal is to help make teaching and learning music easy and fun for all. I use an inclusive, multi-modal, multi-sensory and Orff-based approach to help make the learning stick.
- Find us at https://welcometomusic.net/
We would love you to subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can find almost 200 videos for kids – from lyric, play-along, instructional and animation videos www.youtube.com/c/WelcometoMusicSP
- Find 100’s of our songs on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music – just search for Susie Davies-Splitter & Phil Splitter or the song title
- Join us in the socials on Facebook and Instagram
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Episode 26 Blog Notes: Interview with Special Guest Bryson Tarbet
