Adam was born and raised on the ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. As a fourth generation descendent of Chinese Diaspora in Canada, he is grateful for the opportunity to embrace his culturally rich and spiritual significant lineage while residing and working as a guest on the beautiful traditional lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples in Victoria, British Columbia.
Within UVic’s School of Music, he serves as the Co-Head of Music Education and assumes the role as conductor of the University of Victoria Symphonic Chorus and the Chamber Singers. He teaches Elementary, Middle and Secondary School Choral Rehearsal Techniques, Elementary Music Methods, Music Education Philosophy and Sociology, undergraduate and graduate choral conducting, Access, Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in Fine Arts. In addition, he serves in the role of faculty supervisor for the accordion applied studio for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Certified in Orff Schulwerk, Dr. Con embodies the philosophy throughout all facets of music education, irrespective of the educational level. His pedagogy is approach is firmly grounded in fifteen years of diverse K-12 public school music teaching in British Columbia. This includes Orff, Kodály, and Dalcroze-based general music, French immersion music, middle and secondary school choral, vocal jazz, concert band and jazz band. Adam has also taught both Choral Activities and Music Education areas for 25 years in higher education at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, California State University, Long Beach, Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. Additionally, Dr. Con has extensive study experience as a practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan and the Alexander Technique.
His contributions have garnered invitations to perform, conduct and deliver workshops at many prestigious events and conferences. These invitations include the Foro Coro Americano in Argentina, I Foro Internacional De Educación Musical in Mexico, Podium Choral Conducting Symposium, ISME International Society for Music Education, the Canadian GALA Conference, the Canadian and the American Orff-Schulwerk National Conferences. He has also been featured as keynote speaker, presenter and conductor at the Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia Provincial Music Educator’s Conferences, the British Columbia Choral Federation, the Unitarian Universalist Musicians National American Conference, the Ohio and Georgia State Music Educator’s Conferences and the American Choral Directors Association.
Adam served as the principal researcher for the historic 2021 National Study on the State of Music Education titled “Everything is Connected: A Landscape of Music Education in Canada,” conducted by the National Coalition for Music Education. He also authored the 2016 BC Report on the State of K-7 Music Education in British Columbia.
Currently, Adam serves as a Board of Director for Choral Canada and Chair of the Access, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, an Executive Board Member of the B.C. Coalition for Music Education, and on the Editorial Board for the Canadian Music Educator Journal.