Music Teacher Biographies Upper Canada College is privileged to have 15 private instrumental music teachers who complement our curricular music programs. They all teach at both the Prep and Upper School and many of them play in professional performance groups outside the school as well as teach for the TDSB or other independent schools. The teachers prepare pupils for performances, examinations, auditions and festivals or help with the repertoire that is learned in music class or band. Boys who are exposed to weekly music lessons, choir or band rehearsals, creative movement, or general music classes reap many benefits. Music develops self- discipline, self- esteem and increased organizational skills. Ensemble experience also builds teamwork. Band members or choristers learn the importance of being a reliable member of a group. Please find below an introduction to the private teachers. Clarinet Ms. Michele Verheul Michele Verheul holds a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music. An active freelance musician, she performs with many ensembles including the Toronto Symphony, the Canadian Opera Company, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Hamilton Philharmonic. From 2003-2008 she taught clarinet at the University of Western Ontario while holding the position of principal clarinet with Orchestra London Canada. Clarinet & Saxophone Mr. Ryan Barker In addition to teaching at UCC, Ryan Barker is an Itinerant Music Instructor teaching middle school band programs for the Toronto District School Board. He holds an Honours B.A. in music from York University specializing in improvisation and performance and has performed in jazz clubs and shows in and around Toronto and Stockholm, Sweden. He is a busy clinician with the York School, the Etobicoke Youth Band, Martingrove Collegiate Institute, John G. Althouse Public School, Lawrence Park Collegiate and Glenview School. For the past few years he has also been a specialist for Toronto Summer Music Camp and Music By the Lake. He is the band teacher at Fern Hill School in Oakville.
Flute Ms. Carol Savage Flautist, Carol Savage, has enjoyed working with the students of Upper Canada College and Havergal College for many years. She is active as a performer in the Toronto area with the Mendelssohn Choir Orchestra, the Mississauga Orchestra and is a founding member of the Toronto Wind Orchestra. Carol is a certified tea sommelier. French Horn Ms. Christine Passmore Christine Passmore is an active freelance musician in southwestern Ontario performing regularly with the Canadian Opera Company, Orchestra London Canada, the National Ballet Orchestra, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hannaford Street Silver Band, and the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with the Aradia Ensemble and the Nota Bene Period Orchestra as well as the Trillium Brass Quintet. A native of Exeter, Ontario, now living in Toronto, Christine is currently working toward a Doctor of Music in Brass Pedagogy at the Indiana University School of Music, where, in 2001, she completed her Master of Music in horn performance. Guitar Mr. Don MacDonald Mr. MacDonald studied at the University of Toronto and holds an ARCT in guitar performance. He performs regularly with the Stratford Festival Orchestra and Orchestra London as well as performing solo and duo concerts throughout Ontario. His students have won numerous awards at the Kiwanis Music Festival and the Canadian Music Competition. Oboe Ms. Victoria Hathaway Victoria Hathaway works as a freelance oboist and private teacher in the Toronto area and across southern Ontario. Originally from Vancouver she completed a Bachelor of Music degree at UBC and a Master of Music at UWO in London with further studies in Schenker theory and Baroque oboe and performance studies in Vancouver, Toronto and Ann Arbor. Teaching positions include sessional work at
the University of Western Ontario and CAMMAC. Ms. Hathaway was Principal Oboe with the Oshawa/Durham Symphony from 1982-2005 and performs regularly with the Mississauga Symphony Association and with the acclaimed chamber group, Talisker Players. Recordings include Classical Kids, Round Top (Texas) Festival Orchestra, and Talisker Players Chamber Music, a 10 th anniversary CD. Percussion Mr. Mackenzie Longpre Mackenzie Longpre is a drummer and composer active in Toronto's music scene. He is an honors graduate of the University of Toronto jazz program and has studied jazz drums with Jim Blackley, Bob McLaren, and Terry Clarke, classical percussion with John Rudolph, and jazz piano with Frank Falco. He also spent a year studying with bassist Jim Vivian. Mackenzie is a part of many exciting projects including Ninja Funk Orchestra, The Shafton Thomas Group, Chloe Charles, A Series Of Tubes, Circles Quartet, Golden Island, The Elastocitizens, the Alex Tait Quintet, and Tara Kannangara s Quartet. He has shared the stage with prominent artists such as Rich Brown, Alex Dean, Chris Donnelly, The Henry s, Kelly Jefferson, Kirk McDonald, Mike Murley, David Occhipinti, Three Metre Day, and Jim Vivian among many others. Along with work as a sideman and co- leader, Mackenzie leads a standards trio and his own large ensemble playing all original material, and recently released his debut album summer house. Mr. Richard Piasetski Richard Piasetski is a passionate musician interested in diverse musical worlds such as jazz, bluegrass, electronic and folk. He holds a Bachelor of Jazz performance degree from U of T and has many years of teaching percussion, piano and guitar to students of all ages. He performs regularly as a folk artist and with the hip jazz ensemble, the Pram Trio. He is also a noted electronic music producer and is one of Canada s rising stars in the underground music scene. Piano Ms. Luba Podstawka Luba Podstawka is a graduate of the University of Toronto and has her ARCT in piano teaching. She has been active in the Royal Conservatory of Music examinations department and is a member of the College of Examiners. As well as her private students, she has worked as an itinerant teacher for the TCDSB and has coordinated the vocal music program at several of the schools. Mr. Gergely Szokolay Hungarian born pianist Gergely Szokolay has appeared on the concert stages as a chamber musician in Europe, North America and Japan. He has held the position of faculty accompanist at The Banff Centre s Advanced Music Program, McGill University s Opera Studio and the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music. Since 2005 he has been pianist for the Canadian Children s Opera Company and since 2006, Mr. Szokolay has been a regular collaborative pianist for the cello master classes at the
Toronto Summer Music Festival. Equally at home in the vocal and instrumental repertoire, Mr. Szokolay works as a vocal coach, piano instructor and collaborative pianist. Saxophone Mr. Trevor Hogg Saxophonist Trevor Hogg graduated from the University of Toronto's jazz performance program in 1998. Since that time he has performed across North America, Western Europe and Korea with Canadian jazz artists such as Terry Clarke, Steve Wallace, David Braid and Tara Davidson. Trevor has been a saxophone instructor at Upper Canada College since 2002. Trombone Ms. Cathy Stone Cathy Stone is a freelance trombonist and teacher in Toronto. She received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Saskatchewan, and a Master of Music from the University of Toronto. She has performed with every major orchestra and ensemble in southwestern Ontario, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Ballet Orchestra, Hannaford St. Silver Band, and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. She was also a tenured member of the Albany Symphony Orchestra in New York State. She is a founding member of the dynamic chamber music group, the Trillium Brass Quintet (www.trilliumbrass.com) Cathy is the visiting artist on low brass at Etobicoke School of the Arts, and maintains a busy home studio and teaches trombone for UCC and Royal St. George's College Baritone/Tuba Ms. Jennifer Stephen Originally from Yellowknife, NT, Jennifer Stephen pursued her studies in tuba performance at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Bowling Green State University, and is a graduate of the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music. Her principal teachers have included Velvet Brown and Roger Bobo. An active orchestral and chamber musician in Ontario, Jennifer can be seen performing with groups such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The National Arts Centre Orchestra, The Toronto Brass Quintet, The Hannaford Street Silver Band and the Hamilton Philharmonic, among others. She is a faculty member at the National Music Camp of Canada and currently resides in Toronto where she maintains a busy freelance and teaching career. Trumpet Mr. Paul Sanvidotti
Paul Sanvidotti is a busy freelance musician who has performed with the Toronto Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, Windsor Symphony, Niagara Symphony, Toronto Philharmonia, as well as numerous chamber groups in Toronto and surrounding area. He also performs on baroque trumpet and has been playing with such early music groups as the Georgetown Bach Chorale, Classical Music Consort, The Baroque Players of Hamilton as well as being a recitalist with many smaller ensembles. He has taught private students at both Upper Canada College and The Bishop Strachan School for the past thirteen years. Violin Ms. Kelly Parkins- Lindstrom Kelly Parkins- Lindstrom holds a Licentiate in Violin Performance and an ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She is a Faculty Member of The RCM Community School and The Glen Gould School, coordinating The Young Artist s Program Intermediate and Junior Strings Program (including chamber music and master classes) and she conducts The RCM Reading and Junior Training Orchestras. As a master class clinician and member of The RCM College of Examiners, Ms. Parkins- Lindstrom enjoys working with talent from across Canada. She participates as an ORMTA and Kiwanis Music Festival adjudicator.