My work spans private lessons and choir directing, preparing music and creating educational resources, and performing. I am now embracing flexible remote work that balances lessons and resource creation with frequent travel. While this means I’ve had to pause children’s lessons, it’s been refreshing to re-focus on lessons with avocational adults—singers whose passion keeps them curious and courageous.

The beginner experience

I have worked with A LOT of singers in private lessons and choral settings. Every singer brings a unique set of strengths and challenges, and in many ways, everyone is a beginner at something.

Sometimes it’s a child learning to sing Do-Re-Mi.
Sometimes it’s an adult learning to sing with more volume and confidence.
Sometimes it’s a semi-professional learning to collaborate with accompanists or navigate new musical styles.

I have a deep appreciation for the beginner experience. Helping singers make connections with their voice and music, and build their confidence is one of the most rewarding parts of my work.

Teaching lessons and choirs

My teaching career has included private lessons with children, teens, and adults, as well as nearly two decades leading jazz choirs in post-secondary and community settings.

My extensive experience in private lessons with children led to my current ongoing role as Co-Developer at FULL VOICE Music. Our team’s activities, songs, and teacher training are researched and developed specifically so voice teachers can offer effective and fun lessons to young beginners.

For roughly 15 years I conducted jazz choirs at York University and taught lessons, ensembles, and jazz choirs at Mohawk College (where I studied vocal jazz and graduated with honours from the Applied Music program). I was the long-time vocal coach for the Toronto All-Star Big Band, directing the vocal group in a semi-professional big band setting. I also spent many seasons conducting the community choir The Jazz Project, including those “online-only” years where I honed my online teaching skills.

With so many ensemble variations over the years, I know the complexity of choosing the right choral arrangements. I have a deep understanding of a choir’s need for music that is clearly written and suits the group’s setup and skills. When my choral groups performed music that I arranged or transcribed specifically for them, learning and rehearsing the music was so much easier! This clarity is my “guiding light” in all of my music preparation and arranging.

A performing musician

Alongside teaching, I’ve performed with various jazz ensembles and rock bands:

I was the featured vocalist for the classic jazz big band GTA Swing Band for a number of years—one of my long-time dreams come true because I adore that musical style.

With my rock band, Canary Mine, I wrote songs, recorded albums, and performed frequently. We’re rather sedate grown-ups now, but in the late 2000s we toured all over Canada a few times—a formative experience for me as a vocalist branching into contemporary styles.

I am currently performing and recording with Stranger Still, a progressive-folk group led by Pete Johnston, whose original compositions are inspired by the poetry of Alden Nowlan. Stranger Still will release our third album in spring 2026.