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Master Class and Workshop Index

Keynote Address – Dr. Edmund Dawe …………………………………………...…………..……………. Page 2 Master Classes ………………………………………………………………….…………...……………...Pages 3–5 Choral – Martin, Dr. Gayle Piano – Toyich, Boyanna String – Wood, Jasper Vocal – Gould, Monette

Multi-disciplinary Workshops …….………………………………………………..………..………….. Pages 6-10 Canada Music Week Panel - Past, Present, Future Dawson, Dr. Terence - Plays Well with Others: Collaborative Piano and the Developing Musician Deschênes, Michel - Hand Dance: Rhythm and Percussion Gould, Monette - Studio Management Kempt, Dr. Erin - Understanding Repetitive Strain Disorders in the Music Industry Mulherin, Carol Irma - Fund Raising for Charities in Your Studio Music for Young Children - Frances Balodis – Clues for Composition Snowdon, Judith - Do We Need to Play What is on the Page? Wanzel, Lorna - Independent Teachers and Collaborative Research Wells, Dr. Elizabeth - Women’s Role in Music History

Vocal Workshops …………………………………………..……………………………………..………. Page 10-11 Mulherin, Carol Irma - Improvisational Games to Use for Singers of All Ages Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations - Penelope Dale - Vocal Workshop: Performance Lecture and Mock Exam Schiller, Dr. Caroline - “I Can’t Sing That” and Other Myths from the Voice Studio

Keyboard Workshops ……………………………………………………………………...…………….. Page 12-22 Adventus - Jim Mullen, Jennifer Van Gennip - The Symmetry of the Grand Staff: Exploring an Emerging Pedagogy and Children's Music Journey Alfred - Robert Vandall - Celebrating Jazz Styles Developing Lyrical and Virtuosic Playing The More the Merrier: Four to Six Hands for One Piano Canadian Music Centre - Shawn Bostick, Martin Kutnowski - Piano Pieces for Children by Martin Kutnowski Conservatory Canada - David Story - Riffs, Rags and Rhumbas Dawe, Karla - Old Wine in New Wineskins Mayfair - Debra Wanless - Let’s Begin: Understanding Learning Styles and the Beginner Improving Your Improv from the Inside Out Music for Young Children - Frances Balodis - Fun, Fingers and Facts on Techniques for Beginners Red Leaf Pianoworks - Martha Hill Duncan, Susan Griesdale, Beverly Porter & Rebekah Maxner, Fresh and Imaginative Repertoire designed to Teach, Motivate and Inspire Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations - New Beginnings: Preparatory A & B If It’s Not Classical, It’s ….. Runge, Dr. Stephen - A Holistic Approach: Using the Whole Body in Piano Playing Schlosser, Dr. Milton - Minding Performance: Neuroscience, Digital Cameras, and the Pianist Wood, Lowell - Pianos - From Touch to Tone

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KEYNOTE ADDRESS

DR. EDMUND DAWE

Beyond the Notes: Preparing for Something Bigger than the Competition

“The things I learned from my experience in music in school are discipline, perseverance, dependability, composure, courage, and pride in results… Not a bad preparation for the workforce!” (Gregory Anrig, President, Educational Testing Services) “If you can walk, you can dance. If you can talk, you can sing.” (Zimbabwe Proverb)

In our rapidly changing and highly competitive world, do we need to revisit our core purposes? We live in a knowledge-based economy and some urban theorists attribute this to the rise of the creative class. For various reasons, creativity is now more widely viewed as a source of competitive advantage. In the context of the modern era, is the role of the music teacher changing? From the child prodigy to the young student for whom every musical aspect seems to be a struggle, is it possible to create an environment where all students experience the incredible power of the art form and its ability to be a life-long source of personal fulfillment?

Biography

Edmund Dawe is Dean of the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, an appointment he began in July 2007. Praised for his technical command of the piano and artistic interpretations, Edmund Dawe has performed as a soloist and collaborative pianist in Canada, the United States, Great Britain, France, Hong Kong, and Korea. His recordings and performances are frequently heard in regional and national CBC broadcasts. His solo CD, Sonatas, was nominated for an East Coast Music Award (Best Classical). Edmund Dawe was born in Newfoundland. He completed his studies at the Memorial University of Newfoundland (Neil van Allen, Maureen Volk), the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England (James Gibb), and the University of Western Ontario (Ronald Turini). After earning a doctorate at the University of British Columbia, Edmund continued his training with Cécile Ousset in France. Edmund's work as an artist and a teacher has been widely recognized. He has received numerous awards throughout his career, including grants from the Canada Council, The Canadian Consulate General, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the New Brunswick Arts Branch, and the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records. In 1996 and 2001, he was the recipient of a Paul Paré Award for excellence in teaching and performance at Mount Allison University where he taught for 17 years and served as Department Head from 1997-2003. An engaging speaker, Edmund is much in demand as a presenter at provincial, national, and international conferences, including the World Piano Pedagogy Conference, the Fourth Australian National Piano Pedagogy Conference, the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations National Convention, and the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities. A frequent adjudicator at music festivals in Canada, Edmund has also served as a judge for the Juno Awards and the Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition, and is a featured author in Clavier Magazine. Edmund enjoys all aspects of leading an outstanding medium-sized Faculty located in one of Canada’s most culturally vibrant cities. In May 2008, the Faculty of Music received a historic gift of $20 million from Dr. Marcel A. Desautels and his Foundation. $10 million will establish an unrestricted endowment fund in support of student awards and fellowships, and faculty research. The other $10 million is a contribution to a $50-million project to place the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music in state-of-the-art facilities by September 2010. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Edmund maintains an active career as a soloist and collaborative artist, and as a researcher on national schools of piano performance and pedagogy.

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CHORAL MASTERCLASS

DR. GAYLE H. MARTIN

In this Masterclass, Ms. Martin will work with Voce dell’Anima, a girls’ choir from Moncton, NB.

Gayle h. Martin is currently University Organist at Mount Alllison and is Assistant Professor in the Music Department, where she teaches organ performance, music history and choral conducting, directs the Elliott Chorale and Choral Society, and coaches an early music group, Opella Nova.

Martin’s passion for music, animals and nature began in the countryside where she grew up, the beautiful Green Mountain State of Vermont. She holds the following degrees: BMus. (Crane School of Music, SUNY, Potsdam); MMus. (McGill University); DMus. (University of Alberta). While studying organ in France, Martin was organist at the American Cathedral in Paris and lived in the cathedral tower. She received a premier prix à unanimité from the Conservatoire de Rueil Malmaison, studying under the tutelage of renowned organists Jean Langlais and Susan Landale. Martin has created three CDs. Celtic Impressions, recorded on the organ at the Mount Allison University Chapel, features a commissioned work by Edmonton composer Jacobus Kloppers, based on Scottish jigs, airs, strathspeys and marches; Air Races, a collaborative CD with piper Ian MacKinnon, was nominated for an East Coast Music Award. Air Races contains various Celtic tunes arranged by Martin. Prism, Martin's first solo CD, recorded on the newly restored organ at Trinity-St. Stephen’s in Amherst Nova Scotia, has music from the French symphonic era and music by Petr Eben. Gayle h. Martin accompanies various choral groups: the Université of Moncton choir, Chorale Beausejour, and Choeur Louisbourg, all under the direction of Monique Richard. She took part in the making of a Christmas album, Songs of the Stable: Christmas Music from Canada, with the Camerata Singers from Halifax under the direction of Jeff Joudrey. Recently, she accompanied the Cantabile Singers of Truro directed by Ross Thompson. Martin continues to perform solo recitals. Recent engagements include the Early Music Festival in Sackville, and a concert at Christ Church Parish Church in Fredericton. Gayle h. Martin and Rawlins Cross piper Ian MacKinnon continue to perform Celtic music as found on their CD Air Races. The duo was recently invited to play at the Moscow Music Festival in 2010.

VOCE DELL'ANIMA CHOIR (VOICES OF THE SOUL) The Voce dell'Anima choir was founded in 2007 by their director Monette Gould. The girls are between the ages of 13 and 30 years old. Only a few months after the founding of Voce dell’Anima, the choir was invited to sing a Christmas concert with soprano Wendy Nielsen and the NB Symphony Orchestra. They were also invited to be part of a documentary about the famous Acadian band known as 1755. Their first music festival experience in 2008 resulted in a win at the provincial level and a recommendation to the national level. They perform two full concerts every year, presenting a variety of music and styles, accompanied by instruments and set to choreography.

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PIANO MASTERCLASS

BOYANNA TOYICH

Two Piano Masterclasses will be presented, one for Intermediate students (repertoire Grades 6-9) and the other for Senior (Grade 10 or Associateship level). Masterclass participants are students of NB Registered Music Teachers.

Biography Classical pianist, teacher and internationally recognized motivational and inspirational speaker, Boyanna Toyich has been developing the talents of students, teachers and performing artists for over thirty years. She is the Founder, President and CEO of Toyich International Projects. As a graduate and faculty member of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music and the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), Boyanna Toyich has received numerous national and international scholarships and awards. Her post-graduate work includes studies in piano performance, pedagogy, and the psychology of teaching in France, Austria, and Italy. She is also an author and contributing editor for RCM publications and a Master class teacher. Boyanna Toyich has served as an ARCT (diploma) specialist with the RCM's College of Examiners and is an active international adjudicator, juror, lecturer and workshop clinician. In addition, she is a specialist in professional development courses for teachers and the architect of the Performing Skills Workshop (© Boyanna Toyich, 1983). She also conducts the Monster Concert pianists.

VOCAL MASTERCLASS

MONETTE GOULD

This Masterclass will feature singers of three different ages. Masterclass participants are students of NB Registered Music Teachers. Biography Soprano Monette Gould is an accomplished stage performer who has performed throughout Canada and is known for her sensitivity and musicality. After early vocal study and choral experience in the Moncton area, she studied in Toronto where she completed diplomas in vocal and opera performance from the Royal

Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto. While there, she appeared in several opera productions and continued to perform as a recitalist. In 1998, she appeared as Mimi in Opera New Brunswick’s production of Puccini’s La Bohème. Monette is celebrating 20 years of teaching this year and presently teaches vocal performance at Mount Allison University, Université de Moncton and also privately. With her years and experience in teaching, she regularly gives lectures on “How To Set Up A Studio.” She is the founder and conductor of the new female choir Voce dell’Anima. She is sought after and has developed quite a reputation as an adjudicator and clinician throughout the Maritimes. She is a member of NATS, MATS, NBRMTA, CFMTA and the CNAA.

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STRING MASTERCLASS

JASPER WOOD

Two String Masterclasses will be presented, one for Intermediate students, and the other for Senior students.

Masterclass participants are students of NB and PEI Registered Music Teachers.

Biography

Violinist Jasper Wood has established himself as one of Canada's top violinists. His "thrilling virtuosity" (The Strad) and "open luminous tones, seamless lines and impeccable technique" (Toronto Star) have charmed the ears and captured the hearts of music lovers everywhere.

Wood made his solo orchestral debut in 1987 with Symphony Nova Scotia under the baton of Georg Tintner. Since then he has established a flourishing reputation as a soloist through his frequent performances with many of North America's top orchestras including the Montreal, Toronto, Buffalo, Winnipeg, Victoria, Newfoundland, Bay Atlantic, and the Canadian Chamber Orchestra. Wood has also garnered acclaim for his dazzling performances as a recitalist and chamber musician which have taken him to major cities all over the world.

An avid supporter of new music, Wood has dedicated much of his recording time to include world premieres and to promote music that he feels deserves attention. His most recent CD, with pianist David Riley, was released in November 2007 on the Centrediscs label and contains the violin/piano works of Oskar Morawetz.

No stranger to television, he can be seen and heard regularly on the CBC, Bravo and the Knowledge Network. In 2007, Wood was featured in a one hour nationally broadcast documentary/performance film titled The Maritime Violin of Jasper Wood produced by Mozus Productions and Dream Street Pictures.

Jasper Wood holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music. His main teachers have been David and Linda Cerone, Oleh Krysa, and Philippe Djokic. An acclaimed competition winner, Wood has won numerous prizes and awards in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

He has also been awarded both the Sylva Gelber Award and the Virginia Parker Prize, two of the most distinguished prizes awarded by the Canada Council for the Arts. Today he is in demand as an adjudicator for many prestigious competitions across the nation.

Currently residing in Vancouver with his wife Grace and son Ryan, Wood is professor of violin at the University of British Columbia.

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DR. TERENCE DAWSON KEYBOARD DIVISION COORDINATOR, UBC Plays Well with Others: Collaborative Piano and the Developing Musician A discussion of the significant pedagogical benefits to young musicians from exposure to and exploration of the vast repertoire that falls under the umbrella of collaborative piano study. Piano duet, two-piano and ensemble playing, working with singers and instrumentalists: we focus on the transfer of the skills involved to solo playing and in cultivating musicianship. Biography British born, Canadian pianist Terence Dawson has firmly established himself as one of Vancouver's most active and respected musicians. His reputation as a solo pianist, chamber musician, orchestral pianist, dedicated teacher and

engaging lecturer has resulted in repeat invitations to both perform and conduct master classes from coast to coast across Canada, as well as in the USA, England and Asia.

He has appeared as concerto soloist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, The National Arts Centre Orchestra and has collaborated with numerous artists and ensembles across Canada. He has been a faculty member for The Vancouver International Song Institute and many summer programs for young musicians. Dawson served as principal pianist for the CBC Curio Ensemble, Artistic Director and pianist of Vancouver’s celebrated Masterpiece Chamber Music Series, and is frequently recorded both on CBC radio and on disc for Virgin Classics, Bravura Discs and Skylark labels. He was recently a featured musician for a CBC television documentary playing solo works of Brahms and Liszt. Dr. Dawson has served as a jury member for many competitions including the Canadian Music Competition, The Canada Council, The Vancouver Foundation, and for the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Associations National Convention.

After early studies with Janet Hammock, Jamie Syer and Lynn Johnson in Eastern Canada, his principal graduate studies were with Jane Coop. Dr. Dawson joined the UBC School of Music faculty in 1991. He is the school’s undergraduate Keyboard Division Coordinator and teaches piano, chamber music and collaborative studies.

MONETTE GOULD

Studio Management With 20 years of teaching under belt, Monette Gould is here to give you tips and suggestions on managing your studio, from being well-organized for a successful business to filing income-tax claims, purchasing studio insurance, dealing with difficult parents, formulating policy sheets, managing studio fees, cataloguing your music, lending your music without losing it, preparing for festivals and competitions, planning creative recitals, and more! Photo and Biography on Page 4

CFMTA - CANADA MUSIC WEEK PANEL Canada Music Week - Past, Present and Future

Join your colleagues for an hour of inspiring dialogue celebrating Canada Music Week - Past, Present and Future.

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MICHEL DESCHÊNES PERCUSSIONIST, B.MUS., TEACHER AT UNIVERSITÉ DE MONCTON

Hand Dance This workshop will concentrate on a hand dance method. It consists of an holistic approach that combines dancing, playing a frame drum and vocalizing. This work-shop is a hands on approach that allows the participants to better understand the link between dancing and playing. Biography Born in Caraquet, New Brunswick, Michel Deschênes teaches percussion at l’Université de Moncton and Mount Allison University. He is the founding member of the percussion quartet Amerythme, formed in 1989, and has completed numerous recordings and tours across Canada, France, Belgium and Morocco. Michel Deschênes has made frequent television appearances on CBC (East

Coast Music Awards), Radio-Canada and TV5. He has been active on the Canadian musical scene, with performances at the Festival international de Jazz de Montréal, the Canada Day Celebrations in Ottawa and the Festival d’été de Québec. Michel is also the leader of The Escola de Samba Acadia, a group of percussionists who play Brazilian-style Street Samba and are available for parades, demonstrations, and special events. One of his latest projects is a duo with soprano Lisa Roy entitled Voice and Rhythm of the Modern Age. Michel is a well-known studio musician, and composes music for films and documentaries.

DR. ERIN KEMPT CHIROPRACTOR AND ACTIVE RELEASE TECHNIQUES (ART®) PROVIDER Understanding Repetitive Strain Disorders in the Music Industry Repetitive Strain Disorders have increased by 200% since 1996. Join Dr. Erin Kempt as she explains these injuries and why they target musicians. She will discuss preventative measures as well as treatment options, including an explanation and demonstration of Active Release Techniques®, the gold standard treatment for Repetitive Strain Disorders.

Biography Dr. Erin Kempt graduated with an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick in 2000. She continued her education at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in Toronto, Ontario, graduating in 2004 as a Doctor of Chiropractic. Dr. Kempt practiced for two years in a multi-disciplinary health centre in Waterloo, Ontario alongside a team of medical specialists and was the chiropractor for the local synchronized swimming and gymnastic teams. She now practices in Truro and Halifax, N.S. Dr. Kempt is a Certified Acupuncturist through the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Therapeutics as well as a full-body certified Active Release Techniques (ART®) provider. She is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a Level I Gymnastics Coach through the Coaching Association of Canada. Dr. Kempt is an elected member of the Council of the Nova Scotia College of Chiropractors and sits on its Government Relations Committee. She is a member of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College Alumni Association and the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation. Dr. Kempt grew up in Amherst, N.S and was exposed to chiropractic at a young age as a competitive gymnast. She continues to lead an active lifestyle and loves running, skiing and sailing. She now resides in Fall River, N.S. with her husband, Michael.

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CAROL IRMA MULHERIN BROADWAY PRODUCTIONS Fund Raising for Charities in Your Studio Carol-Irma Mulherin presents a round table workshop on studio fund raising, suitable for teachers of all musical disciplines. Each year, Irma’s company, Broadway Productions, raises funds for the local food bank and Relay for Life. Workshop participants will discover that fund raising can be used as publicity, performance opportunity, practice incentive, and so much more! Irma will share many ideas that have helped her to succeed and to develop a strong rapport with students, parents, and the community. See page 10 for other workshop description.

Biography Born and raised in the rural community known as “Downshore” on the coastline of Bathurst, New Brunswick, Irma is said to have been a musician before she could even walk. Encouraged by her parents, she soon became involved in many musical activities, including church choir, musicals, school bands, drama club, and other community productions. An accomplished mezzo-soprano, Irma holds a Bachelor of music degree from Mount Allison University and a Bachelor of Education from UNB. She has worked extensively throughout the Maritimes as a professional musician, singer and musical director, and is equally comfortable in classical and popular voice. Ms. Mulherin now resides in Grand Falls with her husband, Scott, and their two young children. The couple owns a theatre company and music studio, Broadway Productions, where Irma teaches piano, voice and Music for Young Children to over 70 students. The studio also boasts two all-girl choirs, Adagio Youth Singers and Dynamic Children’s Choir, and hosts an annual musical theatre camp in June. Irma is the playwright of many dinner theatre scripts. She recently won first place in a script writing competition. Each year, her dinner theatres appear in Bathurst, Oromocto and Grand Falls, and two of her shows will enjoy an extended run in Fort McMurray, Alberta throughout 2009. In January, Irma received the first Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, presented by the Victoria Madawaska-South CBDC. She is actively involved with the Victoria Country Music Festival as secretary and program/syllabus coordinator, and is also a council member for the New Brunswick Registered Music Teachers’ Association.

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MUSIC FOR YOUNG CHILDREN FRANCES BALODIS, FOUNDER

Clues for Composition Turn composition into a construction project with “clues!” From finding a theme, to final completion of the composition, it will be a fun “building” adventure – easy to understand and feel success. This approach also helps students analyze music they are studying. See page 16 for other workshop description. Biography Frances Mae Balodis MEd., ARCT, LCCM(Hon), LCNCM(Hon), RMT, MYCC, is the Originator and International Director of Music for Young Children. She also holds an honorary Licentiate from Conservatory Canada and in 2001, was awarded the

Avon Woman of Inspiration Award for Arts and Culture. As an early childhood and remedial specialist, Balodis taught music for years. In 1980, realizing that there was a lack of significant Canadian beginner methods, she created her own system, Music for Young Children. With her husband Gunars Balodis as business manager, MYC quickly became a nationally recognized method of music instruction. Music for Young Children is a system of teaching music to beginners between the ages of three and eight. It is a keyboard-based method that includes singing, solfege, rhythm, ear training, sight reading, theory, music history and composition. Weekly group lessons include both the parent and the child. Successful completion of the program requires the student to take Grade One piano and preliminary rudiments theory examinations with a recognized conservatory.

JUDITH SNOWDON PIANO TEACHER, COMPOSER, CHURCH MUSICIAN Do We Need to Play What is on the Page? Do we need to play the same Clementi Sonatinas, Bach Minuets, or Czerny Studies? Do we even need to play what is on the page? The shape of music is changing, and as educators, are we able to negotiate these changes? Can we help our students to be technically sound, but still creatively engaged? Biography Judith Snowdon was born in England and moved to Canada at the age of six. She has lived in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and most recently, New Brunswick. She taught herself to play the piano as a child and only completed her formal music education as an adult. She is the recipient of ARCTs from

The Royal Conservatory of Music in both Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy. She completed her formal composition studies at Canadian Mennonite University (Bachelor of Church Music) and the University of Winnipeg (Gold Medalist – Bachelor of Arts, Music). An award winning composer and accomplished church musician, Judith also teaches privately in Moncton, NB, and from her home near Bouctouche, NB. She has maintained a successful private studio for over twenty years and especially enjoys helping her students to be creative, to play in many different styles, and to compose. Judith has works published through Canadian International Music, Frederick Harris Music Publishing, The United Church of Canada, Waterloo Music, Shawnee Press and Mayfair Montgomery Publishing. She has studied with composers Linda Schwartz, Bruce Carlson and Richard Gibson. She currently lives near the ocean in Bouctouche, New Brunswick with her husband, Tom.

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LORNA WANZEL MUSIC EDUCATOR AND RESEARCHER Independent Teachers and Collaborative Research Lorna Wanzel will share how five independent music teachers from Nova Scotia formed the Independent Music Teachers’ Research Group and completed their first project, “Motivation and Retention of Students in the Independent Music Studio.” Biography Lorna Wanzel has over 35 years of experience teaching piano and theory skills from the beginner to advanced levels. She has her Teacher’s ARCT and MA.Ed. and is currently completing an Ed.D. The topic of her thesis is “Collaborative research on student motivation and retention: independent music teachers

building professional knowledge.” She is an experienced examiner, clinician and adjudicator and has recently presented research papers at the Australian Association for Research in Education Conference in Adelaide, Australia and the International Society for Music Education, Research Commission, in Porto, Portugal. She also gave a poster presentation at the 2008 ISME International Conference in Bologna, Italy. She currently has a very busy teaching studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia and is the President of the NSRMTA.

DR. ELIZABETH WELLS PH.D., HEAD OF MUSIC, MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY Women’s Role in Music History This session explores the many roles women have played in music and music making throughout history, and assesses how women's music and musical experience can be included in music education. Biography Elizabeth A. Wells earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto with a concentration in History and Literature of Music and completed her doctorate in musicology at the Eastman School of Music. Her dissertation, entitled West Side Story(s): Perspectives on a Great American Musical, was supported by the Presser Foundation, the Elsa T. Johnson Dissertation Fellowship Susan B. Anthony Institute

for Gender and Women’s Studies, and the AMS-50 Dissertation Fellowship and is forthcoming as a book from Scarecrow Press. She is now Associate Professor and Head of the music department at Mount Allison University in Sackville New Brunswick Canada, and has taught music history at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania, the State University of New York at Geneseo, and the Eastman School of Music. She has won the Crake Teaching Award, the Tucker Teaching Award, and the Association of Atlantic Universities’ Distinguished Teacher award. Her research interests include 20th Century music, opera, musical theatre, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

CAROL IRMA MULHERIN BROADWAY PRODUCTIONS Improvisational games to use for singers of all ages Carol Irma Mulherin of Broadway Productions presents improvisation games and theatre ideas, suitable for individual or group lessons with singers of all ages. Learn to break down the barriers of interpretation through the use of drama, and teach students what you mean when you say “Give me more”. The workshop will focus on facial and spoken interpretation of the text, with the addition of physical movement. Photo and Biography on page 8

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DR. CAROLINE SCHILLER Associate Professor of Voice and Director of Opera at Memorial University of Newfoundland “I can’t sing that” and other Myths from the Voice Studio

This session will explore issues relevant to the teaching of today’s voice student and offer creative strategies for the contemporary voice teacher.

Biography Caroline Schiller has performed extensively in opera, musical theatre and concert repertoire including performances in the role of Christine in the original Toronto cast of Phantom of the Opera. Highlights include performances with the Montreal Symphony and the Boston Symphony Chamber Players. Praised for her commitment to the performance of

contemporary repertoire, she has participated in the creation and performance of contemporary opera, theatre and concert works with companies that include The Banff Centre, The Tanglewood Music Center, The Indian River Festival and The Charlottetown Summer Festival. In addition, her Doctoral thesis entitled A Performer’s Guide to Works for Soprano Voice by Canadian Women Composers provides a practical resource for the contemporary singer. Most recent projects include the Canadian premiere of John Harbison’s Milosz Songs for piano and voice at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, recital presentation of American contemporary repertoire for the 2008 National Teachers of Singing Conference in Nashville, TN and a recording of eighteenth-century cantatas with Hungary’s Capella Savaria, conducted by Mary Térey-Smith. Caroline Schiller is Associate Professor of Voice and Director of the Opera at Memorial University of Newfoundland and holds degrees from Mount Allison University (BMus), New England Conservatory (MMUS Performance/Opera) and Florida State University (DMA Performance).

ROYAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC PENELOPE DALE, DIPLÔME D’ÉTUDES SUPÉRIÈURES, RCM EXAMINER Vocal Workshop: Performance/Lecture and Mock Exam

In this session, workshop leader Penelope Dale will present a short concert of some of the repertoire found in the Royal Conservatory of Music Voice Syllabus. This will be followed by a brief presentation on examiner expectations, and tips on how to successfully prepare for vocal exams. Finally, a mock vocal examination (junior grade level) will conclude the workshop. Biography Penelope Dale holds a diplôme d’études supérièures, and a concours à l’unanimité du jury in vocal performance from the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec à Montréal, as well as a Diploma in Education (Music Specialist) from McGill University. Ms. Dale was a compiler of The Royal Conservatory of Music

Voice Syllabus, 2005 Edition, and the Voice Repertoire Series, Third Edition. She has been a member of the College of Examiners of The Royal Conservatory of Music since 2005. Penelope Dale has received many awards, including first prize at the CIBC National Music Festival. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators’ Association (CMFAA), the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ORMTA).

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ADVENTUS JAMES MULLEN, PRESIDENT JENNIFER VAN GENNIP, CURRICULUM DEVELOPER The Symmetry of the Grand Staff: Exploring an Emerging Pedagogy and Children's Music Journey This workshop will give insight into a new, more intuitive way of teaching note reading to young students and introduce some teaching tools using this method, including the exciting interactive software program, Children's Music Journey.

Biographies A student of the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, James was one of ten siblings who each completed their Grade VIII RCM. He graduated from Saint Mary’s University in 1985 with a BSc, and in 1988 graduated from the University of Waterloo’s Electrical Engineering program. After two years working for Hewlett Packard, James returned to NS with his young family to teach electronics at the NSCC in Bridgewater, NS. James spent seven years teaching electronics before leaving to found Adventus, which went on to develop some of the world’s leading interactive music learning tools, including Piano Suite, Ear Training Coach, and Children’s Music Journey. Jennifer van Gennip has been teaching private and group piano classes for thirteen years. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree with Honors in Piano Performance from the University of Western Ontario. During her studies, Jennifer represented New Brunswick at the National Music Festival in Calgary in 2001, and at the CFMTA’s biennial Piano Competition in St. John’s, NF in 2003. After graduating, she joined the Piano Faculty at the Merriam Music Centre in Oakville, Ontario, teaching private and group piano classes and preschool music classes, and helping with curriculum development. In 2007, shortly after moving to Halifax, NS, Jennifer helped pilot the MusIQ Club enriched after-school program as a teacher, and began developing the curriculum, lesson plans, and teacher resources that are being used in MusIQ Clubs around North America. While in Halifax she also maintained a successful private studio, and began adjudicating.

Mrs. van Gennip now lives in Barrie, ON with her husband and three children, where she is a MusIQ Club Program Director. .

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ALFRED PUBLISHING ROBERT VANDALL

Celebrating Jazzy Styles Robert Vandall has extensive experience in writing and teaching in the jazz genre. Students are always motivated by playing appealing music in styles such as jazz, blues, boogie and ragtime. This session will explore how these styles can enhance musical understanding and reinforce theoretical concepts. Developing Lyrical and Virtuosic Playing Mr. Vandall holds a Master of Music in piano performance and is well-versed in all styles of playing. The complete pianist is one who can balance the nuance needed to perform lyrical pieces with the virtuosity required to play “showstoppers.” Learn techniques—coupled with appropriate repertoire—to

effectively develop both of these aspects in student performances. The More the Merrier: Preparing Four to Six Hands for One Piano Best-known for his ensemble writing, Robert Vandall regularly performs duets with his wife, Karen. Piano ensembles can teach essential performance skills. Learn valuable strategies for developing rhythmic precision, creating congruent phrasing and articulation, adjusting balance, and developing matching stylistic and emotional interpretation in piano ensembles.

Biography Robert D. Vandall has published more than 400 works for piano, of which more than 100 are for two or more players. Many were originally published by Myklas Music Press, which is now owned by Alfred Publishing. Mr. Vandall's compositions are featured on numerous piano organization required lists, as well as in the National Federation of Music Clubs Festivals Bulletin (U.S. edition). As a clinician, he has appeared frequently at the Music Teachers National Convention (MTNA) and numerous U.S. state conventions. Mr. Vandall’s teaching experience is extensive, having taught group piano, music theory, music literature, and choral ensembles. He was a faculty member of the International Workshops in Biarritz, France and was the featured clinician as "Composer of the Year" for the Goshen College (Indiana) Piano Workshop. Previous music faculty posts include Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois and Mineral Area College, in Flat River, Missouri. Mr. Vandall holds a B.M. in Piano Performance from Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio and a M.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Illinois. He and his wife, Karen, operate a thriving independent piano studio in New Philadelphia, Ohio and are often featured duet performers at music teacher events.

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CANADIAN MUSIC CENTRE SHAWN BOSTICK, ATLANTIC REGIONAL DIRECTOR MARTIN KUTNOWSKI, ASSOCIATE MEMBER

Piano Pieces for Children by Martin Kutnowski This workshop will be a Performance-Panel, moderated by Shawn Bostick. Panelists will be Martin Kutnowski and members of the Fredericton Music Teachers’ Association. This pedagogic presentation showcases excerpts from Echoes, Pictures, Riddles and Tales (FJH, 2005), Watercolors for Ten Fingers (FJH, 2007) and Contemporary Collage, vols. 1-3 (FJH, 2007-2009). Young students will perform selections from these piano miniatures modeled in the tradition of the nineteenth-century character piece; these performances will serve as a springboard for participants to discuss the objectives of the material (the development of a specific mechanical technique, nuances of interpretation, aspects of musical literacy and so on) and the success—or not—of their pedagogic application.

Biographies Martín Kutnowski is a contemporary composer with firm roots in the tonal idiom. His pieces, ranging from solo instrument to orchestra, have been performed in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He has been affiliated with ASCAP as composer and publisher since 1996 and with the Canadian Music Centre (Atlantic Region) since 2008. Currently Director of the Fine Arts Program at STU in Fredericton, Kutnowski previously taught music at City University of New York (1996-2005), The Aspen Music Festival (1997-1999), and Conservatorio Manuel de Falla of Buenos Aires, Argentina (1991-1995). He has also lectured in England, Spain, Estonia, Mexico, and China.

Shawn Bostick is the Atlantic Regional Director of the Canadian Music Centre, a national non-profit organization which promotes the appreciation and performance of Canadian music and an awareness of Canadian composers. Shawn obtained his Bachelor of Music (percussion) from Mount Allison University (’97) and his Diploma in Jazz Studies from St. Francis Xavier University (’99). Shawn established the Bostick School of Music with his wife, Tanya (piano, Music for Young Children), where he currently teaches. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society, the Canadian Music Educators’ Association, the Nova Scotia Music Educators’ Association, and the Sackville Music Teachers’ Association. Shawn has performed in a wide variety of genres, both as ensemble performer and soloist.

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CONSERVATORY CANADA DAVID STORY, B. MUS., ARCT, R.M.T. EXAMINER, JAZZ PIANIST

Riffs, Rags and Rhumbas

Don't miss this introduction to Conservatory Canada's exciting new Contemporary Idioms program. Each component of the exam will be outlined and demonstrated, with tips on how to get started. The session will offer many new approaches for the classical piano teacher, beginning with a general overview of the program and continuing with ideas for the teaching of improvisation, the Swing genre, stylistic awareness, and listening skills. Other important aspects of the program, such as learning materials, student preparation and teacher support, will also be discussed. Teachers are calling this program “visionary,” “timely,” and a “real pupil saver.” Come out and learn why!

Biography

David Story holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging (cum laude) from the Berklee College of Music in Boston and has completed an ARCT in piano education, with 1st class honours. He has been the recipient of many awards, including the Adelmo Melecci Scholarship, the Gordon Hallett Scholarship from the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto), and a Hamilton ORMTA Scholarship. David has also studied with Leon Karan, Bernie Senensky, Dr. Janet Lopinski, the late Mr. Kaji Aso, Francine McIsaac, and the late professor emeritus Dr. Hugo Norden. Free Jazz studies with Victor Bateman in Toronto led to performances with Glen Hall and redShift, a creative free jazz performing unit in Toronto, and other free jazz performances with Jason Hammer, Michael Morse, Alan Molnar, and members of AIMT (Association of Improvising Musicians Toronto). David currently performs as part of the new music trio, The PoetiKs, alongside poet Nancy Bullis and bassist Michael Morse. David has taught piano and keyboards successfully for 24 years in the Hamilton/Burlington area, and is semi-retired from a colourful three-decade career in the entertainment industry as a jazz pianist, composer, band leader, producer, copyist, and agent. As a music copyist, David worked for the CBC, the Canadian Music Centre, and many other organizations. He has led two award-winning and innovative teenage musical ensembles: The Canadian Youth Synthesizer Orchestra in the late 1980s, and currently, the Westdale High School Senior Jazz Band. Many former students have gone on to successful careers in the arts.

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KARLA DAWE B.MUS., M.MUS. (WESTERN ONTARIO); INSTRUCTOR Old Wine in New Wine Skins

Dominick Argento's only published organ work: A Prelude to Easter Dawning.

Internationally recognized composer Dominick Argento, admittedly a traditionalist, with "melody and lyricism" as his beacons, has used one of his favourite hymn tunes 'Ellacombe' in a contemporary setting. This is Argento's only published work for organ, and it reveals to teachers and performers innovative techniques that breathe new life into older and more traditional material.

Biography Karla Dawe’s career includes a broad range of experience as music educator, adjudicator, administrator, and performer. She holds B. Mus (Honours Mus. Ed.) and M. Mus (Solo Performance and Literature - organ) degrees from the University of Western Ontario. Karla is an Instructor at the University of Manitoba’s Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music. She has also taught music in the public schools, and has coordinated the theory program and taught piano at the Courtenay Youth Music Centre on Vancouver Island. Karla has a keen interest in piano pedagogy and has operated a private studio for over two decades. She enjoys working with students of all ages and abilities. In addition to her private teaching activities, she is a frequent adjudicator at music festivals, has served as an examiner for the Mount Allison Local Centre Examinations in Music, and was organist/choir director at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Sackville, NB, prior to moving to Winnipeg in 2007.

MUSIC FOR YOUNG CHILDREN FRANCES BALODIS, FOUNDER Fun, Fingers and Facts on Technique for Beginners Technique for young students needs to be interesting, meaningful and effective. This workshop will offer hands-on tips and pointers to strengthen the fingers, learn techniques, and efficiently learn the keys and skills required to enhance piano playing. Fingers, fun and facts! Photo and Biography on Page 9

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MAYFAIR MONTGOMERY MUSIC DEBRA WANLESS Let’s Begin: Understanding Learning Styles and the Beginner Teaching beginners is rewarding, inspiring and challenging. Understanding how that child learns creates a successful and energizing situation. However, it can take many lessons to understand whether he/she is visual, auditory, kinetic or tactile learner. Let’s Begin assists you with selecting appropriate materials that can otherwise be quite “hit or miss.” Improving Your Improv from the Inside Out Students can easily become proficient in transposition, harmonization, improvisation, and vocalization—and in just minutes at each lesson.

Where does one start? How does the teacher develop ongoing programming? Why are some students more successful? How can the student develop playing by ear? How does the teacher tap into individual learning styles? This workshop leads you through simple and thorough approaches to developing keyboard skills. Biography Debra Wanless is an adjudicator, studio teacher, editor, examiner, music publisher, and composer. She holds an Associate of Music in piano pedagogy with Western Ontario Conservatory of Music [Conservatory Canada], a Licentiate in piano pedagogy with Canadian National Conservatory of Music. She has also completed post graduate studies in piano performance, theory and piano ensemble. A well-known pedagogy specialist, Debra is principal of the Canadian National Conservatory of Music and founder of the Piano Pedagogy Symposium, Summer Sizzle. She has served at the local and provincial levels of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association. Founder of the North Wellington Camerata Canada Music Week Festival, she has also worked for many years with the Midwestern Ontario Rotary Music Festival. Her piano solos and ensembles have been selected for inclusion in the New Millennium, Northern Lights, Making Tracks, and Canadian Contemporary series, and reviewed in Clavier Magazine. She edits, revises and writes new material for the Fletcher piano course, Lawless Theory (Mayfair Music) and arranges pop music for the ProMusic Company in California. Some of her most recent books/materials include Rhythm Workbooks, Elementary Harmony and Melody Writing, Let’s Begin, 101 Children’s Pieces, A Jazzy Day, Midnight Jazz, Classy Piano Pieces, Boogie and Jazz Piano Styles, Groovin’ and What a Wonderful World. Debra’s pedagogy materials and compositions are used and performed globally.

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RED LEAF PIANOWORKS Fresh and Imaginative Repertoire designed to Teach, Motivate and Inspire Red Leaf Pianoworks is NEW on the Canadian music scene. You can find fresh and original solo and ensemble piano repertoire, designed to teach, motivate and inspire. Experience the excitement of this new music source while discovering the secret tips and tools these composers use when teaching their own students. RedLeafPianoworks.com is a living composer’s collective that provides a web source for teachers and performers to quickly access exciting new piano repertoire. Composers Martha Hill Duncan, Susan Griesdale, Beverly Porter and Rebekah Maxner have joined together to offer a broad range of their new piano works from early beginner to advanced with solos and ensemble works available. Their presentation introduces the Red Leaf repertoire while exposing compositional techniques and highlighting the pedagogical benefits contained within the music. As both composers and experienced piano teachers, Red Leaf offers a knowledgeable and inspirational perspective on the study of contemporary piano repertoire. All Red Leaf repertoire is available for exploration and purchase online or at their presentations.

MARTHA HILL DUNCAN graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied composition with Donald Grantham and piano with Gregory Allen, Danielle Martin and Errol Haun. Other influential teachers include Trudi Borden and Sam Dolin. She is an award-winning composer of choral and vocal music, and has recently published a two volume collection for developing singers entitled, Singing in the Northland, A Celebration of Canadian Poetry. Two of her piano collections, Isla Vista Suite and The Sunken Garden appear in the RCM Piano Syllabus. She is a piano examiner for the Royal Conservatory and President of the ORMTA Branch in Kingston, Ontario, where she maintains a private piano studio and directs the women’s

choir, She Sings!

SUSAN GRIESDALE, Composer, Piano Teacher, and President of ORMTA, Central Toronto Branch, earned her ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She studied Composition and Theory with omposers Michael J. Rudman and Julian Mihran. She has four piano collections published by Oceanna Music including Little Hands, Big Pieces, Let’s Pretend, Piano Mime and Out of the Box. Other piano compositions are included in the Northern Lights series of the Canadian National Conservatory of Music. Two of her piano pieces from Piano Mime appear in the new 2008 RCM Piano Syllabus and Let’s Pretend selections are listed in the ACNMP Contemporary Showcase syllabus. Susan conducts Composition Masterclasses for teachers in

BEVERLY PORTER, piano teacher and composer, is a graduate of the Queen’s University School of Music, where she majored in voice and composition. She also has pedagogy diplomas from the Royal Conservatory and London’s Trinity College. She enjoys working with singers and is presently the accompanist for the women's choir She Sings! Folksongs for Fancy Fingers is published by Oceanna Music and other piano compositions are included in collections published by the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association, Conservatory Canada, and the Northern Lights series of the Canadian National Conservatory of Music. REBEKAH MAXNER has an independent piano studio in Hantsport, Nova Scotia, where she lives with her husband and children. She attended Acadia University ('95) where she studied piano with John Hansen, and completed her music degree with a major in composition under Owen Stephens. Rebekah is the Vice President of the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers' Association. She edits the NSRMTA's Arabesque provincial newsletter and has recently contributed to the Keyboard Companion magazine. She is frequently invited to give workshops throughout the

Maritime Provinces, and her compositions have been published in several collections of Canadian works. The Color Collection, her newest volume of piano music, is being enthusiastically received.

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ROYAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC MARIA CASE, ARCT (PERFORMANCE), B. MUS (COMPOSITION), CHIEF EXAMINER

If it’s not Classical, it’s…

Beginning in 2009 candidates and teachers are able to participate in a new certificate program. Offering an alternative to the classical program, the new Syllabus will include a variety of repertoire, including piano arrangements of movie themes, musical theatre, rock and pop hits and jazz favourites. Students participating in the new certificate program will still be able to incorporate repertoire from the classical program. You can find more information on the new certificate program in upcoming issues of Music Matters and via the RCM Examinations website.

New Beginnings: Preparatory A & B This presentation introduces Preparatory A&B from the Piano Syllabus, 2008 Edition, which replaces the current Introductory Grade. Teachers will be given an overview of how this new approach helps prepare beginning piano students for examinations.

Biography Maria Case holds an ARCT in performance and a B. Mus. in Composition from the University of Toronto. Other studies include conducting, graduate studies in literature, and jazz studies at Berklee College. She maintains a busy private studio, and is active as an examiner, adjudicator and a lecturer on piano and theory pedagogy. In September of 2007, she was appointed Chief Examiner of Theoretical Subjects for the Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations. She has been the Music Director of Glebe Road United Church since 1991 and the Music Director of The Annex Singers since 2005. Recent compositions include In Winter, O Living Flame, The World's Desire, and the song cycles Empty Wake, Nightsongs, and Gallery as well as several opera libretti.

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DR. STEPHEN RUNGE PIANIST AND ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY A Holistic Approach: Using the Whole Body in Piano Playing In this session, Dr. Stephen Runge will go beyond concentrating on the fingers to explore how to make use of the entire body when playing the piano, resulting in a healthy technique suitable to the entire range of piano repertoire.

Biography Pianist Stephen Runge has been heard across Canada in recital, as a chamber musician, and with orchestra and is in demand across the country as teacher, adjudicator, and clinician. Stephen came to national attention in 1999 when he was awarded first prize in the piano category of the National Music Festival. Since then he has been the recipient of several important awards, including prizes at the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, the International Stepping Stone of the Canadian Music Competition, the C.F.M.T.A. National Piano Competition, the Roberto and Mary Wood Competition, the Shean Piano Competition, and the B.C. Young Artists’ Piano Competition. Dr. Runge enjoys performing lesser known repertoire and new works. In 2000, he gave the Canadian premiere of Lowell Liebermann's Piano Concerto No.2 with the Regina Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and the University of Victoria Orchestra. Dr. Runge has been broadcast nationally on CBC Radio Two and La Chaîne Culturelle de Radio-Canada. He has received special recognition for his frequent performances as chamber musician and art song collaborator. In the summer of 2005 he attended the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts as a Fellow where he performed in a variety of chamber and orchestral concerts. He was joined by flutist Nadia Kyne on a tour of Atlantic Canada in fall 2008. Born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Dr. Runge studied with Janice Elliott-Denike before completing a Bachelor of Music degree with a major in Piano Performance at the University of Victoria where he was a student of Dr. Robin Wood. Upon graduation from the University of Victoria, he was awarded the Victoria Medal and the Governor General's Silver Medal as the top undergraduate student in his class. He completed a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at l'Université de Montréal and an Artist Diploma at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto under the direction of Marc Durand. He has also studied at the Banff Centre for the Arts with Julian Martin of the Juilliard School, and has performed in master classes for Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, Andre Laplante, and John Perry. Stephen Runge completed his Doctorate of Music at l'Université de Montréal in April 2007. He is currently Assistant Professor of Piano at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick.

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DR. MILTON SCHLOSSER UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA PROFESSOR AND PIANIST Minding Performance: Neuroscience, Digital Cameras, and the Pianist Dr. Schlosser will discuss how the successful use of digital video cameras by pianists and piano teachers necessitates an understanding of how the brain responds to the viewing of a poor performance. Reflecting his collaboration with Dr. Hap Davis, neuroscientist and sport psychologist to Canada’s Olympic Swim Team, Schlosser proposes how pianists are able to efficiently transform failures into successes.

Biography Milton Schlosser is an award-winning professor and pianist at the University of Alberta. As a recording artist, he has been described as a pianist who "proves himself to be as sympathetic an accompanist as he is a stylish and feeling soloist" (The Vancouver Sun). Receiving university-wide recognition in 2007, he was awarded a prestigious McCalla Professorship for his significant contributions to research, teaching, and learning. Schlosser performs in live concerts, in CBC-broadcast performances, and has recorded three CDs. He holds Master and Doctor of Music degrees in piano performance from the University of Alberta, where he studied piano with Robert Stangeland and Stéphane Lemelin. He has won scholarships and awards which have facilitated further studies in Salzburg, Banff, Brussels, and New York with pianists Hans Graf, Claude Frank, and Madeline Bruser, and composer Frederic Rzewski. Currently, Schlosser is engaged in three innovative research projects funded through University of Alberta awards: a world première iTunes release of a work written for him by Rzewski, a project to develop methods in the use of digital video recordings by pianists and piano teachers drawn from neuroscience research, and the creation of an “online music practice log” for use by students and professional musicians to maximize experiential learning.

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LOWELL WOOD PIANO TUNER, TECHNICIAN AND REBUILDER Pianos – From Touch to Tone Discover secrets about your piano. Learn why some pianos “feel” so natural to play, why tone changes, how dampers and pedals interact. Both uprights and grands will be demonstrated. This is an opportunity to ask questions and get answers – a hands on class that will help you understand more about the relationship between touch, tone and piano technique - about caring for and improving your own instrument.

Biography Lowell Wood, concert piano tuner, technician, and rebuilder, acquired his training and experience through a Bachelor of Arts degree in music at Mount Allison University. He apprenticed in piano tuning under Ted Sambell, a highly recognized tuner/technician, in London, Ontario. He has visited the piano factories of Bösendorfer in Vienna, Austria, Steinway & Sons in New York, Mason & Hamlin in Massachusetts and Yamaha International Corporation in Japan. He has attended numerous Piano Technician Guild conventions and seminars. Through international musical instrument trade shows in California and Frankfurt, Germany, he has had exposure to the world’s leading piano manufacturers. Wood’s career background includes chief tuner/technician for Mount Allison University since 1965 and Université de Moncton since 1968. From 1991-2005 he owned and managed New Brunswick’s largest piano dealership representing Yamaha Canada Music Ltd. His skills are often in demand by top concert pianists performing in the Maritime Provinces. Currently, he continues maintaining pianos at the university music departments as well as servicing a large customer base of primarily grand piano owners. Wood operates a “state of the art” grand piano rebuilding facility where he specializes in vintage Steinway restorations and upgrades on many other pianos.