SoM Team

Sarah is the Founder and Chair of the Sarah McLachlan School of Music. Over her celebrated music career, she has sold over forty million albums, received three Grammy Awards, twelve Juno Awards and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In addition to her personal artistic efforts, Sarah founded the Lilith Fair tour, which showcased female musicians and brought together more than two million people over its three-year run. Lilith Fair raised over $7 million for local and national charities and helped launch the careers of numerous female performers. For her contributions to the community, Sarah has received recognition including the Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals, as well as honorary doctorate degrees from Capilano University, Simon Fraser University, the University of Alberta, and Emily Carr University. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Member of the Order of British Columbia. As the key visionary, Sarah brings an enthusiasm and passion to every facet of the School of Music and she has an active presence as an advocate for the profound potential of music education to empower, motivate, and transform lives.

Sue has over forty-five years of experience in the non-profit sector, both as a professional volunteer and an employee. Sue’s expertise includes strong organizational skills, passion, and the ability to inspire and motivate staff and volunteers to achieve tangible results. For the past ten years, Sue has focused on governance and the restructuring of not for profits. She believes in the ability of not-for-profits to increase their capacity through organizational structure and a healthy workplace. Before this, Sue was Executive Director of Family Services of the North Shore. On her retirement, a fund was established in her name to support prevention and intervention services for women and children who are victims of violence. Sue is also a Board member of Wolverton Foundation and President of her Strata Council.

David is one of the few creative directors in Canada with experience in all agency disciplines: media, account management and creative. Over the course of his career, he has written and produced over 500 commercials and corporate films, including creative work for clients like Labatt’s Breweries, Goldcorp, Rio Tinto, Vancouver Playhouse, Grouse Mountain, President’s Choice, Sunlight, Rugby Canada, and Knowledge Network. He also created the motto and thematic campaign for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, and was the Director of ‘The Gathering’, an award-winning documentary on the Aboriginal participation in the Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Games.

David’s work has been awarded at international advertising shows including Cannes, Clios, London International, Hollywoods, Marketing and the Bessies, as well as four golds at the Cassies, the Canadian awards for advertising effectiveness. David is a former Instructor at the Institute of Communication and Advertising, where he taught for 20 years. He is also a former Director of the National Advertising Benevolent Society (NABS) West, and Past-President of the Advertising Agency Association of British Columbia (AAABC).

Jane has over twenty-five years of experience in the entertainment industry working alongside music mogul Sam Feldman and his associated companies. Throughout her career at A&F Music, she has worked in such areas as music supervision, film and television production, music publishing, touring, and artist management. For the past fifteen years she has focused on artist management, working closely with renowned artists such as Sarah McLachlan and James Taylor. Her work in artist management has taken her to various countries around the world, and has involved many special projects, including artist residencies in Las Vegas, cross-Atlantic artist performances on the Queen Mary 2, world-wide concert tours, international press and promotional tours for album releases, and a groundbreaking Audible Original production.

Jen has over 20 years of experience as a securities lawyer at national law firm Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, having moved to Vancouver from Toronto in 2012 to open its Vancouver office, the firm’s first venture outside of Ontario. She is ranked amongst the best lawyers in Canada and has received industry awards for being a top lawyer under 40 as well as for mid-career excellence. Jen is Co-Chair of the firm’s Mining Group and a past member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Corporate Responsibility Committee. Jen also sits on the board of a public mining company and has been Co-Chair of the Daffodil Ball in support of the Canadian Cancer Society for 10 years.

Aisha McCarnan is an upcoming singer, songwriter and poet from Vancouver Canada. Aisha was born in Philadelphia U.S, raised in Vancouver Canada with a Nigerian background. By the age of ten Aisha was already singing, writing and performing. Her genres include R&B, Rap, Soul with touches of jazz & poetic rap. Her passion for music only continues to grow as she hopes to share it with the world. Aisha goes by the artist name AHSIA as a solo artist. She has performed in many different places including the Queen Elizabeth Theatre opening for the successful male vocal group The Tenors. She has also found ways to show her talents in anti oppression and black empowerment movements, including performing at protests throughout the lower mainland.

To contact Aisha, please email: aisha@sarahschoolofmusic.com or call 604-709-4415 ext 0

Alan Ruiz is a Colombian musician whose style has been influenced by different genres such as Jazz, Classical, Latin and Rock. Alan started his musical journey at age 10 when he found an abandoned guitar at his grandparents house. In 2012, he decided to start a career in music abroad and moved to Vancouver B.C. where he studied Classical guitar and Jazz and contemporary guitar at VCC School of music. In 2020, he joined the SAE institute and graduated from the Audio Engineering and Music Production program.

He is highly involved in the local music community as a producer, session player (guitar, bass, Colombian tiple), and music teacher. He has performed in different venues and festivals in Canada, United States and Mexico with multiple artists such as John Welsh y los valientes, Adonis Puentes, Ahsia, Mikkihella, Los duendes, Myles Bigelow and more.

To contact Alan, please email: aruiz@sarahschoolofmusic.com

A truly well-rounded musician, Alison is equally at home performing on stage, recording in the studio, or writing music and lyrics on her laptop. She has played music in BC, across Canada, and internationally. She has twice been nominated for a Jessie Award (Vancouver’s professional theatre awards), and plays many instruments, including accordion, clarinet, banjo, bass, tin whistle, trumpet and piano. Alison has also been a prolific songwriter for many years, and hopes to record an album of her own material soon. Bands include: Zeellia, The Flying Folk Army, The Rogue Crows, and Something About Reptiles. When she’s not teaching at SOM, you can often find Alison onstage in professional theatre productions in Vancouver and Saskatoon, playing old-time music at the Richmond Country Farms pumpkin patch in the fall, or leading tours with Forbidden Vancouver’s Lost Souls Of Gastown tour.

To contact Alison, please email: ajenkins@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Andrea Unrau is a musician, educator and researcher with 15 years of teaching experience and a passion for bringing high quality arts education to children and adults of all ages and abilities. With a background in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, Andrea spent 5 years studying early musical development in children and the many cognitive and social benefits of music education. Her goal is to find creative methods to share musical joy with young people with unique learning needs. Andrea is also an active keyboardist, collaborative pianist and vocalist, performing regularly around Vancouver and Western Canada. http://www.unlockingmusic.ca

To contact Andrea, please email aunrau@sarahschoolofmusic.com or call 604-709-4415 ext 5

Hailing from Quesnel BC, Erin Sutton is a classically trained soprano, and has her Bachelors of Applied Music degree from Vancouver Community College. Since coming to Vancouver, Erin has performed extensively both locally and throughout BC. Some of her credits include performing as a soloist with the West Coast Symphony Orchestra, and as a soloist and section leader with West Vancouver United Church choir (2016-2018) and Shaughnessy Heights United Church Choir (2019-Present), in addition to being a member of many other ensembles within Vancouver. Erin has also worked with many young composers to perform premieres of their works. Erin studies voice under Dory Hayley, and performs a broad range of classical repertoire including works from operas, oratorios, lieder, folk songs, and early music. She also enjoys exploring other genres, including pop, jazz, and musical theatre.

In addition to performing, Erin is also a dedicated and passionate instructor in the disciplines of voice, solfège, musicianship, and piano. She occasionally acts as a teacher's assistant for Paula Kremer, with whom she studied pedagogy and Kodály for many years. Erin has a passion for using both solfège and singing as tools to help students discover not only a love of music, but a deeper understanding and fluency.

To contact Erin, please email: esutton@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Born in the Philippines to a musical family, Francis developed an affinity for music and the guitar at a young age. While he grew up in Metro Manila, his childhood also included living in Kazakhstan and frequently traveling around Central and Southeast Asia until migrating to Vancouver in 2010 — picking up new music at every step of the way. These experiences contributed strongly to his belief in the importance of cultural and community immersion for a well-rounded and meaningful music education. Francis holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Capilano University and has been teaching since 2015. He is also an active session guitarist, published songwriter, and artist, working and performing regularly around Vancouver and Western Canada. https://francishenson.com

To contact Francis, please email: francis(at)sarahschoolofmusic.com

I’m a Vancouver based composer, songwriter, upright and electric bassist. As a founding member of local indie band, The Boom Booms, I’ve played hundreds of Canadian festivals, toured internationally and shared the stage with Canadian icons such as Sarah McLachlan, Bryan Adams, Serena Ryder and Jessie Reyez. The Boom Booms accolades include six-time winners of The Georgia Straight Best of Vancouver (Indie bands), second prize at the Peak Performance Project, and champions of the Shore Radio’s Best of BC competition. In an alternate musical universe, I play upright bass and compose for the crossover jazz group, Malleus Trio. The trio has performed in Jazz festivals across Canada (Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Halifax) and has notably played support for Joshua Redman in 2019.
What excites me most about the teaching process is how music inspires creativity, which in turn inspires growth. I’m currently enrolled in the Education department at SFU studying developmental psychology in the hopes of creating more inspiration through teaching music.

To contact Geordie, please email: ghart@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Holly Winter is a composer, vocalist, clarinetist, and music educator with a passion for creative music-making. Holly has over 10 years of teaching experience and loves helping students find their creative voices. With a pedagogy background, Holly always looks for new and engaging ways to teach. She has a particular interest in making her classroom accessible to students of all backgrounds and support needs.
Holly’s compositions have been performed internationally and have been described as striking and innovative. Her diverse background is evident in her works, which implement visual art, theatrics, poetry, and improvisation. She is most well known for her graphic and animated scores, which integrate colour and musical gestures in a beautiful synthesis.
Holly holds an MMus from UBC in Music Composition, a BMus in Clarinet from Memorial University and a BA in Creative Writing and Philosophy from Dalhousie. Holly is an avid hobby collector and loves learning new skills; be she to ask her what her current obsession is! hollywintercomposer.com

To contact Holly, please email: hwinter@sarahschoolofmusic.com

James Moore is a Vancouver based electronic producer who attended the Sarah McLachlan School of Music and the Nimbus School of Recording Arts where he earned diplomas in Advanced Music Engineering, Advanced Music Production, Live Audio and Post and Game Audio Production. After Nimbus, James' passion for music brought him back to the Sarah School as a teacher.

While James mostly makes EDM, he's also played in rock bands as a guitarist and a bassist. When he isn't teaching or making music, he is working as an independent recording engineer, live sound tech and post audio mixer. Always eager to expand and share his knowledge, james brings a lot of positivity to all the work he does.

Jeff Gammon is a Canadian contemporary/jazz bassist, composer and educator. He is a sought-after emerging musician in the Vancouver jazz scene, playing with well-known creatives such as Steve Kaldestad, Jesse Cahill, Bill Coon, Brad Turner, Hugh Fraser, Mike Allen, and Cory Weeds among others. Jeff has also been involved in pit orchestras for Theatre Under The Stars and Align Entertainment, played at the TD Vancouver Jazz Festival, Vancouver’s CBC’s Musical Nooners and even toured Canada with Blues/Gospel group The Sojourners and Reggae group Mostly Marley. His growing reputation as a flexible, open and multi-disciplinary bassist has catapulted him into performances with international artists such as Naoko Sakata, Mike Murley, Ian Froman, and Randy Brecker. As an educator, Jeff honed his teaching craft as teacher’s assistant to Jodi Proznick at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s annual Summer Jazz Workshop for three years in a row. He currently holds a Diploma in Music Performance - Jazz from Mt. Royal University and a B. Mus. in Jazz from Capilano University. In his spare time, you’ll find him in one of Vancouver’s many music stores looking to build his collection.

Julia McDougall is a songwriter, musician and music educator based out of Vancouver, BC and is privileged to live and work on the unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Stó:lō, Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Nations. A long-time member of both the Vancouver and Saskatchewan music scenes, McDougall is currently working under the moniker Yawn, a solo, synth dream-pop project. Over the years, McDougall has performed and toured across Canada in various projects. In 2020, Julia attended the prestigious International songwriting residency at the Banff centre and released a debut single under Yawn. Julia is also a teacher with the Burnaby School District and works primarily in alternative education; she has degrees in both composition and education from Simon Fraser University and has been an instructor with the Sarah McLachlan School of Music since 2015. Julia believes that art has the power to pave the way for truth, equality and social justice, and is a committed ally to our BIPOC communities.

To contact Julia, please email: jmcdougall@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Kia Kadiri is a respected vocalist based in Vancouver. For over 20 years her unique style keeps her in demand as a performer, instructor, and recording artist. Kia teaches lyricism and song writing in marginalized communities, schools, and institutions. The interactive workshops combine music theory, improvisation, recording techniques, music production, creative writing, and performance skills. Working with organizations such as the Vancouver Biennale, Artstarts and The Sarah McLachlan School of Music, Kia inspires youth to find their own voice through the music and the history of hip-hop culture.

To contact Kia, please email: kkadari@sarahschoolofmusic.com

In 1997 Liam relocated to the West Coast from Toronto and has been calling Vancouver home for the last 20years . Since Liam has been in Vancouver he has been equally in demand for his Drumset playing as well as his abilities as a Multi-Percussionist.

Due to Liams versatility as a Percussionist and as a Drumset player it has led him to an extremely eclectic mix of projects that he has worked with over the years. Liam is both recorded and/ or performed with the following artists : Harry Manx (World Folk Blues), Steve Dawson (Roots & Blues), Celso Machado (guitarist/composer from Brazil), David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), John Boutte (New Orleans singing legend), Gord Grdina's Haram (11 piece Avant-Garde Arabic ensemble), Buckman Coe (RnB, Soul, Reggae).

To contact Liam, please email: lmacdonald@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Marlie Collins has had the pleasure of working at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music for the last 5 years as one of the Vocal/ Performance instructors. Marlie was born and raised in Saskatoon SK where she began her Bachelor of Music in Voice. A graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria BC. Marlie has spent the last 8 years performing in multiple bands and musical productions on stages across the world. Having released her debut album two years ago, Marlie is a full time singer as well as actor, voice actor and dancer. She loves to share her knowledge with our youth and bring out their authentic voices all while moving and grooving and simply having fun. She believes through music and movement we can continue to strengthen our community and help shape the young people of today.

To contact Marlie, please email: mcollins@sarahschoolofmusic.com

A sound sculptor in a coat of many colours, Mariah Mennie is a composer, pianist, vocalist, percussionist, harpist, fire dancer and music educator. She is an experienced music educator with a colourful and diverse musical background including classical, jazz, folk, pop, composition, improvisation, theory, percussion and ethnomusicology (music traditions from around the world). She is a seasoned performer with a wide variety of experience including orchestras, weddings, restaurants, concerts, yoga classes, busking and music festivals. She has performed as a pianist, vocalist, fire performer and percussionist in various configurations including soloist, ensemble, band, orchestra and as a commissioned composer. She has a MMUS and a BMUS from the University of BC (composition and piano) and a music diploma (classical piano performance and jazz studies) from Vancouver Community College. She is also a registered piano and composition teacher with the BC Registered Music Teachers Association and a certified teacher with the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM). She has been teaching since 2011 and is very passionate about making music education fun and accessible.

To contact Mariah, please email: mariah(at)sarahschoolofmusic.com

Noah Gotfrit is a double bassist/composer based on the unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. He is a former performance and composition student at the Vancouver Community College School of Music where he studied with bassists Paul Rushka and Laurence Mollerup. He spent several years working as a musician in New Orleans and has toured extensively across Europe, Western Canada and the United States with a wide variety of musical acts. As a bassist, he has worked with some of Western Canada’s finest players such as Oliver Gannon, PJ Perry, Bill Coon, Miles Black, Brad Shigeta and others and has played Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary and Edmonton’s International Jazz Festivals as well as the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, Scotland, and the Djangofollies festival in Belgium. As a multi-instrumentalist, Noah worked with local luminaries Jim Byrnes, Margo Kane, Tom Pickett, Kevin McNulty and Sam Bob as part of the band in the 2019 SFU Woodwards production of Bah Humbug! Noah also has a passion for working with youth and has worked at Island Pacific School on Bowen Island, and Directions Youth Services in downtown Vancouver.

To contact Noah, please email: noah@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Growing up in El Salvador and moving to Victoria in the 1990s, Raul Espinoza taught himself to use turntables in the year 2000 and soon after became DJ Su Comandante. Since then, he has opened for acts such as Ozomatli, K-OS, Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, Yellowman, Kinnie Starr, Long Beach Shortbus, The Furios, and Fishbone. He has also been featured at events such as Skafest, Diwali Fest and Under the Volcano, and hosted a radio show of underground hip hop for 5 years at CFUV radio in Victoria. His work with youth started with projects like Hip Hop Hope, the Surrey Urban Youth Project, and Leave Out Violence. Currently he is a youth empowerment workshop facilitator through the Metaphor Crew, an instructor at the Sarah McLachlan School for Music and has been a music consultant at Highlife Records since 2005. He also tours regularly with CR Avery and Curtis Clearsky and the Constellationz.

To contact Raul, please email: respinoza@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Richard Brown is currently based in Vancouver. He has worked in recent years with the popular Canadian band Big Sugar. Richard has also recorded and performed with a number of Canadian and International artists including the iconic musicians Ernest Ranglin, Pee Wee Ellis, The Beach Boys and many other great artists. His television and film credits include work in films with Mariah Cary, Debra Cox, Alanah Myles, Gino Vanelli and others. Richard remains in-demand on the Canadian music and also co-leads his own band, Mad Riddim. A dub project which melds reggae, funk, jazz and other genres into a popular festival band. As a touring musician Richard has travelled across North America, Central America, The Caribbean, as well as Europe, China and other parts of Asia multiple times.
As part of the SoM staff, Richard enjoys sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience with his students, while helping them to develop fun and effective ways to learn and experience music.

To contact Richard, please email: richard(at)sarahschoolofmusic.com

Over the past eight years Robin has become a regular fixture on the B.C. festival circuit, collaborating with a wide spectrum of folk and world artists. His recent touring engagements have led him to Mexico, Italy, China, the U.S. and Canada. He has followed his love of world music to Cuba, Guinea, Mali, and Mexico studying under master drummers and marimbists of those respective traditions. He currently performs with world music groups Locarno, Tambura Rasa, and Mazacote and is in demand as a freelance percussionist for recordings, performances and tours. Recent highlights include working with Juno Award winning artists Quique Escamilla, The Paperboys, Donne Roberts (African Guitar Summit), Alpha Yaya Diallo, Celso Machado and Silk Road Music.
Equally at home on a festival stage or in a classroom, Robin strongly believes that the gift of music should be accessible to everyone. He is the senior percussion instructor at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music and the Artistic Director of the Britannia World Rhythms for Youth Society. He also recently started the Vancouver World Music Festival in 2015 with Tom Landa. In his spare time, Robin is working on his solo album featuring original compositions for marimba.

To contact Robin, please email: rlayne@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Rup Sidhu is an interdisciplinary artist and facilitator currently residing on unceded Coast Salish Territories, Vancouver BC. Rup’s work meets at the intersection of social justice and the arts. For the past 15 years he has been growing his understanding of anti-oppression and empowerment work. He has created and led hundreds of programs and trainings with youth and adults around the globe.

To contact Rup, please email: rsidhu@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Shane Raman is a baritone who sings with the juno-nominated vocal ensemble, musica intima, and Cor Flammae. Shane conducts the Youth Choirs, the Vocal Ensemble and teaches private voice at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music. He also conducts the Anvil Community Choir in New Westminster and regularly leads choral workshops with local choirs and other groups of singers and speakers.
After earning a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from The University of British Columbia, Shane has gone on to perform with musica intima, Vancouver Cantata Singers, Cor Flammae, Vancouver Opera, Phoenix Chamber Choir, Vancouver Peace Choir and Vancouver Chamber Choir.
Shane is a composer/arranger/songwriter of choral, broadway and pop music. His pieces have been performed by Vancouver Cantata Singers, musica intima, Cor Flammae, Pro Coro Canada, Indiekör, McGill Choral Society Chamber Choir, and The University of New York at Oneonta Chamber Singers. UBC's University Singers and Vancouver Cantata Singers have recorded Shane's pieces.
More recently Shane has been singing small roles in new operas and vocal works, as well as performing in musicals and performing his own pop music.

To contact Shane, please email: sraman@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Siobhan is a passionate musician and educator based in Surrey B.C. She is currently a teacher for the Surrey School District and a soprano in the Vancouver Chamber Choir. Her love of singing and building community through music began with Sarona Mynhardt in the White Rock Children’s Choir, where Siobhan was both a singer and an accompanist. Through Sarona’s mentorship, Siobhan felt called to pursue her love of music and education further. She graduated with her Bachelor of Music with Honours in Education from Western University where she received the Deral Johnson Legacy Award in Choral Conducting, founded Choral Canada’s first student chapter, and was president of the Don Wright Faculty of Music’s first choir council. Siobhan was privileged to sing under the baton of Dr. Lydia Adams and Jennifer Moir, both of whom shaped her artistry greatly. Siobhan then obtained a Bachelor of Education from Simon Fraser University, receiving the Carol and Gary Chapman Memorial Scholarship in Education for her work. Her most proud accomplishment in the field so far is winning the Canadian Music Educators Association national essay competition in 2019, leading to her first academic journal publication - “We’ve got to fight the powers that be”: Using hip-hop culture to educate and advocate in the classroom. When not rehearsing, performing, or teaching, Siobhan is likely obsessing over her corgi Winnie or is somewhere in the mountains out of service.

To contact Siobhan, please email: swaldock@sarahschoolofmusic.com

A veteran of the Canadian jazz community, guitarist/bassist/vocalist Stephen Fisk has built a respected reputation for his creativity and musical openness. He has performed and/or recorded with numerous national and international artists including Bill Coon, Francois Houle, Buff Allen, Chris Tarry, Ian Froman, George Lewis and George Russell.
Fisk has apprenticed over the years with acclaimed jazz artists Jim Hall, Paul Bley, Danilo Perez, George Russell and Gary Peacock, studying all facets of improvisation, composition and musical philosophies. Holding degrees in Arts, Composition and a Masters in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory in Boston, Stephen has been the recipient of numerous awards for his studies and touring.
In addition to his long time work at Sarah McLachlan School of Music, Stephen also teaches in the Contemporary & Jazz Guitar faculty at Vancouver Community College mentoring up and coming professionals. He is active as a performer, composer, songwriter, recording engineer and producer as well as leading his own projects. Fisk has recorded numerous CD’s on the Plunge Records label.

www.uncommongold.com

To contact Stephen, please email thefisk@sarahschoolofmusic.com or call 604-709-4415 ext 8

Todd is a Visual artist, DJ, producer and performance artist.
His production, songwriting, and vocals in a wide range of genres and have led him to releases on Ellum, My Favourite Robot, No.19, Apersonal Music and DoRight.
Now in his fifth year at SOM he currently teaches; Junior and Senior Electronic Music production with a focus on Ableton Live, sample manipulation, and live performance; as well and Global Hip Hop and the experimental sound class.
Todd strives to help students to express their ideas, feelings, and personalities through sound.
His practice and teaching are guided by his belief that art is simply a form of communication as conveyed in one of his favorite quotes:
"...some ideas can not be spoken or expressed through the written word. So they must be danced." E.I.

To contact Todd, please email: tsimmons@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Tze Liew is a Malaysian soprano with a love of fantasy and the realm of the heart. A creative songwriter, stage performer and session singer, her music blends the genres of classical, opera, musical theatre, jazz, folk, pop and cinematic soundscape. She is a frequent performer of film and video game soundtrack, an improviser, a harmony whiz, and a diverse artist who can sing in Mandarin, Japanese, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Latin, Malay and even made-up fantasy languages. She is a member of Coin Op. Studios, an international collective of musicians who create video game cover albums as well as original music.
Tze is a Voice major at the Vancouver Academy of Music, studying with Frédérik Robert and Robyn Driedger-Klassen. She also holds a BFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia, with electives in songwriting and composition. Music and words are closely intertwined in her career — she freelanced as a Senior Writer for CBC Music, writing script and programming music for the classical radio shows Backstage with Ben Heppner and In Concert Revival Hour with host Paolo Pietropaolo. She was a librettist for the 2018 Vancouver Opera New Works Project, where she had two original one-act operas premiered.
As the whimsical siren next door, she sings songs and writes stories to heal, uplift and transport her audience to different worlds. As a teacher, she loves working with students to find joy in their singing bodies and unlock their creative voices.

To contact Tze, please email: tliew@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Carleen is a young Metis artist with a passion for all things creative. Aside from being an enthusiast at public events in the arts community, Carleen has often been found performing in small town restaurants, playing her ukulele or piano, and singing to her favorite indie artists and bands.
Carleen has a diploma in Social Work and is currently working on obtaining her Social Work Degree at MacEwan University. Carleen has worked with children and families for many years and believes in the healing power of creativity. When she is not studying, Carleen can be found hanging out with any animals she can get her hands on or conjuring up her next masterpiece.

To contact Carleen, please email: carleen@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Enoch Attey is a Canadian based musician and producer whose passion for all things musical is apparent the moment you hear his work. Born in Ivory Coast, but raised on Ghanaian tradition, he began his musical journey with the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Mahalia Jackson, and the Beatles. Picking up the guitar at 17, he's played everything from Rock, Jazz, RnB, to Reggae and Gospel. As a producer and studio engineer, he has been involved in many projects, ranging from Hip Hop albums, to film scores, poetry projects, and everything in between. While working with the likes of Edmonton's K-Riz, internationally acclaimed poet Titilope, and many more, Enoch looks for every opportunity to share the knowledge he has accrued over the years.with a passion for young artists, creating music, and the innovation of technology, Enoch always seeks to push the envelope of what is possible, while ensuring the growth of everyone he teaches.

To contact Enoch, please email: eattey@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Morgan Hanna is a musician based in Edmonton. Originally from The Bahamas, she is a rising star in both the jazz and RnB scene, and is a recent graduate of MacEwan’s Bachelor of Music program. Her passion for music stems from her father playing music in their household, and as a child she played piano, drums, and saxophone before settling on the guitar. Morgan has played at various Edmonton venues, including the Yardbird Suite, the Winspear Centre, and has played at The Citadel Theatre in 9 to 5:The Musical as well as the world premiere of Almost A Full Moon. Morgan aims to inspire and motivate students while sharing her passion for music.

To contact Morgan, please email: morgan@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Nathan Carroll is a musician, songwriter, producer and music director based in Edmonton. He has performed alongside many notable Edmonton acts - both on stage and in the studio - on guitar, pedal steel, keys and vocals. Nathan has recorded 4 albums, performed on countless others and continues to expand his songwriting interests in to other production projects and collaborations. He spent many years giving direction to the arts in churches as well as directing some touring shows including “Going to Graceland”, a live performance of Paul Simon’s venerable masterpiece. He holds a bachelors degree in music, specializing in guitar and voice. In his off-time, he can often be found tinkering in his home recording studio, hanging with his 3 awesome kids and listening to records.

To contact Nathan, please email: nathan@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Reid is a musician, composer and music educator. Over the past 5 years, he has been providing percussion, drumline and film scoring education at schools in the greater Edmonton area. Additionally, he has been composing and collaborating with the Edmonton Elks Drumline, Dirt City Samba, MacEwan Percussion Ensemble and Vancouver’s Standing Wave chamber ensemble. Reid holds a bachelor's degree in music from MacEwan University, specializing in composition and education. His artistic practice was also recognized by MacEwan University in awarding him the Wind Energy Commission Award in Music Composition. Reid continues to experiment with different styles and techniques as a composer and musician, and he is always striving to create new and exciting musical experiences for the young artists he teaches.

To contact Reid, please email: reid@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Roya is a singer-songwriter, dancer, theatre artist and educator with a passion for creative collaboration. Over the past ten years, she has collaborated in several artistic ensembles, exploring the healing power of multicultural relationships and expression through the arts. She has focused her involvement in the Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton) music and theatre communities by lending her skills as a vocalist, composer, actor, and dancer to various bands and theatre projects.

Roya is currently exploring what it feels and sounds like to connect to one’s ancestral knowledge and healing practices through creative exploration and expression. She is preparing to release her debut album Breath and Being on Bent River Records in 2022.

Roya holds a B.Mus from MacEwan University and is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts. A passionate advocate of music and community, Roya is excited to join the SoM team and looks forward to welcoming more students to engage in our programming.

To contact Roya, please email: roya@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Tyson Kerr is a stylistically diverse, award-winning composer, arranger, clinician, and multi-instrumentalist. He is involved in numerous projects; pianist/composer for WCMA-nominated jazz quintet The Writers' Guild, singer and music director for acclaimed vocal group 6 Minute Warning, organist for St. Paul's United Church, and accordionist and composer for his quirky improvising folk quartet, Myrtle's Turtle. Past and present collaborations include Christine Duncan, Brou-Lala, Martin Kerr, Grex, The Element Choir, Óran, the Don Berner Big Band, and Christian Mena/Jeff Hendrick. He is a graduate of the Banff School of Creative Music, University of Toronto Jazz Program, Grant MacEwan Music Program, and is completing a Master's degree in Social Work (University of Calgary). Tyson currently teaches through Grant MacEwan University Outreach and the Sarah McLachlan School of Music.

To contact Tyson, please email: tkerr@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Alexandra Clancy is a movement artist currently living and creating on the ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səl̓ilw̓ ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, in the place now commonly known as Vancouver. As a guest practicing Black American vernacular art forms, Alexandra strives to respect the history and maintain the integrity of the traditions of jazz and tap dance. She is a proud alumna of Jacob’s Pillow and returned with her company Soleful Dance to perform on the Inside/Out Stage. She was a member of Tapestry Dance Company and studied dance at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks and Simon Fraser University. Her work has been presented at New Works, Feats Festival of Dance, Playhouse, 12 Minutes Max, Eighth and Eight, DOTE, and her film ‘Sedated’ was screened at the Cascadia Dance Film Festival. She continues to express movement by choreographing, teaching, and performing locally and internationally. Alexandra loves working at the Sarah Mclachlan School of Music helping youth explore the relationship between music and movement and fostering spaces that build community and creative expression.

To contact Alexandra, please email alexandra@sarahschoolofmusic.com or call 604-709-4415 ext 0

Angela comes from a background of visual storytelling, primarily creating videos for nonprofits and charities. She's currently working on her first documentary film telling the story of a woman reclaiming her ethnic name. She loves going to the theatres and is an advocate for better representation on screen.

She holds a Bachelor of Media Studies and will be obtaining her Bachelor of Education in the fall.

To contact Angela, please email: angela@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Anna is thrilled to be joining the SoM team as their new Administrative Coordinator. Anna is a relationship manager, event planner and administrator, with a background in musical theatre, piano and singing. Originally from Ontario, Anna and her husband moved out west 2 years ago for new adventures and opportunities. They have lived in a converted school bus, learned how to ski mountains at Kicking Horse, worked and lived in the Northwest Territories running a base for an outfitting company down the Nahanni river, travelled to the Yukon and Alaska, camped in the Arizona desert, sailed the Strait and are currently living on their sailboat in Richmond.

To contact Anna, please email: anna@sarahschoolofmusic.com

Dan Cleland has over 30 years of experience within the music industry. His path has included work as audio engineer, production manager, tour manager, and music school board member. Following his tour management of such celebrity musicians as Avril Lavigne, the Barenaked Ladies, Norah Jones, and The Chieftains, Dan has come to work as a major member of Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan’s management team. Dan brings a wealth of energy, industry knowledge, and professional acumen to his work, and though he is undoubtedly a workaholic, he does maintain one of his favorite hobbies as a pilot, as well as his own endeavors in music. Dan’s experience and insights is invaluable to our team.

To contact Dan, please email dan@sarahschoolofmusic.com or call 604-709-4415 ext 2

Jackie joined SoM in November 2019 as Accountant, taking on all finance-related responsibilities for the school. Jackie holds both a Diploma in Financial Management from BCIT and earned her professional designation as a Certified General Accountant in 1995.

Jackie brings a wealth of experience to the school having enjoyed a 30+ year career working in the travel and entertainment industry; most notably for the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Grizzlies, Uniglobe Travel and the Pacific National Exhibition. Following the successful sale of Uniglobe in which she played a pivotal role, Jackie took a short sabbatical to recharge and ultimately seek out a new position in which she could give back to the community. Having a lifelong passion for music and also playing guitar for fun since childhood, SoM was a perfect fit! In addition to music, Jackie is also passionate about health and fitness, earning her 1st degree black belt in Taekwon-do in 2015.

To contact Jackie, please email jackie@sarahschoolofmusic.com or call 604-709-4415 ext 4

Josh has been working in the music and live events industries since 2002. His career highlights include being the Merchandise Manager for The Tragically Hip’s 2016 Man Machine Poem Tour, Tour Managing Sarah McLachlan and helping to produce several fundraising events for the Sarah McLachlan Foundation. He is a graduate of Udacity’s Full Stack Web Development program and a member of Squarespace’s Circle program. Josh is a big fan of technology and enjoys working daily with Squarespace, Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge, Eventric’s Master Tour and Discord. In his spare time, Josh enjoys cooking, cycling, SUPing and exploring BC’s forests and mountains.

To contact Josh, please email josh@sarahschoolofmusic.com or call 604-709-4415 ext 9

Julia Has been part of the SoM community for the last Thirteen years. Ten of those years as a student at SOM studying Piano and Choir. Julia has now been part of the SoM team for 3 years. After graduating from secondary school and SoM, Julia worked in the transportation and snack program. She is now the Senior Front Desk Assistant. Julia is proud to be a part of the SoM family and feels this is her second home. She believes in the power the school provides for the students in Finding Their Voice and loves having a part to play in their journey through SoM. In the future, Julia wants to pursue a career working with children.

To contact Julia, please email julia@sarahschoolofmusic.com or call 604-709-4415 ext 0

Marlow is a homegrown Vancouverite and internationally-touring bass player, musician, and songwriter who has balanced his love of music with a passion for working in the community and non-profit sector.
Marlow started his musical career in the 90s as a signed artist on David Foster’s record label, 143 Records, with his band, Mollies Revenge. Later, he moved on to entertain crowds with artists such as Kinnie Starr, Skip Martin (Kool and the Gang), Mikey Thomas (Startship), Mike Reno (Loverboy), among many others. More recently, Marlow has performed with Vancouver-based tribute acts, Nearly Neil, and the roster of bands from Moon Coin Productions Inc. Throughout the entirety of his musical career, Marlow also worked with special needs teens and youth functioning in a supervisory, programming and training capacity.
Marlow enjoys connecting with the community and bringing joy and excitement to people’s lives. With over 30 years of experience in both the music and non-profit spheres, he’s excited about the opportunity to join the Sarah McLachlan School of Music as the Student Services Coordinator, merging his skills sets to connect and empower children, youth, and adults alongside the rest of the vibrant SoM team.
In his spare time he enjoys “taking it to the street”, busking along the South Granville neigbourhood, so you might just see him if you keep a keen eye!

To contact Marlow, please email marlow@sarahschoolofmusic.com or call 604-709-4415 ext 1

Sara grew up as a multidisciplinary musician who followed their passion for vocal performance into the Randolph College for the Performing Arts. After graduating with a degree in musical theater, Sara returned to their hometown to begin running classes and workshops for youth in the community, coaching her students as they prepared for a variety of shows and auditions. Sara spent years dabbling in music therapy and music education in search of a way to use their passion for music in a therapeutic way. After moving to BC in 2020, Sara began writing their own music and has loved becoming a part of the music community, here in Vancouver. Sara is thrilled to join the team at SoM to continue the pursuit to change lives through music.

To contact Sara, please email: sara@sarahschoolofmusic.com