Our Faculty

Adora Wong is a violinist, music teacher, and early childhood educator. She was inspired by her years serving as a Violin and Viola Teaching Artist with Sistema New Brunswick, a social-development music program that aims to inspire children and youth to reach their full potential through learning and performing orchestral music. Adora is always looking for innovative ways to inspire learning and has published articles on accessible music and learning environments for the Canadian Journal of Autism Equity, The Plough Magazine, and the Autistic Professional Network.

David Barber has spent the last 15 years being a sideman and has toured with artists including Colin James, The Chieftains, Barney Bentall, Dallas Smith, Chad Brownlee, Aaron Prichett, Aaron Goodvin and many more! He also played banjo on the 4x Platinum hit, Two Heads, by Coleman Hell.

John Suderman began his violin studies at age 10. He completed his Bachelor of Music Degree at UBC, where he studied with John Loban. He also holds an education certificate.

Maiya has a Diploma of Music from Selkirk College, where she majored in voice and composition. She has 12 years of teaching experience in voice, guitar, songwriting and early childhood music and movement. Most recently, Maiya finished a post grad diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy, earning her RTC (registered therapeutic counsellor) designation, and as of summer 2020 has begun her Masters in this field. As well as teaching music at PAMDA, Maiya has a private practice locally as an arts based therapist.

Nicholas Kelly is a Penticton-based composer who draws inspiration from speculative fiction, science, and nature. He has been commended by the Vancouver Sun for his “sophisticated work of such immediate, glittery appeal” and called “a rising star in the constellation of Canadian composers” by Oregon Arts Watch.

Kelowna-based violinist Sandra Wilmot is much in demand as a teacher, performer, and clinician. She has been teaching group and private violin lessons since 2002 and many of her students play regularly with the Okanagan Symphony Youth Orchestra (OSYO), participate in the Kelowna Kiwanis Music Festival, and some have gone on to pursue music at the post-secondary level.

ONLINE LESSONS ONLY. Tracey’s music education began at the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s Kodály music program at four years of age. From there she took lessons in piano, guitar, and cello. Focusing on piano in her teens, she began taking Royal Conservatory of Music examinations. Tracey graduated with her Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria in 2001 in harpsichord, majoring in Music History and Literature.

The craft of acting has always been a passion and a calling for Chantal. After taking drama classes throughout elementary school, Chantal was accepted into the drama programme at Canterbury High School for The Performing Arts in Ottawa, Ontario. She then continued her studies in Theatre at The University of Ottawa, where she graduated with a B.A. with a Concentration in Theatre.

Deborah has been involved in Speech Arts since the age of seven, when she began “elocution” lessons in Victoria, BC with Wilfrid Ord at the “Victoria School of Expression”. She has an Education certificate from UVic, and an associate’s diploma in Speech and Drama from Mount Royal College, Calgary.

Kelsey began playing at age 7 and it didn't take long before she realized that her life wouldn't be complete without an instrument in her hands. Performing and teaching for more than 20 years, Kelsey studied music performance and composition at the University of British Columbia. Her teachers have included Jasper Wood, Andrew Dawes and Mary Sokol-Brown (violin), Stephen Chatman, Keith Hamel and Alfredo Santa Ana (composition).

Marlene is a distinguished music educator, musician, and music studio owner. Marlene has been teaching private piano lessons and group lessons, music theory and history, as well as voice and flute for over 40 years. The language of music has always been a part of her being, and it is a passion that she loves to impart to others.

Olivia Walsh began her cello studies at the age of 4 with the Society for Talent Education in Edmonton, Alberta. After years of study in the Suzuki Method, she went on to pursue a degree in performance at the University of Alberta, studying with Tanya Prochazka.

Music has been a part of Tanya’s life since she was a young child. Her parents exposed her to all sorts of musical experiences from live symphonies to pop concerts and she began playing music herself from the age of 6. Throughout Tanya’s life she has played many instruments before finally choosing the violin as her main music focus.

Yanti received her Bachelor of Arts & Psychology from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, on a music scholarship. Since then, she has performed locally in many different combos and venues, from jazz standards to rock ballads.

Daniel has been a life long musician, studying music in university, performing professionally from a young age, teaching music, and eventually producing records at his own record label. As a composer of electronic music, Daniel runs an educational YouTube channel and has become well known in Europe where he performs at festivals and has recorded several albums.

Jeff Andrew is a guitarist, fiddler and singer-songwriter with 3 albums to date, hundreds of shows performed across Canada and dozens of festival appearances. He began playing guitar at age 13 and spent his high school years playing classic rock, blues and metal in a series of bands before discovering folk music in his early 20s.

Kirby Barber has been teaching Guitar, Bass, Songwriting, and children’s group music classes for the past 15 years. A graduate of the music program at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, Kirby teaches a variety of styles including Pop, Rock, Blues, Bluegrass, Folk, and Country and enjoys creating lessons that are fun, diverse, and well suited to fit each student’s musical goals.

Mia has a Bachelor of Music in Opera from UBC, an Artist Diploma from the Vancouver Academy of Music and an Opera Diploma from the University of Toronto. She has participated in some of Canada’s most prestigious summer training programs for young singers and worked with top teachers and coaches from Canada and the United States. She has been the recipient of many scholarships and bursaries.

Sam McNally is passionate about making and teaching music. Having picked up the horn in middle school in Calgary, AB, Sam quickly fell in love with the instrument. While in Calgary he studied with Laurie Matiation before setting off for the University of Victoria to pursue a bachelor’s degree in performance.

Tessa fell in love with the piano when she was 6 years old. She finished her piano exams through the Trinity College of Music (RCM Gr 10) at age 17 and participated in numerous festivals and competitions throughout her school years. Music was one of her main subjects in Grades 10-12, with piano as the primary instrument. She completed the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Teaching Elementary Piano course and is currently enrolled in the Teaching Intermediate Piano course.

Zeena Zaiyouna is an orchestral conductor, oboist, pianist, clinician and educator. Together with a Master of Lifelong Learning (M.Ed.) from Denmark and a degree in oboe performance from Queen’s University, Zeena has served as the Assistant Conductor of the Ontario Pops Orchestra and has taught music and performance at all levels of the school system. This includes directing the Symphonic Band for the Canadian Independent Music School Festival (2019) at Roy Thomson Hall.