Our Oakville Music Teachers

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  Ewa was born in Warsaw, Poland, where she studied harp and piano, before receiving her Master of Arts Degree in Music Education from the Music Education and Eurhythmics Faculty of the Academy of Music in Gdansk. She came to Canada in 1991 and completed courses in Music in Early Childhood, Kodály Pedagogy and Orff Pedagogy at the Royal Conservatory.

Since 1996 Ewa has been teaching music in early childhood, music and movement, theory and music enrichment classes at private music schools, Montessori schools and Suzuki Talent Centers as well professional development courses for adults.

Ewa is a recipient of the Robert and Donna Wood Scholarship (The Early Childhood Music Association of Ontario, 1998), The Brigg’s Family Teachers’ Development Fund Scholarship (The Royal Conservatory, 2017), and the prestigious The International Kátalin Forrai Award (The International Kodály Society, 2017)

A tireless advocate of the importance of music in lives of young children Ewa has served as the President of the Early Childhood Music Association of Ontario for 15 years.

Ewa believes that young children experience music in a stimulating and positive environment, using the two most natural instruments they have – their singing voice and their body. Musical growth develops through participation in singing, active play, musical games and playing instruments. As the curriculum follows principles of child development the wide range of musical activities matches the children’s cognitive, psychomotor, and social-emotional developmental levels. In her teaching, Ewa blends Dalcroze, Kodály and Orff approaches to music education and focuses on joyful music making with an underlying emphasis on the art of music itself.

 Alex is a musician from Almonte Ontario, currently residing in Toronto. He has been playing violin for 13 years and has a wide repertoire of music from jazz to country, classical to contemporary. He enjoys performing to all ages in all settings - intimate gatherings to festival stages. Alex has performed in the Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy television special A Celtic Family Christmas in 2018, as well as an auxiliary string player with them at Casino Rama in 2019. He is the recipient of the Danny O'Connell Memorial Award, recognized for his role in advancing Ottawa Valley fiddle tradition. Alex also is a session musician in Toronto, and frequently works on projects where he arranges and records classical and contemporary violin parts. Alex has been teaching violin for the past 4 years and is comfortable instructing students both in the classical and fiddle domains. He is currently studying his Bachelor of Music at Humber College in Toronto.  Here is another video for your enjoyment https://youtu.be/GNWjPQr6l0M   

 Sebastian is a guitarist based in the Greater Toronto Area. Since having picked up a guitar just over a decade ago, he has played in multiple bands, is a sought out session guitarist and spends a lot of time writing original music for his most recent project, The Cruz Control. Currently Sebastian is in his third year at Toronto’s one and only, Humber College Bachelor of Music Program and has studied with local greats - Rob Bulger, Tony Zorzi, Kim Ratcliffe and Emile D’eon just to name a few. Always looking to progress as a guitarist, Sebastian aside from writing his own music is currently working on classical guitar repertoire. Sebastian is a passionate and creative guitarist who is always willing to share his passion with others. 

 Gretchen has performed across Canada in Theatre and Music Theatre, Operatic Works, (including original works), Symphonic concerts and has also been seen on television, feature films, and has also performed for CBC Radio. Originally from Toronto, Gretchen has extended her musical and acting studies to include New York, where her training was mostly Classical there, but she feels equally at home in Music Theatre, folk, pop and light jazz. 

Her singing performance beginnings, were folk and rock, but she believed in the power of classical training. She is one of the original members of the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA company, and also the MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER concert series, as well as having starred and originated many roles for Canadian Music Theatre. 

Gretchen is also well known for her role of 4 years playing Mrs. Jeremiah, the mother of the series star Joey Jeremiah, in the award winning television series DEGRASSI JR. HIGH. Her roles in standard Music Theatre repertoire include Kate, in KISS ME KATE, Alexandra in ALEXANDRA THE LAST EMPRESS (original), Bertrande in THE HOUSE OF MARTIN GUERRES (original), Iolanthe in IOLANTHE, as well as many others that also include Anne of Green Gables, The Boyfriend, The Picture of Dorian Gray (original work, by the award winning composer of the recent DROWSEY CHAPERONE Greg Morrison), and The Desert Song for Shaw Festival. She has appeared many times in concert with the Conductor and Operatic Star Mark Dubois, and has enjoyed singing with full symphonies on numerous occasions. 

Gretchen is please to have founded the quartet QuattroVoce. Gretchen has also Music Directed, Conducted and Directed in the Panasonic Theatre’s production of CABARET. Gretchen has also co-hosted a radio show for CBC called Basic Black, with the infamous Danny Marks. She has also trained several movie stars for their singing and musical roles in feature films and television. 

Gretchen is a renowned vocal instructor, and spends much of her time training her well known roster of students, who’ve gone on to Broadway, and L.A. in movies and stage, and are all known for their excellence at their craft. (Some call her their “best kept secret”.) She also directs and writes shows 2 - 4 times a year for them, and produces these, at theatres in Ontario. 

Gretchen is also responsible for for forming and producing for “SAY YES TO OPERA!”. A group that brings opera to “urban” spaces. CBC RADIO has been a great support of this event, and Gretchen has done a full 12 minute interview for Ing Wong Ward on her radio show. Gretchen has also been interviewed on the internet based radio show LIQUID LUNCH. You will find her on occasional Saturdays, with her group performing for folks at the ST. LAWRENCE MARKET at Front and Jarvis in Toronto.   

 Dia is a pianist with more than 17 years of experience teaching music. She learned piano at a very young age from the Higher Lebanese National Conservatory in Beirut, where she learned piano, solfeggio, & theory, among other subjects. She was a music teacher at Lycée français international d'Al Khobar for several years.  She is also a live music performer and plays at many weddings, events and functions.  In addition to piano lessons, she is a math teacher and a mom of 2 boys.  Dia also speaks three languages, English, French and Arabic.   She has her Masters Degree and also a Bachelors Degree, both obtained from Lebanese University, Faculty of Pedagogy in Beirut.  Piano has always been her biggest passion and she believes that music makes the world a better place. 

This is an original song written by Leah.    Here is another great rendition of a Beatles song.  https://youtu.be/xi6FDqPXlBY   You will fall in love with Leah's positive personality and wonderful talent as soon as you meet her!  

Leah is a singer/songwriter as well as a multi instrumentalist who plays both piano and guitar from Brampton Ontario. She started performing in church when she was 8 years old and as she grew older, began performing locally in Brampton. Leah then followed her passion into high school where she studied classical music in the arts program at Mayfield Secondary School. She has always had a passion for music, specifically for the way music is used to bring people together and so it only felt right for her to pursue music as a career even beyond high school. 

She is now at Humber College in the Bachelor of Music Program where she continues to study many genres including classical, pop and jazz, rock, folk, country, and bluegrass music! Although she specializes in voice at Humber, she has also developed skills in theory, ear training, song writing, production, performance and studio recording. She is a huge fan artists like Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, James Taylor, The Eagles, Leith Ross, Chris Stapleton etc. and she does her best to embody the authenticity that these artists portray while also creating something uniquely her own. Leah believes music has the power to comfort and inspire people, and hopes that throughout her life she is able to offer a glimpse of that to people through her own music.

Leah has also taken piano lessons since she was 10 years old studying classical and contemporary repertoire. As she graduated high school, she also received her Grade 8 RCM certificate for piano. 

While Leah has a foundation in classical music and an understanding of piano theory and technique, she is passionate about allowing students to use the piano as a creative tool for composition and exploration. Whether that be playing chords along to your favourite songs, accompanying yourself as a vocalist or even writing your own songs - there is so much we can learn from taking a step outside the technical world and into our creative world throughout our musical journey. 

Lately, Leah has been making her mark in the Toronto music scene as one of 15 artists on the 2022 Honey Jam Canada roster that supports up and coming female artists. She has had the opportunity to perform at venues like The Rex, Yongue & Dundas Square and the legendary El Mocambo in Toronto as a backup singer for local artists. She is now in the process of recording her first single to release before the end of 2022.

Leah is a full believer in the importance of internalizing technique on the instruments we choose to study while also bringing it into a practical and creative space. It is so important to find our own voice in the music we create and that requires a fun, encouraging and supportive learning environment. 

Leah is thrilled to be a part of the Addison Music Learning Center to help bring this kind of environment to the students she will work with and allow for each person on their musical journey to find their artistic voice, whatever that means for them!

 Lewina was happy to move from Hong Kong and return to live in Canada in 2019 with her husband and her two children. Although she is a licensed Professional Engineer, and has been designing her own line of consumer electronic products for over 20 years, she never put her love for music aside.

Lewina has been a part-time piano and xylophone teacher for over 10 years. She has also taught hand bells to over 700 Grade 3 students in Hong Kong, and she has trained the KTBWCS school hand bell team to perform regularly in school Christmas Mass, Open Days, and Graduation Ceremonies.

After learning to play the pedal harp in 2018, Lewina instantly fell in love with the beautiful and elegant instrument. 

Lewina is also the Music Faculty of a renowned Ballet School. She enjoys piano accompanying ballerinas in their daily training and in their Royal Academy of Dance examinations.

Lewina is working towards her RCM ARCT at the moment. 

 Mitchell is a guitarist in the Bachelor of Music program at the esteemed Humber College, learning from some of the best musicians in Canada including  Lorne Lofsky, and Neil Swainson.  

Mitchell  started playing professionally at a very young age with friends and in bands around the Kitchener/Waterloo area and quickly fell in love with performing live.   He is now one of the most sought after session players in and around the GTA.

Mitch is is an incredibly motivated and passionate artist who will surely be on the Toronto music scene for a long time to come.  He loves to share his passion for music with young up and coming musicians.

Sam is a graduate of the Humber Introduction to Commercial Jazz Certificate Program and is playing in several bands in the Greater Toronto Area. He enjoys all kinds of music including Jazz, Folk, Rock, Metal, EDM, Punk, Funk, Latin, Classical, World Music and Experimental Noise.   Sam is a multi instrumentalist and guitar is one of his greatest passions.  A skilled guitarist who continues to learn from the people around him and from listening to and learning from recordings, Sam gigs with influential touring musicians who continue to teach him form and countless other skills and philosophies.  While Sam was studying percussion he worked with Mark Kelso, Larnell Lewis, Steve Mancuso and Ben Ball at Humber College. He also received piano lessons from Amanda Tosoff and Tania Gill at Humber College and later studied advanced Jazz piano with Brian Rudolph privately.  Sam is also a skilled producer, using Logic Pro X to record all of his originals and commercial music. Sam is also an established painter and spends creative time daily in the studio where he paints and draws. He often takes inspiration from nature when painting or composing.   We are over the moon that this creative and talented musicians has joined the Addison Music family of educators.