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Shantelle's  gentle approach to teaching and inspiring students is legendary. Shantelle is a voice and piano teacher, who specializes in classical, opera, and musical theatre.
She has been teaching voice and piano to ages 4 to senescent for over 11 years. Shantelle
holds a  Master of Music Performance at the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Music
Performance at the University of Western Ontario. She recently  completed her Doctorate of
Music at the University of Toronto, where she mentors Undergraduate students teaching.
Shantelle is also a graduate of Washington National Opera’s Domingo Cafritz Young Artist
Program. At WNO, she sang Pamina and Papagena in The Magic Flute, Giannetta in L’Elisir
d’Amore, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, as well as Zerlina in Don Giovanni. Recent engagements
include performing the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Brott Music Festival, as well as
Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos with Highlands Opera Studio, and Mimì in La Bohème with
Mississauga Symphony Orchestra and Highlands Opera Studio. Apart from her passion for
teaching and performing, Shantelle enjoys traveling, playing beach volleyball, and salsa dancing.Shantelle teaches voice and piano lessons in person and online.

Erica teaches voice and piano.  She is a patient teacher who loves to inspire her students to learn and explore musical styles.   She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice from The Pennsylvania State University and is currently pursuing a master's degree at the University of Toronto under the teaching of Daniel Taylor. Erica is a recipient of the Voces8 scholarship at the University of Toronto. Erica made her operatic debut as Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro and has performed roles such as Sister Constance in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Despina in Così fan tutte, Leontine in L’amant Anonyme, and Emmie in Albert Herring. Her scene work includes roles like Poppea in L’incoronazione di Poppea and Alcina in Alcina.

Erica has participated in esteemed summer programs, including the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute, the Paris International Music Academy, and Musiktage am Rhein in Germany, where she performed regionally. She has also received instruction from renowned early music specialist Dame Emma Kirkby.

Erica is well versed in many musical genres and is happy to teach contemporary, classical, folk and popular music in both voice and piano.

Vicente has been teaching music  for over 8 years, helping students of all ages and levels on their musical journeys. He specializes in teaching guitar at all levels – from beginners to intermediate and advanced players. For bass, beginners. For ukulele, beginners and intermediate players. Additionally, for piano he teaches  beginners and early intermediate learners.

Vicente's  teaching style balances structure and creativity to offer a well-rounded musical education. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience, he adjusts his approach to suit your unique needs, ensuring an enjoyable and successful musical journey.

Vicente earned a bachelor's degree in music production. This has allowed him to engage in recording and performing with local artists, providing him with valuable insights and practical experience in the music industry.

​​​​​​​Andjela teaches piano, voice and theory. She is passionate about transferring her love of music to her students. She tailors each lesson to the individual students needs and interests. 

Andjela received her music degree from Kyrgyz National Music Academy. She is Multilingual, speaking , French, Ukrainian – intermediate and  fluent Russian.

As the founder of Bloor West Music Studios, Doug loves to teach and inspire his students. He graduated from University of Toronto with a music degree in classical guitar and Music theory. His students have gone on to get their own music degrees and teach, compose or start their own Rock bands. Doug's musical passions include Progressive Rock and Classical. He has been teaching students the art of being in a Rock Band since the 1990's

Gordon enjoys teaching all levels of piano. His  love of piano started at a young age and he inspires his students to have fun in learning.

Gordon holds a music degree from University of Toronto.Specializing in classical music, he also teaches contemporary and pop  music and  prepares students for RCM piano exams to all levels.

Gordon began learning piano at the age of 8 and  performing at the age of 12. He participated in many Kiwanis music festivals throughout his early years. From these festivals he received multiple gold/platinum recognitions, as well as being awarded the best junior/senior in his category. Gordon traveled overseas and to the US to attend competitions and music summer schools  in Rome, Venice, London, Somerset, and Indiana.

 Gordon  completed his RCM  (Royal Conservatory) A.R.C.T diploma in 2018 with honours. He has studied under Maia Vimboule, Vadim Gladkov, Rustem Kudoyarov, Noriko Ogawa, Jamie Parker. He has also briefly studied under Edward Auer, Winston Choi, Nohee Kwak, William Godfrey, Matthew Souter, and John Byrne. 

Gordon is fluent in  English and Cantonese.

Gwenna loves teaching students of all ages how to sing and play piano! Her students love her encouraging and fun personality!

Gwenna believes in the power of the arts as a catalyst for community building and social change and strives to make sure everyone has access to creative experiences, regardless of location or circumstance. She wrote the curriculum and continues to consult for and teach  “Learn English Through Song,” at The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall that facilitates language learning and community building for newcomer women through singing. Through her work at Opera Omaha, she created and facilitated programming for over 15 community partners. She is a four-time recipient of Grants in support of music and drama programming for kids in four communities in Nunavut. She has also worked as a teaching artist and consulted on curriculum development for education programming at the Canadian Opera Company and Pacific Opera Victoria. Gwenna has facilitated conversations and workshops about Teaching Artistry for Opera America and The Association for Opera in Canada, as well as many universities.

Canadian soprano and teaching artist Gwenna holds an M.Mus in Opera (University of Toronto) and a B.Mus in Voice Performance (Western University). She recently completed the Holland Community Opera Fellowship at Opera Omaha. Gwenna was a recipient of an Encouragement Award at the Nebraska District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in December 2020 and is a 2022 recipient of a grant from the Jaqueline Desmarais Foundation for Young Opera Singers. Recent performance highlights Opera Outdoors and Opera to Go (Opera Omaha), originating the role of Nature in Cries of the Earth (Artsong Collaborative Project), Berta in The Barber of Seville (Indian River Festival, Stratford Summer Music), Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte (Toronto Lyric Opera Centre / Toronto Mozart Players), and Soprano Soloist in Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (London Symphonia, Durham Youth Orchestra). This summer, Gwenna looks forward to premiering new works with the Artsong Collaborative Project. 

Gwenna teaches both online and in-person.

Jay teaches all levels of guitar, bass, ukulele as well as beginner piano and drums. He is a relaxed fun teacher who inspires by example. 

Jay Merrow has taught music for over 24 years. His main instrument is guitar, having trained hundreds of students in many styles, including rock, pop, classical, jazz, and acoustic. As a teacher, Jay is versatile in crafting an individualized program to suit the needs of every student. A student who is excited and having fun is a student who is learning--this is the philosophy Jay applies to his teaching style. 

Jay has played guitar for nearly 30 years and has played in rock and pop bands his whole career as well as attended the University of Windsor and received a bachelor of honours in classical guitar and composition.  

Jay is also a music producer and has written hundreds of songs, some of which have been licensed to TV, Film (Good Boys, Grey's Anatomy, You) and has had music played on the radio across North America (Sirius Radio, CBC). Jay plays in the band Twin Rains, who have performed hundreds of times and released two albums. 

Joel loves to teach saxophone, piano, and woodwinds. Joel uses his experience in many different genres of music from jazz, classical, and pop in his teaching. He helps his students by focusing on the fundamentals of playing their instrument, theory, and reading, along with lots of learning by ear! Developing a strong foundation with the ear allows greater freedom for students to determine the kinds of songs they want to learn. It helps them in the future if they become interested in improvisation and composing/songwriting. 

Born and raised in Toronto,  Joel Bracken  established himself as a new and unique voice on the jazz scene in the city. Joel holds a Bachelor of Music from Humber College, studying under artists including Kirk MacDonald, Alex Dean, and Mike Downes. While completing his degree, Joel performed all over the city at venues like Jazz Bistro and The Rex. 

Lennox started at BWMS as a teen and went on to get his music degree from York University. He started teaching at BWMS soon after in 2014. Lennox is a fun teacher who inspires his students. He is one of those amazing musicians that is proficient in many instruments.  (guitar, piano, drums, bass, harminica and mandolin) 
 His teaching philosophy has long maintained that music is for all to enjoy, regardless of age or ability, as he strives to instill each student with a passion, confidence, and love for music whenever possible. Lennox has also had the pleasure and privilege of coaching bands through the BWMS band program since 2017.

Lennox teaches both in-person and online.

Milen teaches violin and piano with gusto! Both online and in-person. He is a favourtie with the teens and has a diverse musical interest from classical to metal. 

As well, Milen is a Juno Award-nominated freelance composer. He began his musical studies by playing the violin at the age of 12, and soon found his interest leaning towards the music used in film, video games, and television. 

At 16, he began taking private composition lessons with University of Toronto alumni David Stone alongside his violin studies, and was given leadership roles through out his high school career including the position of Orchestral Concert Master, as well as writing music for original school productions. 

He continued his compositional studies at York University where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Special Honours in Music. During his time at York, Milen also wrote large orchestral arrangements outside of his academic studies for the student driven ‘Media Music Concert’ orchestra, where he was also offered the administrative position of Orchestra Manager and Concert Master. 

Parand enjoys teaching piano, voice and violin to students of all ages! She is finishing up her music degree at York University in classical studies after transferring to Toronto from Concordia University. Parand plans on pursuing her Master's Degree at U of T after she graduates. 

Parand is proficient in many genres of music and can teach  classical, pop, rock, folk and theatrical music. She tailors the lessons to the students needs and interests providing an inspirational learning experience.

Parand believes that music is a powerful tool for self-expression and joy, and her teaching philosophy reflects this. She combines technical training with creative exploration, beginning every lesson with physical warm-ups to support healthy playing or singing. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced musician, Parand’s enthusiasm and expertise will inspire you to unlock your potential and experience the transformative power of music!

Devon is an enthusiastic teacher and enjoys passing on his love of  music to his students. He received his MUSIC DEGREE from York University. He enjoys the spontaneity and energy of performing live with his band 'Janes Party'. He also loves immersing himself in the quiet solitude of songwriting. He has many years experiece teaching students of all ages and skill levels. He teaches guitar, ukulele, piano and songwriting.

Gianni teaches drums from Rock to Jazz. He gears each lesson to the individual students needs in order to keep it fun and engaging. He  graduated from York University with a bachelor of music degree and has been teaching lessons for over a decade. 
Gianni is an active part of the Toronto music scene playing drums in his own band ‘Ferraro’ as well as  many other local artists. 

Tom  (MMus, BEd) loves to teach guitar, ukulele and bass! Also songwriting and music production. He is a Canadian musician, recording artist, composer, and visual artist. Over the last decade he has celebrated a multifaceted career as a live performer (Jane's Party, Shad, Dwayne Gretzky, Devin Cuddy Band), recording artist (Shad, Jane's Party, Andrew Hyatt, Ferraro), film composer and songwriter (Akilla's Escape, Barbara Anne, Kim’s Convenience, Burden of Truth, Hockey Night in Canada), graphic artist (Sam Roberts Band, Heavyweights Brass Band, Dwayne Gretzky) as well as producer, engineer/mixer and music video director/editor for his own band, Jane's Party.

 Tom holds a master of music in jazz guitar performance from the University of Toronto and a bachelor of education from York University. Tom is currently a music faculty member at Humber College as well as teaching for Bloor West Music Studios a number of years.

Tom will be teaching in-person and online.