Music Makes Us

Holly has extensive experience with organizational leadership in the not-for-profit sector.  Through her business Opis, she has provided management, governance and facilitation services to social service and arts organizations.  Her work has included a focus on children, youth and families, youth leadership and diverse communities, as well as community development and engagement.  She previously served as the Executive Director for the College of Midwives of Ontario and Director of Operations for YWCA Canada. She has also served on several Boards, including a period on the Coalition Board in 2005.  She is currently the Vice-President of the Transitional Council of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario.

Holly grew up in a musical household, and has a living understanding of the value of music education for young people and Canadian culture.  Her father Dr. Phil Nimmons is a well-known music educator, composer and performer.  Her mother Dr. Noreen Spencer-Nimmons was a classically trained pianist and a brilliant musician.

Holly has supported music education programs in schools, and has actively engaged with students, parents, teachers and administrators in the school system.  Most of her professional life has involved advocating for social change and being a public voice for action.

Spencer Phillips is a dedicated champion of the arts. As an artist himself, his musical journeys have led him to perform in Africa, Europe and North America. Spencer brings 10 years of experience in the music industry, advocacy and non-profit sector to his role as Communications and Outreach Coordinator. Prior to joining the Coalition for Music Education, he fulfilled the role of Member Services at the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.

Born in Botswana to South African parents, his family immigrated to Canada when he was 3 three years old. Mirroring his older siblings who both shared a deep love of music, Spencer developed a passion for writing music and understanding the ‘ins and outs’ of the music industry. He studied at Ryerson University and the Harris Institute of the Arts, where he earned an Arts Management diploma. Spencer is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, Society of Composers Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, Songwriters Association of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Musicians. His volunteer service includes work with the Canadian Cancer Society and the Nelson Mandela’s Children Fund.

Charlie was born in Newfoundland and has lived in Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Northern Ontario. As a freelance performing artist, he has performed with the Symphony Orchestras in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, and Timmins. He has shared his passion for music through teaching in the Canadian Forces and private instruction within Northern communities.

He has had extensive involvement with non-profit organizations. His previous experience includes being the President of the Laurentian University Student Union. Currently, he is situated in Toronto, Ontario and is involved with the Toronto and York Region District Labour Council, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Faculty of Graduate Studies Council at York University and several community Boards.

Currently, Charlie is completing his Masters degree in (Medical) Ethnomusicology at York University and is a part of the York University Symphony Orchestra and the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. His previous experiences and passions are rooted in advocacy for youth, quality education and equity. He feels that working with the Coalition for Music Education will allow him to continue to pursue these endeavours.

Past President, Coalition for Music Education in British Columbia

Norman Mould was born in Toronto and educated there, in South Africa and England. He lived and worked in London for 25 years before moving to Vancouver with his family in 1990.

He was drawn into advocating for music education when the programme in which his two daughters were enrolled was threatened with extinction. For him, the value of school music, which he had always accepted almost as an article of faith, was reinforced when his older daughter – then in the throes of adolescent angst – remained in high school purely because music offered her the stability, focus and discipline she needed. (She went on to win a scholarship to study jazz and is now an early childhood educator in Toronto.)

His experiences in British Columbia make it clear that we cannot afford to take our music programmes for granted. Politicians and administrators at the provincial and municipal levels often overlook the importance of the arts in general, and music in particular, in the creation both of well-rounded individuals and of a society capable of focusing on more than just the commercial. They need to be reminded, continuously and in as many ways as possible, that music matters.

He became President of the BC Coalition for Music Education in 1997 and joined the board of the national body in 2006. Norman is a marketing research consultant and editor of the Coalition eNewsletter.

Eric Favaro is respected nationally and internationally as an innovator and advocate for effective programs in Music and Arts Education. Trained as a music educator, Eric taught instrumental and classroom music in Calgary and in Cape Breton. He served as Arts Education Consultant with the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board, and later as Arts Education Consultant with the Nova Scotia Department of Education. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Music Education, as well as a doctorate in Organizational Development and Leadership. Eric publishes frequently and continues to work on curriculum committees and other projects through provincial Ministries of Education and Federal agencies.

Eric served as president of the Nova Scotia Music Educators’ Association from 1993-95, and president of the Canadian Music Educators’ Association from 1995-97. He initiated and chaired the first National Symposium on Arts Education (Cape Breton, 1997), and served on the board for the International Society for Music Education from 2000-04. He has received numerous honours and awards, including the Musica Viva award and NSMEA Honourary Life Member designation for his contributions to music education in Nova Scotia, and the Jubilate Award of Merit and Executive Award from the Canadian Music Educators Association for his national and international work.

Eric feels his experiences as a music educator, arts administrator and member of many boards ranging from education to government to corporate, have prepared him to contribute to the Board of Directors for the Coalition for Music Education in Canada. He also brings to the table a strong network of national international contacts who also share his passion for the importance of music in everyone’s lives. He looks forward to contributing to the Coalition in a meaningful way.

After receiving his B Music (majoring in music education) from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio, Greg taught school music in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Greg is a founding executive member of both the Saskatchewan Band Association and Ontario Band Association, past president of the National Association of School Music Dealers, and is currently on the boards of the Coalition for Music Education in Canada, the NAMM (The International Music Products Association) Foundation Research Division and the Music Achievement Council. Greg played professionally for 25 years as the principal percussionist of the Regina Symphony Orchestra.

After spending 36 years in music education and music retail, he is semi-retired and lives in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Optimist Club of Aurora.

Rob began his career with Yamaha in 1971 in Winnipeg. He distinguished himself as Yamaha’s first Guitar teacher in Canada, and worked as well in retail sales. He taught the pilot Yamaha Classroom Guitar course “Get into Guitar” that was developed by Lee Bartel as part of his Masters Degree. Teaching in both the Yamaha Music School and Junior High classes in the Winnipeg School System, Rob often taught over 300 guitar students per week, and motivated many young students to start their musical careers.

As the Yamaha Music School programs continued to grow across Canada, Rob transferred to the new Head Office in Toronto (1980), where he became the Regional Sales Consultant for Ontario. In 1986 he was appointed the Keyboard Division Sales Manager. Rob was promoted to Director of the Music Instrument Division in 1999, and in 2002 he became the Vice President Music al Instrument Group. In 2006, Rob was appointed Corporate Vice President Planning and Relations Division, the position he currently holds.

Rob and his wife Rose have three grown children and enjoy spending time with their 4 grandchildren. Rob still enjoys music as a personal hobby, and works actively for music education at Yamaha, to continue to promote music, particularly among children, whom he sees as the key to music of the future. Rob looks forward to offering his experience and support to the Coalition for Music Education in Canada.

Jane retired from 32 years in education in 2008. She taught music at the elementary and secondary level with the former North York Board of Education and the York Region District School Board, just north of Toronto, and spent 15 years in the Curriculum Department of YRDSB as music consultant, arts coordinator and curriculum coordinator before becoming the Student Success Administrator.

Jane is a graduate of the Faculty of Music, and the Faculty of Education, U. of T. and holds a Masters of Education degree from OISE/UT. She has been a professional flute player and sings with the Bell’Arte Singers

Jane is the President of the Ontario Educational Leadership Centre. She is thePast-Chair of the Coalition for Music Education in Canada, and has been a Director of both the Ontario Music Educators’ Association (1990 – 2006) and the Canadian Music Educators Association (2001 – 2009).  Jane is an Honorary Life Member of the OMEA.

Mary Ann is presently the Instructional Coordinator for Music, Dance, Drama , Visual and Media Arts and Health and Physical Education (K-12) for the Peel District School Board. She has taught Music for that last 27 years at the elementary, secondary and college levels in both Manitoba and Ontario and has a strong interest in arts education and advocacy, instrumental, world music and jazz education as well as curriculum, instruction and assessment. In her tenure as Head of Music at Cawthra Park S.S., home of one of Peel's regional arts programs, she has directed numerous award winning ensembles from wind ensembles to vocal and instrumental jazz ensembles/combos who twice represented Canada at the annual IAJE conference. A frequent contributor to The Recorder, and presenter at numerous local and provincial arts and literacy symposiums and conferences for teachers and administrators, Mary Ann has also been the recipient of two IAJE Outstanding Jazz Director Awards, various Peel Board Awards of Distinction, and OSSTF Teacher Recognition Award, and an OASPHE Advocacy Award for Health and Physical Education advocacy in Ontario.

John White began his teaching career in Whitehorse, Yukon as the music teacher at F. H. Collins Secondary School. .After leaving Whitehorse, he taught elementary band in Langley School District and then spent time in the Kamloops and Coquitlam School Districts as Fine Arts Coordinator. .A former Director of the New Westminster and District Concert Band, he is now working with the Senior Band once again. John is a Past-President of the British Columbia Music Educators' Association, the British Columbia Choral Federation, the British Columbia Administrators of Arts Education, the Pacific Coast Music Festivals Association, Art Starts in Schools and a Past-Chairman of MusicFest Canada: Canadian Concert Band Festival. Mr. White has served extensively as an adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor throughout British Columbia, the Yukon Territory, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. He has just retired after 16 years with the Burnaby School District where he served as Director of Instruction responsible for visual and performing arts programming for students K – 12. During his tenure he showed a commitment to developing innovative music programs. John White has demonstrated outstanding and enduring personal commitment to BC’s arts and education community. He has worked as an educator and arts-in-education advocate for over 20 years. He serves on the Board of Vancouver Opera.

After receiving a B.Mus from the University of BC, Keith spent two years working for the BC Provincial Government in the Ministry of Skills, Education and Labour as a project manager and program facilitator. Since that time, Keith has worked for St. John's Music for the past 12 years, and is currently their General Manager. Keith has served on the board of directors for the Abbotsford Symphony Orchestra and the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival and has been a member of both the Vancouver Cantata Singers and the Saskatoon Chamber Singers. In addition, Keith is in the midst of completing an MBA through Athabasca University in St. Albert, AB. Keith is married with three young children, lives in Winnipeg, and enjoys gardening, golf and cooking.

Theodora Stathopoulos has been a music specialist at Fine Arts Core Education School since 1990 and became head it’s string department in 2000. Ensembles under her direction have won distinctions and awards including CMEA’s Christopher Gledhill Award for Best Symphony Orchestra (2005) and Wilfred Harvey Award for Best Chamber Orchestra (2003). Theodora collaborates regularly with the Music Education Departments of McGill University and the Université de Québec à Montréal in their teacher – training programs. She is a reviewer and presenter for the Quebec Ministry of Education and has been invited to present in many conferences including ISME (Tenerife, 2004/Bologna, 2008), United Nations' World Conference on Climate Change (Montreal, 2005) and UNESCO's World Conference on Art Education (Lisbon, 2006). Theodora is Past President of the QMEA and is presently serving as President of CMEA and as member of ISME’s board of directors. In 2006 she was awarded the Canadian Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

*The Coalition and the Canadian Association of Music Educators have a reciprocal agreement whereby the President/Chair or delegate from each organization serves on the other’s Board. The intent is that our organizations work together to inform, assist and complement each other’s work for the benefit of Canadian music education.

Geneviève Cimon is the Director of Music Education at Canada’s National Arts Centre where she overseas programs in young artist training, teacher enrichment, youth and family programming, adult learning, community engagement, and music education advocacy on both national and international scales. In the NAC’s 40th anniversary year, these programs engaged 40 partners from across the country to reach 120,000 individuals in live performance and over 200,000 on-line. Geneviève has a diverse background in piano performance, English literature, ethnomusicology, communications and music education. She holds and A.R.T.C. in piano performance, B.A.s in English and Music from the university of Ottawa, an M.A. York University, and pursued doctoral studies at McGill University before joining the NAC in 2002.

Dr. Mark Hopkins is a Conductor and Associate Professor in the School of Music at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.  In addition to his academic duties, Dr. Hopkins is much in demand as a guest conductor and music education consultant.  Since 2003, Dr. Hopkins is Associate Conductor of the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra, Canada’s premiere honour band for advanced high school and university students.

Russell Stachiw spent 36 years as a music educator teaching instrumental music in elementary and secondary schools of the City of Toronto. He has toured North America, Caribbean, South Pacific, Europe and Asia conducting award winning student ensembles and giving workshops to local students and educators. He retired from the Toronto Catholic District School Board having spent his last 7 years as Supervisor of Music.

Russ is past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Music Education in Canada, a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Band Association (Ont.) and a voting member of the Canadian Music Centre.

Dennis Tupman. Teacher, administrator, adjudicator, choral conductor, b Victoria, BC, 19 May 1936; B ED (British Columbia) 1964, M ED (British Columbia) 1969. After teaching elementary and secondary school in Kitimat, BC he became performing arts district principal for the Vancouver School Board in 1971. Tupman has dedicated himself to promoting the notion that 'the arts are for everyone and that we should strive for excellence in artistic performance and learning.' He has been active in support organizations including the Vancouver Foundation, and the BCMEA, of which he was president 1975-7. He became president of CMEA in 1991. Tupman has been director of many church and community choirs, and in demand as an adjudicator of choral and instrumental ensembles at music festivals across Canada. A frequent guest lecturer on the arts, he has contributed to educational journals including the Canadian Music Educator, BC Music Educator, and BC Teacher. In 1988 the BCMEA recognized Tupman's influence on music education in the province by awarding him honorary life membership.

Dennis was a member of the Coalition board for a number of years. His term ended in 2008. His commitment to Coalition goals is unparalleled and his support of our work, even though he is no longer on the board, is impressive. He continues to talk and write about the Coalition and our activities. He has been responsible for securing hundreds of names for the National Effort and there are numerous advocacy articles by Dennis on the Coalition website. He truly exemplifies what the Coalition is all about and deserves very much to be recognized as an Honorary Life Member.

A graduate of the University of Toronto and the Royal Conservatory of Music, Lois studied the Orff approach at the Royal Conservatory and in Salzburg Austria. She is the former head of the Orff programme for the Toronto Board of Education and taught courses in Orfl General Music Education and Music For Children Who Have Special needs at York University in Toronto. Lois was also the Course Director of the Orff Teachers Course at the Royal Conservatory of Music.

She has given workshops and courses in every province in Canada, across the United States, in France, Great Britain, Finland and South Africa. Lois has written many articles and is the author of Music For Fun Music For Learning (Appronons par la musique), The Goat with the Bright Red Socks, Musictime K-6, come on Everybody Let's sing, (Epanouissons-nous par la musique), and Music For All. She edited An Orff Mosaic From Canada / Orff au Canada: une mosaique and co-authored two books using music to help profoundly deaf children learn to talk and sing.

Lois is a Fellow of the Royal Conservatory of Music, an honourary member of the Ontario Music Educators Association and Carl Orff Canada and has received the Jubilate award from the Canadian Music Educators Association.

George Bishop's music career can be traced back to 1950 when he began as salesman, then Sales Manager and finally President of Turner Musical Instruments Ltd. until 1972. He was the founder and first President and Director of MIAC – Music Industry Association of Canada and Honorary Life member of MIAC – 1972 to the present time. He was also the Director of the Canadian Bureau for the Advancement of Music from 1966 until 1973.

George Bishop's leadership led to the following impressive contribution to keeping music education available to students of all ages.

Co-owner and president of Greene Music Ltd. 1972 to 1978
Co-owner and president of Bishop Music Ltd. 1978 to 1981
Founder, first president and Director of CMIEC, Canadian Music Industry Education Committee, 1976 to 2003
Education Manager for Long & McQuade Music Ltd. 1981 to 2002
Founder, First President and Executive Director of the Coalition for Music Education Canada, 1992 to 2004
Industry representative to OMEA (Ontario Music Educators Association)
1982 to 2001, Board member 2001 to 2004 – Honorary Life Member
Industry representative and Director of the Canadian Music Educators Association
CMEA 1982 to 2002. Honorary Life member and recipient of Jubilate Award of Merit
Member of the Music Task Force for the Toronto Board of Education 1997 to 2002
Member of the Music Advisory Committee for the Toronto Board of Education 2002 to present.