Originally from Olympia, Washington, Shanti began playing bluegrass banjo
at the age of 12. For over a decade, she has delved into the roots of
this instrument, and has found an undying love for it! In addition to
bluegrass (or Scruggs style banjo picking), Shanti also plays and teaches
clawhammer banjo.
Shanti can be heard playing in Victoria oldtime duo "The Sweet Lowdown",
as well as playing more traditional bluegrass in "Last Train".
Steve Chmilar
- Guitar
Instrument(s)/Subject(s):Guitar
Styles: Classical, Pop, Rock
Levels: Beginners to Advanced
Steven
Chmilar has been playing guitar for fifteen years and teaching for about
ten years. A description of his specific playing style will change with
the seasons and the minutes, as he is proficient in most styles of music,
including drums, bass and voice. His teaching style is directly suited
to each individual student in whatever genre they are interested in, or
whatever level they are at.
One
of his strongest attributes as a teacher is a great deal of patience,
as well as motivational skills that are so important for beginners. Previous
students, young and old have benefited from his teaching style which mixes
the "hands on" approach (playing songs and improvising) along with music
theory.
Steven
has played professionally for almost ten years in bands and as a solo
artist, played on many stages across this great land, written and recorded
two full length albums with Calgary band 'the villains' and won a national
songwriting contest at Canada music Week in Toronto in 06'. Had his music
played on rock radio stations across Canada and XM satellite radio and
has sold over 3000 albums independently. A new album is in the works with
a new drummer based out of Vancouver. Some of his music can be heard at
myspace.com/thevillainscanada
or chmilar.ca
Jeremie
Doiron - Guitar
Jeremie
Doiron started playing music at age 12, when a devoted music teacher saw
an opportunity to influence a young boys life. Though starting on drums
during his early teenage years, he quickly showed interest in stringed
instruments. Guitar became a strong passion for him, bringing his instrument
wherever he went. He would start performing at age 13 in small shows.
In his later teen years, he started experimenting with percussion instruments,
venturing off into the land of Middle Eastern, African and Latin American
percussion. Performance remained a strong drive in his musical pursuit.
In 2001, at the age of 20, Jeremie became the guitarist for a group named
The Wassabi Collective and toured extensively across Canada with them
until 2004. After playing more than 450 shows and headlining international
festivals, Jeremie decided he wanted more than just the Rock Star life.
His yearning for knowledge brought him to Nelson, B.C. where he studied
the Berkley Program of Contemporary Music and Technology at Selkirk College.
Although he would major in guitar, he would also take this time to study
piano, develop his skills as a drummer, percussionist and bassist.
Since 2005 he has been teaching, producing, engineering, writing, studying
and gigging on all instruments with countless acts across Canada. Through
these musical adventure, Jeremie would gain experience playing world music
(Latin, middle-Eastern, Indian, African, Jamaican and Caribbean), Jazz,
Electronica, Folk, Bluegrass, Rock, Fusion, Funk, R&B, Psychedelic
Rock, Jam Band and Gypsy Swing. With upwards to 1000 performances in his
repertoire, Jeremie brings a great deal of practical working knowledge
and experience to the table as a teacher. He shares his knowledge of technique,
theory, ear training, rhythm development, improvisation and many others
facets of musical education and appreciation with great enthusiasm and
precision. As a teacher, Jeremie is passionate, thorough and patient,
basing his approach on principles that are as much about musical enjoyment
as they are about discipline.
Dylan
Grier - Guitar
Instrument(s)/Subject(s)
- Guitar
Styles: Rock, Pop, Reggae, Latin,
Afrobeat, Country, Folk, Blues, Jazz (Beginner), Metal (Beginner/Intermediate), Punk, Hard Rock, Oldies, Hip-Hop
(yes, there is such a thing as "hip-hop guitar"), Soul/Motown.
Levels: Beginners to Advanced (unless specified above)
Dylan was born in Swaziland, Africa into
a rich musical environment. He began playing guitar at age 9 in our nation's
capital at the Ottawa Folklore Centre, under the tutelage of Larsen's
very own Chris Saunders, followed by Todd Snelgrove. Dylan went on to
study upright bass and the sitar. He continued to broaden his horizons
on the guitar, learning to play styles ranging from rock to folk to blues
to metal to funk to latin to pop to afrobeat. His most recent outfit,
Camp Best Friends, was an 8-piece hip-hop/funk/world music ensemble who
went on to share stages with Sam Roberts, Moses Mayes, and Blue Note recording
artists The Pocket Dwellers. Dylan is currently working on his first solo
project in Victoria, which he plans to release sometime in late 2010.
He is also engineering and composing music for a local hypnotist, a project
that will also see it's release this year.
Ken
Hall - Guitar
Ken Hall is a west coast guitarist and
flute player who was born in Toronto. He studied composition at the
Royal Conservatory of Music with Samuel Dolin. Originally a piano player,
he switched his attention to the guitar when he moved to Vancouver in
1968 where he became involved with the folk and blues scene. In 1974, he traveled
to Europe and studied flamenco guitar in Spain before spending 6 months in
Morocco, learning the Oud and Ney flute. In 1984 he moved to Victoria
and has been playing world music in many groups including, Kumbia (
latin dance band), Sunyata ( gypsy flamenco), Kettle of fish ( celtic),
Sara Marreiros ( Portugese Fado) Blue Morroco ( Algerian Rai). Ken is
a full time musician who has produced two original music CDs and played
on dozens of others. Ken was the head teacher at Old Town Strings in
Market Square for 20 years. His teaching style is based on the North
American roots, Blues, country and folk styles, Latin and world music.
Ken takes students of all ages and experience.
Carli
Kennedy - Guitar
Instrument(s)/Subject(s):
guitar
music
Styles: All styles
Levels: Beginners to Advanced
Carli
Kennedy is an award winning guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter originally
from Powell River, BC. She is best known for her work with twin sister,
Julie, in their country/roots duo "Carli and Julie Kennedy."
Carli earned her Bachelors Degree in Music Performance from the University
of Victoria in 2008 and was the 2007 National Guitar Class winner at
the BC Festival of the Performing Arts. She was also the Grand Award
winner at the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival and the third
prize winner in the guitar category at the 2007 Canadian National Music
Festival. Carli is an active musician in the classical, jazz, and folk
music scene on Vancouver Island. Carli has ten years of teaching experience,
and her students range from beginners playing guitar for the first time
to advanced students who write and perform their own music or work through
the Royal Conservatory of Music classical guitar program. She is known
for her encouraging and upbeat teaching style in a variety of genres
including classical, jazz, pop, and country music. Carli is dedicated
to creating a positive and relaxed learning environment for her students
while tailoring lessons to each individual student's skill level and
style preferences. Visit Carli's website at www.cjkennedy.com
Paul
Laverick - Ukulele Adventures Classes
Paul has been playing
the guitar for more than fourteen years in bands or as a soloist in
both Leeds, England and the Victoria area. He undertook private lessons
from Paul Judge and David Ashworth as well as studying guitar at Leeds
College of music in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. He has a good knowledge
of music theory and can play several other instruments, including
the Piano. Paul performs regularly as a soloist or with the "Hey
Marmaduke" band, among others.
Dougal
McLean - Mandolin
Dougal
McLean comes from a musical family. His mother was an elementary school
music teacher of 20 years in Prince George, BC. His earliest memories
are sitting in his mothers lap at the piano, riding her hands and picking
out harmonies at age 3. Soon after, Dougal began playing the violin.
Most recently, Dougal studied under Toni Stanick, one of the finest
instructors in Western Canada, and at age 27, has already enjoyed many
accomplishments in music. Playing professionally as a soloist with numerous
popular Canadian artists has led Dougal on to the very best stages in
BC including the Royal Theatre, the Orpheum, Macphearson Theatre, and
the Commodore Ballroom. Dougal has trained in a wide variety of classical
violin techniques including Suzuki and RCM, is well versed in fiddle
styles, and is trained in supplementary musical techniques such as Orff
and Solfege. In addition to the Violin, Dougal plays the mandolin, guitar,
and loves to sing. When not playing music, Dougal's favorite hobby is
flying; he is a transport Canada certified pilot.
Chris Saunders
- Guitar
Instrument(s)/Subject(s):
guitar and Electric Bass guitar music Styles: Rock, Blues-Rock, Folk,
Pop, Bluegrass, Flamenco, Heavy Metal, and Country Levels:
Beginners to Advanced
Chris
has been teaching guitar for fifteen years. He was previously at the
Ottawa Folklore Centre. He plays most styles of both flat-picking and
finger picking.
Mark Sheeler
- Guitar, Theory and Songwriting
Instrument(s)/Subject(s):
guitar, Theory and Song Writing music Styles: Jazz, Rock, Blues and
Classical.
Levels: Beginners to Advanced
Mark
comes to us from Hamilton, Ontario, and has been performing on the guitar
for seventeen years in both Ontario and British Columbia. Originally self-taught
on the guitar, he went to enroll at the Mohawk College's music Arts Program
to receive formal training under Toronto's Jazz Guitarist Geoff Young,
as well as learning the Piano and music rudiments. After earning his diploma,
Mark began "gigging" and teaching in the styles of Jazz, Rock, Blues and
Classical. He has been teaching professionally for four years.
Trav
Short - Electric and Upright Bass
Trav
fell in love with the electric bass guitar in 1991 and the seed of a
instrumental experimenter was planted. In
1994 he attended the music program at Grant MacEwan College. He hated
it so he quit before the end of the first year and began composing and
performing. But while there, a much larger world of music was presented
to him and the best lessons he took to heart. How to practice, how to
work hard and how to listen and play what Trav would play.
Since
his old college days Trav has performed and/or recorded with many songwriters
from all different styles. He has provided the "low end" for
local theatre and dance and has performed many times with various avant-guard/musique
actuelle collectives. The drive to create & perform original music
led to the birth of his group 'AUDio SQUADron' in 2002 where, on top
of his bass duties, he could experiment with synthesis, samples and
other electronic sound manipulations. The same year saw him join the
world-beat fusion group 'Moksha' which released their first CD 'Lady
Sun' in 2004. Self produced AUDio SQUADron albums followed in 2006 and
2008.
Playing
fretless electric bass in Moksha sparked his current love affair, the
upright bass, which he has studied with Ioan Tetel, Mike Lent and currently
with Han Han Cho. Trav is presently making many jazz and classical type
sounds and exploring his new found voice on the double bass. Over the
last 5 years he has had the privilege to play and perform live on this
giant fiddle with many other freelance musicians and instrumentalists.
Trav
has been teaching private bass lessons for the last 15 years. He feels
very passionate about this part of his musical journey. His past and
present army of bass students is 500 strong and growing every day. Trav
can easily grow
an army of bass players but cannot, to save his life, grow a beard.
Jeremie
Doiron started playing music at age 12, when a devoted music teacher saw
an opportunity to influence a young boys life. Though starting on drums
during his early teenage years, he quickly showed interest in stringed
instruments. Guitar became a strong passion for him, bringing his instrument
wherever he went. He would start performing at age 13 in small shows.
In his later teen years, he started experimenting with percussion instruments,
venturing off into the land of Middle Eastern, African and Latin American
percussion. Performance remained a strong drive in his musical pursuit.
Dougal
McLean comes from a musical family. His mother was an elementary school
music teacher of 20 years in Prince George, BC. His earliest memories
are sitting in his mothers lap at the piano, riding her hands and picking
out harmonies at age 3. Soon after, Dougal began playing the violin.
Most recently, Dougal studied under Toni Stanick, one of the finest
instructors in Western Canada, and at age 27, has already enjoyed many
accomplishments in music. Playing professionally as a soloist with numerous
popular Canadian artists has led Dougal on to the very best stages in
BC including the Royal Theatre, the Orpheum, Macphearson Theatre, and
the Commodore Ballroom. Dougal has trained in a wide variety of classical
violin techniques including Suzuki and RCM, is well versed in fiddle
styles, and is trained in supplementary musical techniques such as Orff
and Solfege. In addition to the Violin, Dougal plays the mandolin, guitar,
and loves to sing. When not playing music, Dougal's favorite hobby is
flying; he is a transport Canada certified pilot.
Trav
fell in love with the electric bass guitar in 1991 and the seed of a
instrumental experimenter was planted. In
1994 he attended the music program at Grant MacEwan College. He hated
it so he quit before the end of the first year and began composing and
performing. But while there, a much larger world of music was presented
to him and the best lessons he took to heart. How to practice, how to
work hard and how to listen and play what Trav would play.