Music Alive Program Teaching Musician biographies
Click on each teaching musician's name to read the biography.
Meet:
- Jan Amsel (Alberta)
- Samantha Whelan (Alberta)
- Rosemarie Siever (Alberta)
- Lisa Simmermon and Brian Johnson ( Saskatchewan)
- Mary Fearon (Alberta)
- Arlene Shiplett (Teaching Musician)(Saskatchewan)
Jan Amsel (Alberta)
Jan Amsel holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Music in Violin Performance and Pedagogy from the Hartt College of Music. She studied with Andor Toth and Leonard Posner at the University of Texas and Charles Treger at Hartt College. She is currently a member of the 1st violin section of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kensington Sinfonia, and in a violin/cello duo with CPO cellist Tom Megee. In the summer, she has performed in the Aspen Music Festival, the Banff Festival and the Oregon Coast Music Festival. Ms. Amsel created and is the host of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra's highly successful Saturday Morning at the Symphony series. She also serves on the CPO Education/Outreach, Program Planning and Player's Committees, and is very active doing educational chamber performances in Calgary schools. In addition to examining throughout Canada as a member of the Royal Conservatory College of Examiners, Ms. Amsel has adjudicated festivals throughout Alberta, British Columbia and in Ottawa, and frequently leads Master Classes. She has taught private and group classes for the Calgary Suzuki Talent Education Society, as well as in the University of Texas String Project. She was also a founder of the Mount Royal College Preparatory Academy program. Ms. Amsel is currently a branch teacher of Mount Royal College Conservatory, and also maintains a private studio.
Samantha Whelan (Calgary)
Born in Canada, raised in Africa and educated in Calgary and Houston, Samantha has spent a lifetime playing the trumpet and teling stories. she has travelled internationally as a creative consultant and professional trumpet player. For the past ten years, she has been combining her love of music and education in Alberta. Samantha has produced children's presentations for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Symposium on Arts Education, the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Calgary Stampede Show Band, and her Brass Quintet, the Northern Lights.
She released her first children's CD, Rocky Mountain Fairy Tales in 2000, and was subsequently the keynote speaker at the Young Writers' Conference in Calgary in April 2003, and at the Young Audiences of Houston's annual symposium on arts-in-education in June 2001.
As a Teaching Musician for the National Arts Centre of Canada and a Calgary Arts Partnership in Education Society (CAPES) artist, Samantha continues to consult and perform in many Alberta schools. She also teaches privately at her Sun Spot Studio. Samantha performed the World Premier of her fifth rocky mountain fairy tale, Winter Solstice, with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2006. She was very excited to perform Winter Solstice again with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra on January 19, 2008.
Rosemarie Siever (Alberta)
Born and raised in Edmonton, Rosemarie Siever holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Alberta where she studied with William Street. She also received First Prizes in Saxophone Performance and Chamber Music from the Bordeaux Conservatory (France), studying under Jean-Marie Londeix. Rosemarie has performed with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the NOWAge Orchestra, and has recorded for CBC Radio (Alberta in concert, Two New Hours, Wednesdays at Winspear). Her freelancing career has allowed her to perfrom across Europe and North America.
Rosemarie Siever can frequently be seen in Edmonton, teaching clinics and performing with the Retrofitz (60's soul/70's disco at www.retrofitz.ca ), and the studio b quartet. She teaches privately and in schools, and has taught at Augustana University College and MusiCamrose Summer Camp. Rosemarie is a Teaching Artist for Learning Through the Arts, a branch of the Royal Conservatory which emphasizes teaching core curribulum concepts through an artistic approach, and she has been a Teaching Musician for the National Arts Centre of Canada since 2006, giving school presentations in both French and English.
Lisa Simmermon & Brian Johnson (Teaching Musicians)
Originally from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Lisa Simmerman is a music performance graduate of the University of Ottawa. As well as being a regular percussionist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, timpanist with the Ottawa Symphony, Assistant Conductor of the Ottawa Youth Orchestra and Director of the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra, she was also a percussion instructor for the Ottawa Board of Education as well as Ottawa and Carleton Universities. As Canada's first female professional timpanist with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Lisa also taught at Lakehead University. Moving to the prairies, she became a percussionist and, later, the Principal Timpanist of the Regina Symphony Orchestra (RSO), and spent time as the Director of the Regina Community Orchestra and the Regina Conservatory Junior Orchestra. When not working on music, Lisa provides a home-based education program for her son who has autism.
Growing up in Shaunavon in Saskatchewan's south-west corner, Brian Johnson studied both classical violin as well as western fiddling and graduated from the music performance program at the University of Regina with the Governor General's Gold Medal. After several years as a violinist with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, he returned to Saskatchewan to become Principal Second Violin of the Regina Symphony Orchestra. Brian has expanded his musical career to include crafting fine bows, violins and violas and now has bow customers around the world. A committed violin teacher, Brian offers instruction through the Regina Conservatory of Performing Arts, Regina Public Schools and the Moose Jaw Youth String Orchestra where he also directs the senior youth and adult orchestras. When not working, Brian composes and arranges music for his ensembles.
Brian and Lisa married after meeting in the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. In Regina, their business, Ambiance Music, offers string instrument sales, accessories and repairs, and offers live marimba and string music ensembles for special events. As Teaching Musicians in the Music Alive Program of the National Arts Centre of Canada, Brian and Lisa have worked with and performed for almost 9,000 elementray students across Saskatchewan from 2006 to 2008 providing music education presentations in English and French. Sharing their love of music with so many young people is a great joy which they are keen to continue over the next few years!
Mary Fearon BEd, BMus
(French Horn and Music Alive Program Teaching Musician)
Mary Fearon was born in Edmonton and holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta. While living in Toronto, she performed with many groups including the Canadian Opera Company, the Toronto Symphony, the Toronto Pops Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the York Brass.
Since returning to Edmonton, she has been a regular performer with the Edmonton Symphony, the Citadel Theatre, Alberta Baroque Ensemble, and numerous chamber ensembles. As a soloist she has been heard in recital at Alberta College, All Saints' Anglican Church, Canadian University College, Festival Place, King’s College, and the McDougall at Noon concert series.
Ms. Fearon has been a guest artist at The Call of the Wild Horn Festival in Cold Lake since its inception in 1998. She has been heard on Our Music, CBC1, and had performed in the Wednesday at Winspear series. She is currently working on a solo CD recording.
Ms. Fearon has been the horn instructor at Alberta College since 1994, and is also in demand as a clinician and adjudicator. In the fall of 2006, she founded Horns A Plenty, a horn choir with over 20 members. She is married with three daughters (two who also play the horn), and an energetic Brittany Spaniel named Beau.
Arlene Shiplett (Teaching Musician)
Arlene Shiplett was born and raised in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. She became involved in music at an early age with piano lessons, choir and both school and private band programs. She graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 1986. Arlene became a member of the Saskatoon Symphony in 1992. For several years Arlene taught Band in rural Saskatchewan and played in the Symphony. Since 2000, she has narrowed her focus to teaching horn at the University of Saskatchewan as well as private teaching and coaching.
Arlene has performed with Prairie Virtuosi, Regina Symphony Orchestra, Brandon Chamber Orchestra, Saskatoon Philharmonic, Saskatoon Opera, North Saskatchewan Wind Symphony and Saskatoon Concert Band.
Her recent accomplishments include winning the Dwaine Nelson Teaching Award, conducting the mass horn choir at the Call of the Wild horn conference, and performing with the International Brass Quintet at the International Peace Gardens. Arlene may be seen every summer performing on the Saskatchewan Western Development Museum's Steam Calliope - one of a few in playing condition in North America. She is married to Lee Springett. They have no children and 7 horns.
