Our Teachers

Introducing Our Teachers

Evan Buckland

Guitar

From a musical family, Evan began playing guitar in 1995, and has been studying privately with jazz guitarist and educator Gary Benson since 2000. Evan received the Departmental Music Award from W.A Porter Collegiate in 2002.

Evan completed the four year Humber College Jazz Studies program with honors in 2006. He has also completed the Royal Conservatory of Music requirements in Theory Rudiments and Basic Harmony (2009/2010). Evan continues to study, and to perform whenever possible.

Evan has been teaching at Springboard for more than fifteen years and continues to make an impact to this day.

Joseph Hsieh

Piano

Born in Taiwan, Joseph Hsieh began his musical training at an arts high school in Taipei, where he studied piano and voice. He went on to earn his Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music in Ohio.

Joseph has dedicated many years to teaching piano to children in Taiwan and Canada. He joined Springboard to Music several years ago and finds great joy in helping students grow through music.

Carlo Santo-Domingo

Bass, Guitar

Laying down good vibes one note at a time, Carlo Santo Domingo is a Toronto-based musician who’s basis as a bassist creates bases for other musicians to shine.

Working through his skills as a multi-instrumentalist, producer and performer, Carlo’s fascination in music began in his childhood, where he was raised amongst a musical family. Carlo learned how to play the ukulele from his father, who himself was also a multi-instrumentalist and singer.

At York University, Carlo focused his studies in the jazz stream, learning from notable professors such as Artie Roth, Sundar Viswanathan and Michael Cado.

Gordon Brown

Piano, Voice

Gordon Brown was born in Blind River, Ontario as his parents were living in nearby Iron Bridge. He began piano lessons at age nine, and then continued with studies in piano, organ and voice in Sault Ste. Marie. In 1982 he relocated to Toronto to enrol in the Piano Performance Programme at The Faculty of Music, University of Toronto where he studied with Patricia Parr and Greta Kraus. He graduated in 1986.

Since 2007 he has undertaken many courses at the Austrian International Chamber Music Festival, “Allegro Vivo”, where his mentors have been Roland Batik (piano), Peter Ovtcharov (piano and composition), and Vienna State Opera performer, Wolfgang Bankl (voice). Gordon’s career in Toronto has been as a church organist, a pianist for ballet, a synagogue chorister and a vocal accompanist and coach. He has also presented concerts at The Donauschwaben Club in Scarborough and at Club Loreley in Oshawa.

Dianne Ball

Piano, Voice

Dianne is an enthusiastic music educator. She has been involved with Springboard to Music since 2012, teaching Movement to Music, as well as piano and voice lessons. Working with the TDSB, she taught kindergarten to grade 8 students vocal and instrumental music, conducted various choirs and bands, and produced an assortment of seasonal concerts.

A lifelong singer, Dianne has been a member of Oriana Women’s Choir for over 40 years, and sings with, and has directed her church choir.

Colin Hassell

Drums + Guitar, Bass

A professional drummer in the Toronto area, Colin is experienced in Jazz, Hip-Hop, R&B, Rock, Pop, Metal, and more. He studied at Humber College in the Bachelor of music program under the tutelage of Mark Kelso, Larnell Lewis, Don Vickery, and Paul Delong.

Colin has performed professionally for a wide variety of bands and private events. He has been an AV technician for live events and was a teacher and director at School of Rock Streetsville. This has included leading a tour in Portugal & Spain. He is also skilled as an open format DJ and MC.

TBA

Teacher Alum

We thank all of our teachers, past and present, for their contributions to Springboard to Music over the years.

Braden Lovatt

Nicole Bower

Juan Carlos Medrano

Derek Gray

Catherine Lambert

Pete Albis

Phyllis Coulter

David Ellis

Deanna Mann

Piano, Voice, Ukulele, Guitar, Bass

Deanna is a Toronto-based music theatre performer and musician, and a graduate of Randolph College for the Performing Arts. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Deanna also attended St. Francis Xavier University for Jazz Studies in voice, and has been a recipient of the Nova Scotia Talent Trust Awards.

Deanna is currently pursuing studies to become a public school music teacher.

Anthony Manongsong

Piano, Drums, Bass

Anthony is a Toronto-based musician who spent his childhood and youth in Scarborough, Ontario. He grew up singing in the TCDSB’s Voce Choir and learning piano, and later chose to further his education by completing Humber College’s Introduction to Commercial Jazz Music graduate certificate on bass.

Anthony learned at York University with Mike Cado, Robi Botos, Barry Romberg, Noam Lemish, Nicole Sinclair-Anderson, and Kelly Jefferson. He was awarded both the Douglas Menzie Phillips Jazz Scholarship and the Oliver Lower Jazz Piano Prize.

Benjamin Stein

Piano, Guitar, Ukulele

Pianist, guitarist, lutenist, composer and singer Benjamin Stein has performed with Tafelmusik Baroque Chamber Choir, Opera Atelier, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Elora Festival Singers, Toronto Masque Theatre and Soundstreams Canada.

An associate music director at Metropolitan United Church of Toronto, he has written articles on music and culture for the Toronto Star and Wholenote Magazine.

In 2016, we congratulated Celia McGuinness for receiving John McKay's annual Volunteer Recognition Award. Springboard To Music thanks Celia for over a decade of work and countless hours towards ensuring STM's success.