Dr. Lori Lynn Penny operates an independent studio near Ottawa, teaching all subjects of music theory at all levels. She is a long-standing member of The Royal Conservatory’s College of Theoretical Examiners, marking rudiments, history, harmony, and analysis examinations. She is also a co-author of RCM’s Celebrate Theory series, from preparatory through level 8. 

 

Lori Lynn has a BMus in Elementary School Music, a DipFA in Music Education (specializing in the Kodály Method), an MA in Music Theory, and a PhD in Education (specializing in Teaching, Learning, and Evaluation), with research centered on the topic of Music Theory Pedagogy.

 

Lori Lynn joined the Edmonton Branch of ARMTA in 1992, transferring her membership to the Ottawa Region Branch of ORMTA in 1998. Having served the ORB Council as Treasurer since 2002, she is excited to become Treasurer of ORMTA’s Provincial Council.

Tania began her musical studies at the age of 4 in Ottawa, studying with Sonia Pescatore. She excelled through the various young performing arts clubs and participated in local, provincial and national competitions, winning many top prizes, awards and scholarships. She continued her studies at the University of Ottawa, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Modern Languages. She also earned the Associateship of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto in Piano Pedagogy and is passionate about musical education. Tania also studied vocal accompaniment with the Manhattan School of Music in NYC. 

She has performed as a soloist, accompanist and chamber musician for many organizations and as an invited quest at the Italian Embassy and the National Arts Center. She has collaborated with many internationally renowned musicians and composers such as Nancy Telfer, Stephen Chatman and Christopher Norton who called her “a musically sensitive player that is a true artist.” After completing her studies, she was asked to come on as Faculty at Camerata Music, a unique teaching studio in the Westboro area of Ottawa. 

Tania was responsible for bringing Contemporary Showcase back to the National Capital Region where she was the Centre Coordinator for 15 years. She is Past President of the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Registered Music Teacher’s Association and also chairs the annual Canada Music Week auditions and recitals. She also had a two year term on Provincial Council for ORMTA. She is the Past President of the Ottawa West Junior Music Club as well its Chair of the Audition and Programming Committee, a title she held for 10 years. 

As well as teaching privately, Tania teaches the Music for Young Children program; she is a certified Music for Young Children Teacher Trainer and has traveled across North America training teachers on the MYC philosophy. She has given workshops at various piano pedagogy conferences across North America as part of her passion for instilling a love of music in young children. Tania has also been a judge for the past 18 years in the world’s largest composition festival which is held in Ottawa as part of the Music for Young Children program. 

Tania has accompanied for various instruments as well as at ballet studios throughout Ontario and Quebec, with a focus on accompanying for voice students and professional singers. In 2012 she was the Musical Director for "You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown." In 2015, she was the pianist for the touring production of "La Bohème" through Ottawa’s Bytown Operantics, Toronto’s Opera by Request and Sudbury’s Theater Cambrian series. In 2018 she was the accompanist for Suzart’s “James and the Giant Peach” production. In 2016, she co-founded the South Ottawa Performing Arts Collaborative (SOPAC) with her business partner, Ottawa-born soprano Morgan Strickland. Tania is Co-Artistic Director or SOPAC and has taken on the role as Producer for 5 seasons of operas. SOPAC is part of Ottawa’s opera scene since their first season including a hugely successful double bill production of Puccini’s “Suor Angelica” and Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci”, Massenet’s “Cendrillon” to name a few. Tania has also been the Co-Creator, Artistic Director and Music Director and accompanist for 6 seasons of SOPAC’s musical theater summer camps where they have put on fully staged productions of "Frozen" and "Aristocats" to name a few. 

Tania maintains a very active accompaniment schedule as well as repetiteur. She has just begun her second season as accompanist for Musica Ebraica in Ottawa.

Mary Lim, M.A. (Mozarteum), B.A.Hons., F.T.C.L., L.T.C.L., L.R.A.M., L.R.S.M., R.M.T., piano educator and harpsichordist, has had a diverse music career. Other than teaching privately, she appeared as a pianist and harpsichordist in solo, chamber and orchestral performances in north America, Asia and Europe as well as recorded for radio and television. For the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, she coached ensembles and served as an examiner. She has also been a speaker in music presentations and workshops.

 

Professional development and volunteering are also essential in enriching Mary’s life. She has held various board or executive positions in a number of not-for-profit organizations in Ontario.

Joyce began studying piano at a young age and went on to learn saxophone in high school, eventually focusing on saxophone performance during her undergraduate degree. She received her Honours Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education from Lakehead University in 2013 and went on to obtain her Master of Arts (with a focus in Ethnomusicology) from York University in 2016.

 

Joyce has taught saxophone, piano, theory and music history to students of all ages in the Greater Toronto Area and Thunder Bay for 12 years. Her research focus during her Masters examined the relationship between music education and social justice, and she continues to be passionate about making music education accessible for every child. She is currently an elementary teacher with Lakehead Public Schools in Thunder Bay. 

Sandra Mason graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance degree and subsequently did studies at Wilfred Laurier University and Opera East in Nova Scotia. She has sung professionally in recitals, opera, oratorios and musical theatre throughout Ontario and Western New York. Sandra is also a clinician, adjudicator and choral director and is presently the President of the Niagara Falls Branch of ORMTA.

 

Sandra’s great passion is teaching voice and she has been running a busy studio for over 30 years while also being an involved ORMTA member. Sandra gears her teaching to students’ individual needs and works with singers from the beginner level to the Masters level. Her goal is to bring the best out of all students, encouraging a sound vocal technique, good musicianship skills and a love of music that will be carried with them for the rest of their lives. She approaches everything with a positive attitude and helps students of all ages gain self-confidence through their studies.

 

Many of Sandra’s students have gone on to successful singing careers in performance both nationally and internationally, music education, music therapy, composition and music criticism. She has had several students who have won provincial competitions (including the ORMTA Provincial Voice Competition) and who have received the RCM Gold Medal from the Grade 1 Level to the Grade 10 level inclusively. Sandra feels very blessed to have music in her life and to be able to share it with others.

Jo-Anne Westover began her piano lessons at 10 years old. By the age of 15, she was in Grade 10 piano, studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, and went on to complete her ARCT in Pedagogy and Performance, winning the Katharine Sinclair prize for History. She credits her piano teachers Simone Lesley, Laurie Evan Fraser, Earle Moss, Leslie Kinton and Joseph Macerollo for their contribution to her learning and success. 

 

Jo-Anne’s goal is to provide as many learning opportunities for her students as possible. Mock exams, master classes, trips to the opera, and various festival and performance opportunities are just some of the ways that Jo-Anne has given her students confidence in themselves and their abilities. Many students under her care have gone on to win medals and scholarships for their achievements. Every year for the past 15 years, she has been honoured to have her senior students chosen to compete at the Provincial Level, in which many of these students have won the top awards for their level. In 2018, Jo-Anne was voted by her peers to receive an award from the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association (OCTA) for her teaching. 

 

With a little encouragement and guidance, students rise above and exceed what they think is possible. Jo-Anne’s hope is that the lessons learned from her teaching will help students achieve great things in whatever field they choose.