Heather Nail

Heather Nail has been an Orff Music Specialist for the Calgary Board of Education for 20 years. She holds Orff level three certification, and has a Master of Education degree, specializing in Elementary Music. Heather teaches the choral component of the Calgary Orff Chapter summer levels course. She is the 2nd vice president of Carl Orff Canada, and presents regularly at music conferences in Canada.

Heather Nail is presenting the Calgary Elementary Choral clinic.

Erin Craig

Erin Craig (they/them) is a conductor, vocalist, composer, keyboardist, and educator born and raised in Edmonton. While completing their undergraduate degree in jazz piano at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, the desire to find a church community led them to Old South Church where they became a co-leader of the Jazz and Reflections evening worship service and taught themself to improvise keyboard accompaniment to spoken-word preaching. On their return to Edmonton, Erin found themself assisting the music ministry at Holyrood Mennonite Church and St. Albert United Church before returning to Robertson-Wesley again as a chorister, and as Interim Director of Music from 2019-2021. Erin is currently the artistic director for both Accord Ensemble and Edmonton Vocal Minority in Edmonton.

Erin Craig is presenting the Calgary Sacred Choral clinic.

Brendan Lord

Recognized for his unique blend of artistic and administrative leadership, Dr. Brendan Lord is equally comfortable in the boardroom and on the podium. As offstage leader, he is Executive Director of Choir Alberta and Principal of Prairie Arts Management and Consulting. Previously, he has served as Project Director for Podium Conference and Festival and Advisor for Alberta Music Advocacy Alliance. Artistically, he is Music Director of Edmonton’s Greenwood Singers and has conducted choirs at all levels including the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus, Spiritus Chamber Choir, Edmonton Public Schools’ All-City Children’s Choir, and Sangkor Women’s Ensemble. Between 2001 and 2016, Dr. Lord was a Sessional Instructor at the University of Alberta where he taught courses in the areas of conducting, music theory, and musicianship.

Brendan Lord is presenting the Calgary Secondary Choral clinic.

Dr. Darrin Oehlerking

Dr. Darrin Oehlerking currently serves as Associate Dean of Student Affairs for the College of Arts and Science at the University of Saskatchewan, and is Professor of Music in the USask School for the Arts. He previously served as Director of Bands and Jazz at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota, and as Music Coordinator for the Louis Riel School Division in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Dr. Oehlerking conducted the 2022 National Youth Band of Canada, held at York University in Toronto, Ontario. He has previously served as the President of the Canadian Band Association, as well as the President of the Saskatchewan Band Association. He has conducted ensembles, served as an adjudicator, conference presenter and clinician across Canada, as well as in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. He has two arrangements for wind band available from Eighth Note Publications – Regimental March of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Souvenir de Quebec. He is the editor and compiler of Winds of the North, a resource dedicated to highlighting Canadian wind band repertoire and music education.

Dr. Darrin Oehlerking is presenting the Calgary Concert Band clinic.