66 Hearst Way (Unit #4)
Kanata, Ontario, K2L 2P4
Lesson Centre: Phone or Text (613) 595-1235
Store Phone: (613) 595-1035
Fax: (613) 595-1175
Lesson Centre Email: kanatalessons@long-mcquade.com
Store Email: kanata@long-mcquade.com
Lesson Centre Hours
*April 2023 Holiday Hours*:CLOSED: Friday, April 7
OPEN: Saturday, April 8, Sunday, April 9 & Monday, April 10
Monday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Tuesday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Wednesday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Thursday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Friday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Our Teachers:
AMIR MESHGINI (Guitar, Ukulele) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Lessons offered in English and Persian
Amir Meshgini holds a Bachelor of Classical Guitar Performance from Art University of Tehran. During his career he has participated in many master classes with renowned classical guitarists like William Kanengiser, Rene Izquierdo and Marcin Dyla. He is currently pursuing Master of Music in University of Ottawa where he is working with globally known composer and classical guitarist Patrick Roux. He has been teaching guitar and music theory to music students from different ages for over 7 years. His enthusiasm in teaching has always led him to studying modern pedagogical approaches in music to create the optimal situation for every student in each lesson based on their personalities, their cultural and musical backgrounds and their needs.
$24 per 1/2hr. Lesson
BRANDON CURTIS (Voice, Guitar) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Brandon Curtis studied at Vanier College in the Professional Music Technique program as a jazz vocalist, holds a degree in Audio Techniques from Recording Arts Canada and has been teaching since 2015. Brandon is a singer/songwriter/guitarist who enjoys performing solo and in bands whether it be jazz, rock, punk, metal, acoustic, folk or pop among others. Brandon’s lessons are tailored to the individual needs and expectations of the student with the belief that music should always be fun, thus charisma and humour are fundamental parts of how he encourages his students.
$25 per 1/2hr. lesson
BRENDA GRIFFITH (Piano, Voice) Registration Request
Online Lessons: No
Brenda Griffith holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Ottawa with a major in voice. She continues to study for the A.C.C.M. in Vocal Performance with Conservatory Canada. She is also a pianist, having completed the requirements for the Grade 9 piano exam with the Canadian National Conservatory of Music. She began studying voice at the age of 7 and piano at the age of 6. She has performed at many events, including singing the national anthem at both the Ontario Provincial Swimming Championships and the Minto Skating Club Annual Ice Show. As well she has performed as a chorister in a concert at the NAC with the Lawrence Ewashko Singers and on Parliament Hill on Canada Day with Astronaut Chris Hadfield. Brenda has been teaching voice and piano for 15 years.
$24 per 1/2hr. Lesson
CHERYL TRACHY-GOULET (Flute, Saxophone, Clarinet) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Cheryl is an experienced educator, with over 20 years of teaching in classrooms ranging from kindergarten to Grade 12. She holds a M.Ed. from the University of Ottawa and a B. Mus and a B.Ed. from Queen’s University. In addition to her experience as a high school instrumental music teacher, she has taught privately and has engaged with community programmes offering music education. Her specialization in private instruction is flute and woodwinds. Cheryl is dedicated to making a musical education an engaging and varied experience, incorporating theory, history and listening activities in all her lessons.
$25 per 1/2hr. lesson
CHRIS STEPHENSON (Drums) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Lessons offered in French and English
Chris Stephenson began his passion for playing drums at the ripe age of 12. At 18 years old, and a recent graduate of high school, Chris began his drumming career as a professional touring/recording artist gaining two JUNO Nominations and over a dozen world tours under his belt, to date.
With his experiences as a professional touring/recording artist and masterclass clinician, Chris is now focusing on his knowledge of theory and application in drum performance towards his first educational book ‘The Rhythm Trees’. Having studied under the likes of Alex Landenburg, Thomas Lang, Chris Coleman, Benny Greb, Matt Garstka and Aquiles Priester, Chris has developed his own approach to drumming in hopes to influence, educate and inspire drummers locally and globally. Chris proudly endorses Los Cabos Drumsticks, Mapex Drums, Murat Diril Cymbals and Remo Percussion.
$24 per 1/2hr. lesson.
CHRIS ZIMMERMAN (Drums) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Chris has been providing private drum lessons in Ottawa since 2007, and has performed professionally in various bands and projects for over 10 years. He has performed in every province and territory in Canada. Some notable performances that Chris has participated in include the multi award winning record "Signal Fire" by Twin Flames, Folk On The Rocks Main stage in Yellowknife NWT with Twin Flames 2016, Dragonboat Festival Opening for Half Moon Run with Twin Flames 2017 and Bluesfest Main Stage opening for The Backstreet Boys with Kyle Ivan 2019. On top of performing as a drummer, Chris also sings and plays guitar in his own project Chris Zimmerman & The Weather. The Weather toured across the country in 2018, played The Calgary Stampede in 2019 and opened for Canadian music icon Alan Doyle at a festival in Kuujjuac, Quebec, also in 2019. Chris will tailor the lesson plan to your musical goals and needs, while keeping the lesson fun and engaging.
$24 per 1/2hr. Lesson
DANIEL MILLER (Piano) Registration Request
Online Lessons: No
Daniel has been teaching piano for seven years. He acquired his Bachelor of Music specializing in performance in 2022 from the University of Ottawa. There, he studied with Andrew Tunis and Frédéric Lacroix to become a classically trained pianist. He hopes to provide an encouraging and fun environment where his students can thrive. His goal is to train his students to be intuitive musicians who can confidently and comfortably play with musical expressivity.
$24 per 1/2hr. lesson.
DAVID WILLIAMSON (Guitar, Bass) Registration Request
Online Lessons: No
Dave is a passionate and highly dedicated Juno-winning guitar player. He has nearly a decade of experience teaching and has been performing live music since the age of 14. Over the past few years, Dave has performed all over Canada and has travelled to Germany and the USA performing with the Juno-winning Angelique Francis Band. To back up his musical experience, Dave also has a Bachelor of Music degree from Carleton University which he graduated from in 2019 with High Distinction. To ensure the best possible experience for his students, Dave creates well balanced lesson plans that are engaging, fun, informative and disciplined. Topics such as technique, music theory, ear-training, song learning and performance psychology are all key points of focus during his lessons. He is proficient in many styles of contemporary guitar including pop, country, rock, metal, jazz and more.
$24 per 1/2hr. lesson
FRANCOIS LACELLE (Guitar, Ukulele) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Lessons offered in French and English
François Lacelle began his studies at Cambrian College under Philip Candelaria. He then pursued a Bachelor of Music at the University of Ottawa and is currently studying his Masters of Music in classical guitar with Patrick Roux. He has participated in master classes with world renowned guitarists Jérôme Ducharme, Marcin Dylla, Lorenzo Micheli and Gabriel Bianco. François is an experienced teacher and a versatile player with repertoire ranging from Renaissance music, Classical, Rock and Blues.
$25 per 1/2hr. lesson
JACOB CLARKE (Guitar, Bass, Double Bass) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Jacob is a guitarist/bassist who graduated from performance studies at Carleton University. He has performed many styles of music at a variety of venues ranging from festivals such as Bluesfest to restaurants, cafes, and hotels. He has recorded studio albums, toured with bands, and recorded for television as well as live-stream shows. Jacob's teaching is tailored to every individual, and his method is to always listen, engage with, and enjoy music.
$25 per 1/2hr. lesson.
JAMES REID (Drums, Piano) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Lessons offered in French and English
James is a drummer and pianist. He has toured 15 countries and 9 provinces as a session drummer with various rock and pop artists and is the current recording/touring drummer for Double Experience. James has studied at Carleton University with (the late) Chuck Burrows, as well as online with Dave Elitch (drummer for Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus), and James Murphy (associate professor at Berklee College of Music, drummer for Blue Man Group) and he has a Diploma in Music Industry Arts from Algonquin College. James has over 10 years experience in the music industry and over 5 years experience teaching. He can teach drums at any level as well as beginner/intermediate piano.
$24 per 1/2hr. lesson
JESSAMYN GREENE (Guitar, Ukulele, Piano) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Jesse Greene has been performing professionally since 2001, and has been teaching since 2009. Jesse studied classical piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and guitar with various private mentors. She has studied everything from Classical and Jazz, to Flamenco, Blues, Rock, Metal, Fingerstyle, African, and Latin music. Jess is a multi-disciplined professional offering lessons in a wide range of musical genres from classical, folk/fingerstyle, blues and rock, to reggae and pop on guitar, ukulele, and piano.
$26 per 1/2hr. lesson.
KARAM CHAKKOUR (Piano, Voice) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Lessons offered in English and Arabic
Karam Chakkour holds a Bachelor in Music from the National Music Conservatory in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Karam has been working as a vocal coach, piano instructor and choir conductor since 2009. He is passionate in helping students to develop the best singing and piano technique in classical, pop, and music theatre styles in addition to his especial experience in Arabic music. Karam has been an International Baccalaureate music teacher and a music director for various musical productions, including “Oliver Twist”, “The Wizard of Oz” and “Amman Musical Balcony project”.
$25 per 1/2hr. lesson
REBEKAH REICHERT (Violin, Viola, Fiddle, Piano) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Rebekah Reichert has her Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) certification with First Class Honours (Grades 1-8) and RCM advanced theory. Rebekah played violin and viola as part of the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy performing with various string ensembles (Junior Strings 1-3), and full orchestras (Ottawa Junior Youth Orchestra and the Ottawa Youth Orchestra). In addition, she performed with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. In 2015, Rebekah began teaching music as a teacher's assistant for individual and group lessons. In 2017, she became an independent music teacher for violin, viola, piano, and music theory. Rebekah has a Bachelors of Behavioral Science with Honours from Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, and she uses this knowledge in concert with her musical certification and performance skills to promote a positive, engaging classroom setting, with individualized learning experiences for all ages.
$24 per 1/2hr. Lesson
ROB PRETTY (Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Euphonium, Saxophone) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Lessons offered in French and English
Originally from Newfoundland, Rob moved to Ottawa in 2007 to complete his post-secondary education at the University of Ottawa where he successfully obtained an Honours B. A. with a specialization in French and Music. For 13 years, Rob has been teaching instrumental music professionally in classrooms across eastern Ottawa. His music students have achieved incredible success, especially in the jazz and concert band divisions of the Capital Region Music Festival, as well as National Music Festival Canada. Rob’s expertise is private instruction in brass and woodwinds. He is extremely passionate about music education, always incorporating student interest into his teaching.
$25 per 1/2hr. lesson
ROBERT WANNELL (Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Piano, Banjo, Mandolin) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Robert Wannell is a guitarist, pianist, composer and educator hailing from Nepean, Ontario. He is a graduate of Humber College’s prestigious contemporary music program and has strong ties with both Ottawa and Toronto’s respective music scenes. Over the course of his professional career, Robert has had the opportunity to work with wedding bands, jazz ensembles, singer-songwriters and theater companies and has performed at all 3 major jazz festivals in Canada (Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto). Robert has over 7 years of teaching experience to offer with a focus on private, group and ensemble instruction. As a teacher, he has been praised for his fun, personalized lesson plans as well as his friendly, patient and communicative approach with students. Some of the concepts Robert covers in lessons include: improvisation, song learning, harmony, ear training, sight reading, rhythm, composition and RCM prep for piano and guitar.
$24 per 1/2hr. lesson.
SACHA CONTANT-NAGY (ONLINE LESSONS ONLY) (Drums, Piano) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Lessons offered in French and English
Sacha is an active member in Ottawa's music scene, accumulating countless hours on stage and in the studio and performing at some of Canada's biggest music festivals. Sacha has an Honours Bachelor of Music degree from Carleton University, specializing in drum performance, along with completing his Grade 8 RCM piano examination and his Grade 2 RCM theory Exam. He also has a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa. He easily shifts his focus between Jazz, Funk, Latin, Rock, Hip-hop, Fusion and Contemporary Music. Sacha's curriculum puts a strong emphasis on proper technique, music theory and sight reading, and balances these essential basics by showing students how to play along with their favorite songs as a way to keep motivation high.
$24 per 1/2hr. lesson.
SHIRLEY LIU (Flute, Piano, Voice) Registration Request
Online Lessons: Yes
Shirley Liu is a graduate of the Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), where she obtained a M.Mus (Performance/Pedagogy) in Flute studies. She is the winner of the MUN School of Music Concerto/Aria Competition (2020). Shirley also holds a B.Mus and B.Ed from Queen’s University. A versatile musician, Shirley enjoys not only her main focus of classical music but also more contemporary styles such jazz and musical theatre. Her ensemble experience includes playing in orchestra, jazz ensemble, pit band, and collaborative piano work. As a music teacher, Shirley endeavours to create engaging and rewarding lessons for all her students.
$25 per 1/2hr. lesson.
