Annapolis Valley
Here are our members in the Annapolis Valley region.
Please click on a faculty members name for more information.
Suzuki Violin, fiddle, Suzuki Piano, string accompanist, adjudicator
Mary Castello
piano, rudiments, accompanist, recital partner
M.Mus — Dramatic Soprano, Voice & Piano Educator
aural musicianship, piano, rudiments, beginner improvisation and composition, accompanist, clinician, adjudicator
piano, composition, notekidds, adjudicator, author
Jasmine McMorran
piano, traditional music (fiddle), music research, accompanist
composition, piano, voice, aural musicianship, rudiments, guitar, choir, performance,
Heather Pineo Regan
accompaniment, recitalist, recording artist, piano, rudiments, history, analysis, aural musicianship, harmony, clinician, adjudicator
Elizabeth Sircom
cello
Marilyn Whiteway
piano, rudiments, substitute church pianist, aural musicianship
Mary Castello
piano, rudiments, accompanist, recital partner
Mary Castello is the Collaborative Pianist at Acadia University’s School of Music where she has worked since September 2017. During this time she has established herself as a sought-after freelance collaborative pianist, recital partner, and piano teacher in the Wolfville area and beyond. Mary teaches piano to students of all ages and levels. Mary has been engaged in recent seasons by Nova Scotia Choral Federation, Halifax Summer Opera Festival, Acadia Summer Music Academy, InnerSpace Concerts, Scotia Chamber Players, and Saratoga Sings for Seniors (Opera Saratoga). Her recital partners have included cellist Rachel Desoer, saxophonist Tristan De Borba, mezzo-soprano Paula Rockwell, flutist Jack Chen, clarinetist Eileen Walsh, mezzo-soprano Marie Engle, soprano Bethany Hörst, mezzo-soprano Christianne Rushton, and flutist Melissa Mashner. She is an alumna of several collaborative pianist training programs for Art Song and Opera internationally including Franz-Schubert-Institut (Baden Bei Wein, Austria), Vancouver Opera’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program, Opera Saratoga, Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (COSI), Sulmona, Italy, Opera McGill, and Opera on the Avalon. Originally from Kitchener, Ontario, Mary holds performance degrees from Wilfrid Laurier University and McGill University and a Pedagogy Diploma from Conservatory Canada.
Wolfville, NS
Phone: (514) 261-3656
Email: mary.a.castello@gmail.com
Website: marycastellopianist.com
Susan Dworkin, M. Mus
Voice & Piano Teacher | Wolfville, NS
Helping students discover their voice, build confidence, and experience the joy of making music.
With over 30 years of teaching experience and an established international performing career, including Carnegie Hall, Susan Dworkin brings together professional artistry and a warm, encouraging teaching approach.
Susan offers private voice and piano lessons for beginners, young musicians, teenagers, adults, and advanced students. Her students develop strong foundations in technique, musicianship, interpretation, and performance skills while exploring music that inspires them.
Whether preparing for auditions, developing classical vocal technique, exploring musical theatre, or simply learning for personal enjoyment, each lesson is tailored to the individual student’s goals and interests.
Susan believes that every student has a unique musical voice. Her teaching combines thoughtful guidance, healthy technique, and encouragement, creating an environment where students feel supported while challenging themselves to grow.
Students have regular opportunities to perform in studio recitals, gaining confidence and valuable stage experience. Susan also directs The Little Town Choir, offering students and community members an opportunity to experience the connection and joy of ensemble singing.
Teaching Areas:
• Voice/Singing (Classical & multi genre)
• Piano technique
• Audition Preparation & Performance Coaching
Student Levels: Beginners | High School | Adults | Advanced
Studio Location: Wolfville, NS , serving Kentville, New Minas, Grand Pré, and surrounding areas.
Contact:
Susan Dworkin
100 Sherwood Drive
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
B4P2K7
902-300-1001
Dr. Krissy Keech
Aural Musicianship, Piano, Rudiments, Beginner Improvisation and Composition, Accompanist, Clinician, Adjudicator
Dr. Krissy Keech is passionate about piano, pedagogy and practising!
She completed her PhD in Music Education at McGill University, where she focussed her doctoral research on elements of piano pedagogy and teacher effectiveness—in particular, applied teachers’ identification and correction of students’ errors. She continues to research teacher effectiveness, effective practice methods, and best practices for error correction.
Dr. Keech has a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Acadia University, where she studied under Prof. John Hansen, and a master’s in piano performance from McGill University, under Profs. Marina Mdivani and Sara Laimon.
While her university training is in classical music, she has broad experience performing piano music in other styles: jazz, blues, folk, congregational, show tunes, Latin-American, and pop. As an accompanist, Dr. Keech is especially recognized for her rehearsal and performance skills in choral settings. She has worked with the Annapolis Valley Honour Choir, Nova Scotia Youth Choir, Canadian Chamber Choir, and numerous internationally renowned choral conductors (e.g., Elise Bradley, Scott Leithead, Michael Zaugg). She has been on the accompanying staff at Acadia, collaborating with and coaching woodwind students. As a gig musician, she continues a busy schedule of playing and singing at weddings, conferences, church services, restaurants, and other special events.
The guiding principle behind her research and teaching philosophy is the belief in the importance of the well-rounded musician, which includes being able to improvise and compose, in addition to the more traditional skills of learning to read and interpret Western music. Mistakes are also fascinating as they are inevitable and integral to the learning and creative processes. How do teachers, on the one hand, create an atmosphere where mistakes aren’t feared, where errors are embraced as learning opportunities, while on the other hand, maintain high standards of performance?
In addition to teaching full-time at Acadia, Dr. Keech has also been operating a private home piano studio for over 25 years. She adjudicates at music festivals and conducts workshops on topics such as teaching students to improvise, how to practise, and the pedagogy of practice.
287 old Post Rd.
Grand Pre, NS B0P 1MO
Phone: 902-410-5725
Email: krissy.keech@acadiau.ca
Website: https://krissykeech.wixsite.com/soundadventures
Rebekah Maxner
Piano, Composition, Notekidds, Adjudicator, Author
23 William St. PO Box 524
Hantsport NS B0P 1P0
902-684-1063
rebekah.maxner@gmail.com
Jasmine McMorran
Piano, Traditional Music (fiddle), Music Research, Accompanist
Jasmine McMorran holds a Bachelor of Music (piano performance) from the University of Lethbridge and a Masters of Arts (Ethnomusicology; the study of music in a sociocultural context).
She is an accompanist for community choirs, and an active and dynamic pianist, fiddle player, researcher, and educator. Her studio is located in Cambridge, NS and she offers lessons for both piano and fiddle.
6321 Highway 1
Cambridge Station, NS B0P 1G0
Phone: 902-579-3659
Website: http://musicandchores.com
Heather Pineo Regan
Piano, Theory, Recitalist, Recording artist, Accompanist, Coach
1008 Rawding Dr, PO Box 294
Port Williams NS B0P 1T0
902-542-7154
Email: heather.regan51@gmail.com
Website: www.heatherregan.ca
Elizabeth Sircom
Cello
Elizabeth Sircom is a cellist and visual artist. She is the Program Director for the Acadia Regional Youth Orchestra (ARYO) strings program, and a member of the Acadia University String Orchestra. She teaches cello privately at her studio in Hantsport and online via Zoom. She has been a member of NSRMTA since 2018. In 2021 she was awarded the NSRMTA Trust Janet K. Leffek Professional Development Fellowship.
681 Lockhartville Rd
Hantsport, NS B0P 1P0
902-237-4549
Marilyn Whiteway
Piano, Rudiments, Substitute Church Pianist, Aural Musicianship
13 Henry St.
Kentville NS B4N 2L3
902-678-3009
magwhiteway@ns.sympatico.ca
Kathy Neufeld
Piano, composition, voice, aural musicianship, rudiments, guitar, choir, performance
Kathy Neufeld is a dedicated and experienced music teacher offering piano, voice, and guitar lessons at her private studio in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. With over 20 years of international teaching experience spanning Thailand, Spain, the U.S.A., Canada, and Vietnam, Kathy has worked with students from diverse cultural backgrounds, sharing her passion for music education. She holds two Bachelor of Music degrees and a Master’s Degree in Education, bringing a rich blend of academic expertise and practical knowledge to her teaching.
Kathy’s journey in music is as vibrant as her teaching career. Educated in Canada, the U.S.A., and England, she honed her skills in opera technique through intensive studies in England and the U.S.A. Kathy has performed in operas, musicals, folk festivals, concerts, and renaissance fairs in Manitoba, British Columbia, Minnesota, England, and Pakistan. Originally from Manitoba, Kathy has recently settled in Wolfville, where she is excited to provide a welcoming space for students of all ages to explore their musical talents.
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, 7 years old or 70 years young, Kathy’s personalized approach ensures every student thrives.
73 Eden Row
Greenwich NS
902-229-7330
Email: kathysneufeld@gmail.com
Website: https://kathyneufeldmusic.weebly.com
Julia Bowdring
Suzuki Violin, fiddle, Suzuki Piano, string accompanist, adjudicator
Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Julia Bowdring is a violinist, fiddler, pianist, accompanist, and music educator now based in the Annapolis Valley. She holds a Bachelor of Music in classical piano from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Master’s degree in Irish Traditional Music Performance from the University of Limerick, Ireland.
Julia has been teaching music for over a decade and is highly trained in the Suzuki Method. She has studied Suzuki pedagogy with Helen Brunner, Paule Barsalou, and Caroline Fraser, and has taught in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Ireland. Julia worked for many years with the Suzuki Talent Education Program (STEP) in St. John’s, where she also served as Co-Artistic Director, and taught early childhood music at King’s Bridge Montessori School. Upon moving to Halifax, she taught violin and piano and served as the assistant director of the Scotia Suzuki School of Music for four years. Currently, she maintains a thriving private studio, Harmonia Music Studio, where she teaches violin, fiddle, and piano to students of all ages. Her students have been accepted into university-level music programs, received awards and scholarships, and achieved top results in Royal Conservatory of Music exams, including multiple gold medals. In addition to her private teaching, Julia has been a faculty member at the Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute (SOSI), where she teaches fiddle and violin, since 2015.
Julia is passionate about fostering a supportive and joyful learning environment for her students, helping them to grow not only as musicians but as creative, confident individuals.
Harmonia Music Studio
2111 NS-359
Centreville, NS
Website: juliabowdringmusic.com
Email: juliabowdring@gmail.com
