Hi! My name is Alicia Barban and I use she/her pronouns. I’m a performer, musician, and arts educator from Ottawa. I trained at Randolph College & the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and alongside my performance career, I have been sharing my artistic knowledge and experience with students of all ages for over 10 years.

I have taught musical theatre, glee, acting, songwriting, and theatre creation, masterclasses in acting through song, spoken voice, and body musicality, as well as instruction in piano, ukulele, guitar, and voice. I am most proud of my work as a mentor, and I love to inspire the next generation of performing artists!

In my lessons, I focus on fundamentals with FUN in mind. There’s no reason why we can’t approach technique and discipline with freedom (and a little bit of silliness) in mind. With this outlook, I have been fortunate to see so much growth in my students and have inspired their personal musical expression alongside their skill-building.

I’m looking forward to collaborating and growing with you!

I’m so delighted to have joined the Leslieville School of Dance and Music Community. Having worked as an educator, musician, and actor for over three decades in the UK and Europe, my role as parent to a young adult with special educational needs (SEN) motivated me to return home to this neighbourhood.

I have performed in London’s West End in numerous musicals including 5 years in Les Misérables and have recorded over 100 songs as soloist for the BBC. I’ve worked as Composer in Residence and as Senior Arts Advisor to over 200 schools in West London, UK. I was also commissioned to compose theme songs for the London Olympics and for the UK Holocaust Memorial Day Royal events.

I have recently attained a Master of Education degree, have worked as Professor of Voice at Sheridan College, and I facilitate performance-based workshops for children, youth, and caregivers at CAMH.
My life experience with my son has led me in the direction of 2-decades of expressive arts facilitation with children and with students with SEN.

I love music-making and nurturing a love of music in others. As an educator, my work is strengths-based and process-based. I appreciate each student’s individual personality and learning style, and I apply these to my teaching and learning environment. My lessons are instructive, but, above all, they are lots of fun, nurturing, and always respectful of the students.

It’s great to be back home and to share a lifelong love of voice and music-making with the students at the Leslieville School of Dance and Music!

Hi, my name is Jacqueline and I’m very excited to start teaching at the Leslieville School of Dance and Music.

I grew up studying classical voice, piano, and music theory and immersing myself in every choir I could find! I then went on to study voice at Acadia University before graduating from the Randolph College for the Performing Arts’ Triple Threat Program.

Since graduating, I have been busy performing in musical theatre and film and teaching voice and beginner piano. I am very passionate about vocal health and teaching proper techniques in both voice and piano. Lessons with me are always fun, joyful, and insightful.

Story-telling and creating compelling performances are important to me so I always like working with my students to find what the song means to them and how best to express their interpretation. As a certified yoga instructor, I also like to bring elements of mindfulness and body awareness to my lessons. I look forward to meeting you and starting our musical journey together!

Hello! My name is Tammam and I teach classical, acoustic, electric, and bass guitar as well as ukulele at the Leslieville School of Dance and Music.

My interest in music started from a young age inspired by the animated adaptation of The Sound of Music film, as well as all the rock bands I grew up listening to. I took my first lessons with a private teacher learning some of my favourite songs on an acoustic guitar, and soon after, I bought an electric guitar and joined my first rock band. I decided to take my passion to the next level and began studying music theory, improvisation, jazz guitar, and electric bass. In time, this journey led me to classical guitar study and expanded my horizons to constantly enjoy, learn, and appreciate even more styles and genres.

Along with my broad grounding in music theory, performance, and production, I have over 10 years of professional experience teaching students of all ages, backgrounds, and musical interests. I always like to start by getting to know my students and discussing their goals, and I give my best to adapt and improve my approach to have the most positive impact on their musical journey. I genuinely enjoy teaching and do not take it lightly, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to introduce people to the wonderful world of music.

I look forward to our first lesson!

Hello! My name is Deanna and I’m thrilled to join the Leslieville School of Dance & Music!
I grew up in Nova Scotia where I studied dance, music, and theatre from a young age. I began with piano, and continued to pick up ukulele, guitar, bass, drums and percussion, saxophone, and flute – any instrument I could get my hands on!

My love of music led me to study vocal jazz at St Francis Xavier University, followed by graduating from Randolph College for the Performing Arts in 2021. I’ve been happily teaching music for the past 5 years, and I’m so excited to continue doing this at LSDM!

I like to approach my lessons with a focus on joy, curiosity, and fun. My favourite part about teaching is discovering with my students what makes them excited to make music, and nurturing that excitement as we continue to learn more about it.

I can’t wait to meet you and begin our musical journey together!

Hi! My name is Drew and I’m thrilled to join the Leslieville School of Dance & Music!

I grew up in Toronto where my life in music began as a trumpet player in middle school playing in concert and jazz bands. By the age of 13, I started learning guitar and I never looked back. I played in bands throughout high school and university all the way through to music college. 

My love of music and performing led me to study music at Metalworks Institute in their performance and technology program. It was there that I further advanced my guitar playing while also learning drums, bass, piano, and vocal.  I graduated in 2016 and have been playing and performing ever since! 

I like to approach my lessons from a place of curiosity and exploration. I focus on what intrigues/inspires my students about their instruments with individualized exercises and most importantly an emphasis on enjoying the process. My favourite part about teaching is the small moments of discovery I get to share with my students each lesson. My main goal is to help nurture what makes my students excited to make music and give them the tools and techniques to hone their skills.

I can’t wait to meet you and begin our musical journey together! Rock on!

Hello, my name is Meilin Wei. I recently graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music Performance degree and have been studying percussion and piano for about 13 years. Music has always been something that I love and I’m excited to share my passion as a teacher at the Leslieville School of Dance and Music.

Previous to my studies in Toronto, I completed my double degree in music and literature in the United States. This experience gave me a special approach to my way of teaching music as I like to incorporate my expertise in rhythm with the musicality of piano.

In recent years, I have learned Orff and Dalcroze methods in music education. I have experience working with children from ages 5-12 and like to cater my lessons to the needs of each student regardless of age and ability. I am passionate about teaching, and I am looking forward to meeting you.

My name is Nini and I am a new piano teacher joining the family of the Leslieville School of Dance & Music.
My goal as a teacher is to pass on my excitement and passion for music to my students.

After attending The University of Toronto’s music program, I received my ARCT Performer Diploma from The Royal Conservatory of Music. It was after this achievement that I realized how much I love teaching and that I wanted to dedicate myself to music education.

With over 25 years of teaching experience, I am confident that we will be able to tackle any obstacles that come our way and make our musical journey fun and rewarding.

Remember, when there’s a will, there’s a way! See you soon.