ENCORE INSTRUCTORS

Dave Harris

Dave has been involved in music since 1984 when he began playing guitar with friends. During high school he learned to read music and played guitar in Jazz band, auxiliary percussion in Concert Band, drums and bass guitar in music class. He began performing in rock bands, musical theatre productions and took advantage of opportunities to play in the local community; including weddings, graduations, fund raisers, dances and winter carnival events.

In September, 1992 he attended St. Francis Xavier University and completed a (4) year music program in jazz guitar. He also completed a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in 1997. Dave has been teaching guitar privately for 32 years and continues to perform on a regular basis in various settings and genres of music.

Since 2006, Dave has been regularly performing in local musical theatre and is currently the band leader for ongoing musical theatre productions at the Arts and Culture Center in Labrador West.

Chantal McGrath

Chantal has had a passion for music from a very young age, singing in youth choirs and learning to play the piano and flute. From 2012-2014 she was a licensed Kindermusik instructor. She is also a current member of the Harmonine ladies choir, participating in several local productions. She is excited to share the love of music with young children in the community.

Dale Clements

Dale Clements is a local singer and songwriter with 25 years of musical experience. Dale appeared on international television at a young age. Currently, he still performs on many local stages. Dale started teaching guitar in 1996. He has a passion for guitar and music. He is eager to provide a solid platform for beginner guitar players to build from.

Alexis Young

Alexis Young, is a classically trained pianist in The Royal Conservatory of Music for fifteen years. For the last two years, she has been teaching the high school and adult piano classes here at Encore, and is loving every moment of it. She was also a member of our Musical Theatre program and performed in Beauty & the Beast Jr as well as a featured role in The Lion King Jr production. In school, she was involved in hand bells, choir, the Minor Notes vocal group, band, and drama, so it goes without saying that she love the arts.

Beth Loder

Beth has been a musician for as long as she can remember and has competed Royal Conservatory in piano, violin and saxophone. She also has experience in guitar, ukulele and four voiced recorders. Currently Beth is teaching Music at Menihek High School. She is an active musician in her church, is a member of FUNKtion Jazz Band and Harmonine Ladies Choir and has performed with Encore Entertainment in a number of shows. Beth is passionate about making music accessible to everyone and believes that music can benefit people from all walks of life. She recognizes the positive impact music and the arts can have on individuals and on communities as a whole.

Ryan Legge

Ryan has been in interested in sewing since the age of 10, when she first started taking sewing lessons. At a young age, she made her own prom and graduation dresses. After high school, she went to The Art Institute of Toronto for Fashion Design, where she learned many new skills and created her own designs and portfolio. She was also the Costume Lead on our recent production of the Lion King Jr. Ryan brings a lot of talent, guidance and experience to her lessons.  So, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned sewer, come and join her for a wonderful program and build on your crafty skills!

Sudeshna Abbott

Sudeshna has taken both violin and piano lessons for over 10 years in her childhood and still enjoys playing to this very date.  She is an active committee member for the Lab West Music Festival and strongly believes in music’s benefits to child development. Most importantly, she believes in music’s ability to reach beyond all boundaries of age, culture, religion, and race to bring people together. She has been teaching violin classes for children and adults here at Encore for the past 2 years.

Sarah Montague

Sarah grew up in Labrador City and attended post secondary at Memorial university where she received her first undergraduate degree. She went on to work towards her second there as well. Sarah relocated back to Labrador west 3 years ago with her family where she enjoys being a stay at home mom and being actively involved in youth organizations in the community.  Sarah has played the piano since she was 6 and is currently working towards preparing for her RCM grade 8 piano exam.  Sarah has tremendous love for both music and the performing arts and believes it is a vital part of education for our youth.

Megan Philpott

Megan Philpott was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio. Her love of music began at a young age, however, it was at the age of 8 when she began taking piano lessons that her interest really grew. At age 9 she was accepted into the Middletown City Schools Gifted and Talented Enrichment (G.A.T.E.) Music program, a special school where students studied music in depth. At the age of 9 she began playing the cello, followed by the viola in her school’s Suzuki program and was accepted into the Middletown Youth Symphony Orchestra. In Junior High School, Megan’s involvement in music increased with participation in her school’s Show Choir, A Capella Choir and numerous community musical theatre productions which she continued into her senior year of high school. After graduating high school, she attended Miami University Ohio and completed her Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies with a minor in Education. Throughout university, music was put on the back burner. However, her love of playing string instruments was reignited last year when taking Violin through Encore Academy. Megan has lived in Labrador City with her husband and three children for 10 years.

Margaret Pittman

Margaret Pittman is a Senior High English, Drama, and Writing teacher at Menihek High School in Labrador City. She earned her B.A. (English and History) in 1998 and went on to earn her B.Ed (Int/Sec) in 1999. Plans to commence her M.Ed are underway. Drama and Theatre Arts have always been great loves of hers from the very first time she took to the stage in kindergarten. She went on to act in numerous productions during her years as a high-school and university student. While her time on the stage took a backseat when she became a full-time teacher then a mother, she is grateful to be able to share her passion for theatre with her students as a director. She has been the teacher director for Menihek Drama since 2010. Costuming and fostering character development go hand-in-hand with her directing style. She also has a strong interest in how effective sets can move the story along. When she is not at school, she enjoys spending time with her family and her pugs, good books, tea, vintage movies, writing, and vinyl records. She is quite looking forward to seeing how this term unfolds.

Matthew Talbot

From an early age singing in the Church choir Matthew knew he had to have music in his life. In grade 2 the recorder was not enough music in school so he began playing the ukulele. This eventually turned in Classical guitar in grade 4 which led to a love of rock music and electric guitar in grade 6. In grade 7 he was exposed to symphonic band and began learning the trombone. By grade ten he was playing 1st trombone in symphonic and jazz bands while learning the alto sax. He was also in the pit band for all the musicals in high school.

In university studying information systems and computer network technology he made extra money at night as an amateur DJ and that’s when he fell in love with DJing and MCing. Post university while managing a career in business he DJ’ed at different clubs from Nova Scotia to Quebec and also did sound tech for some notable bands such as The Trews and Matt Mays.

He has run his own DJ business for over the past 10 years and has done everything from weddings, private parties to corporate events as an MC and public speaker.

Matthew has relocated to Labrador City from Truro, Nova Scotia with his wife and two boys 6 and 8 and is ready to get involved in the community culture!

Cherish Talbot

Cherish Talbot has had a life-long passion for music, acting & singing. She is so excited to be continuing with Encore as the Musical Theatre Instructor and is also going to be teaching Kindermusik, Musical Munchkins & Musical Adventure! Some of you may recognize her as the Coordinator for the recent Encore Academy production of The Lion King Jr and from the Encore Summer Camp! Aside from that, during her Middle and High School days, she was an avid Musical Theatre and Drama Student, performing in over 15 productions such as Grease, Peter Pan, & Godspell. She was trained in classical piano for 6 years during High School as well as attending vocal lessons. Music is her life, it flows throughout her home and she cannot wait to share her passion with this wonderful community!