Guitar Instructors

  • Shan Arsenault - acoustic, electric, bass

    Shan Arsenault photoShan's CDs are available online at Amazon, Jazzpromo and CD Baby or at Buckley's Music's Education Centre.

    Originally from Prince Edward Island, Shan Arsenault picked up his first guitar at age seven, inspired by his mother's playing.

    As a teenager, Shan became obsessed with the passion and intensity of Charlie Parker. Other influences are Carlos Santana, John McLaughlin, Barney Kessel, Django Reinhardt, Cannonball Adderly, Jan Ackerman, Pat Metheny and John Scofield.

    Shan is a versatile guitarist and has been playing in Halifax, NS bands since the age of seventeen. He continues to be busy and is a sought-after freelance musician.

    Among the many artists he has performed with are Joan Baez, Jeff Healy, Jerry Granelli, Terry Hattie, Alfie Zappacosta, Dutch Mason, Kirk MacDonald, Lorne Lofsky, Joe Sealy, Peter Appleyard, clarinetist Francois Houle and Dutch percussionist Han Bennink as well as the Paul Cram Sextet. He has toured throughout Canada and the U.S. and performed in many of Canada's jazz festivals including the Montreal International Jazz Festival in 1995.

    Shan would like to acknowledge CBC Radio, in particular, producer Jeff Reilly, for giving him the opportunity to record his original compositions. These sessions have been aired locally and nationally on Jazz Beat.

    Shan was recognized as the 2005 MIANS Jazz/Blues Artist of the Year

    In addition to performing, writing and recording, Shan is also focusing on passing along his musical knowledge and experience to a studio of fifty aspiring guitarists.
    Check out Shan's website.

  • Jill Chambers - acoustic, electric, classical

    Jill Chambers photoJill Chambers is from Prince Edward Island where she first began playing guitar at age 14 at the PEI School of Guitar with John Parker and then MJ Mullin.

    Jill decided to pursue the classical route at age 17 and entered the Bachelor of Music program at Dalhousie University. Jill has completed courses in music theory, ear training, performance and music history. Jill has studied with guitarist Michael Scott and Douglas Roche of the Bach to Blues duo.

    She has performed with the Dalhousie University Guitar Ensemble as well as solo performances at recitals, weddings and festivals. Jill looks forward to sharing her musical talents and knowledge with her growing number of students at the Education Center.

  • Kevan Corbett - bass

    Kevan Corbett photoMulti-instrumentalist Kevan Corbett began music studies in the public school system, went to Rock Camp at 15, and worked his way through a Bachelor of Music (percussion with a minor in bass), at Mount Allison University (1995) before moving to Halifax. Since then, he has collaborated in projects nominated for ECMAs in Jazz - Instrumental (Knifey Moloko - 1998), Best New Artist (Amelia Curran - 2002), and Francophone Album of the Year (Blou - Blou Blanc Rouge - winner 2004).

    Kevan has also worked with John Curtis Sampson (drums), Carol Ritchie (drums and bass), The MacLean Sisters (Percussion), the Band of the Ceremonial Guard on Parliament Hill (Percussion), Grand Derangement (Drums), was the house band drummer for the opening of the recent World Acadian Congress, and played in front of 60,000 people on Parliament Hill with Blou. Kevan started in Blou as the bass player, played bass and guitar on the album, and is now the drummer.

    He enjoys national and international travel (so far: every province in Canada, plus England, Ireland, France, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Italy, USA, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Brazil, Panama, China, Guatemala, and Costa Rica) and has a busy schedule of grasshoppers to teach this year (Styles?: Funk, Punk, Celtic, Country, Military, Classical, Blues, Jazz, TradFolk, NeoFolk, NeoTribe, Cajun/Zydeco, Metal, Pop, New Age… any requests?) on drums, bass, and percussion. Kevan has developed a method of his own for Djembe.

    Nice fella, too… See Kev’s website: www.clumsy.ca

  • Mike Farrington - acoustic, electric, bass

    Mike Farrington photoMike began playing in bands at age 14, and has since toured across Canada, Europe, and the United States. He has played with such East Coast artists as ECMA winners Nathan Wiley, Matt Mays, Charlie A’ court, Grand Derangement, Dutch Robinson and "The Prime Minister of the Blues" - Dutch Mason.

    Mike is currently playing with Juno award winner Garrett Mason as well as Halifax club favourites, The Mellotones and The Metric System. A rabid music fan, Mike’s tastes range from punk rock, hip-hop, country, jazz, rock, blues, R&B, and everything in between.

    After a two-year hiatus from teaching, Mike is looking forward to getting back into the groove and meeting the next generation of East Coast musicians!

  • Reese Nearing - acoustic, electric, bass

    Reese Nearing, originally from Cape Breton, has been playing guitar and bass for the last twenty years. Reese has worked professionally as a musician since before he was old enough to get in the bars and has taught private lessons almost as long.

    Reese has toured from coast to coast, doing everything from bars to theatres to festivals to television and radio. He's played country/funk with Dave Carmichael, blues/reggae with Eric Fresia, jazzy ballads with Rose Vaughan, folk/pop with Sons of Maxwell, Acadian with Grand Derangement and everything in between with a variety of cover bands.

    Reese studied music at both Dalhousie University and Humber College, completing courses in music theory, performance, ear training, and history. His knowledge of theory, practice and a wide of musical styles combine to give students an understanding of how music works so that they can start learning to play their favourite songs or how to spice up their solos. Reese is more than happy to teach whatever you need to know to become a better player.

  • Mark Noseworthy - acoustic, electric, bass

    Mark Noseworthy photoBorn and raised in Gander, Newfoundland Mark Noseworthy picked up the guitar at age 13, began taking lessons, and soon started up with local bands playing traditional music and heavy rock. By age 15, Mark began teaching private lessons out of his home, and later at the local music store. In the summer of 2000 and 2001 he taught private lessons and music theory classes at the Kiwanis Music Camp for Children.

    In May of 2005 Mark graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Jazz studies and a minor in English from Saint Francis Xavier University. While at St FX, he completed courses in music and jazz theory, ear training, music history, and arranging. Since then he has moved to Halifax to pursue his love for playing music and is currently performing with his rock trio Park Effects.

    Mark's musical interests include a variety of genres such as pop, rock, jazz, blues, folk, funk, heavy metal, and some country; all of which he is eager to teach.