Wind Instrument Instructors
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John Bird - woodwinds
John Bird comes to us from Liverpool, Nova Scotia where he began his musical career and where he was a member of the Bowater Mersey Band under G.B.F. Padmore. His study of music took him to the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon after which he taught music in the public school system in Dartmouth, NS. During this time he became a familiar figure in commercial music in metro and also served as a clarinettist with the Princess Louise Fusiliers Regimental Band.
The opportunity to study film scoring with Frank Comstock of Universal Studios in Culver City, California took John back to the United States. When he returned to Canada, he worked in the Atlantic region as a free-lance musician and he wrote incidental music for CBC Radio Drama. He was engaged as percussionist for Neptune Theatre's production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown which toured the Maritimes and was retained by the theatre company as an in-house rehearsal pianist and music consultant.
John returned to his home town of Liverpool and for two years, was a musician in residence under the Canada Council's Musician in Residence Program for the Atlantic Region. He began teaching instrumental music privately and has been doing so ever since. He became a member - and twice served as chairman - of the Winds of Change Drama Society and he is now a life member for his many contributions to this organization. He has been the music director for many of the theatre group's musicals and has written arrangements for various ensembles for stage productions.
In 1985 John and his wife Catharine bought the Astor Theatre in Liverpool and set about to re-establish it as a cultural performing arts center for the Liverpool/Queens County area. He remained as theatre manager for twelve years and in 1998 he resigned to devote more time to music and private teaching.
His other achievements include: the Lescarbot Award - presented by the Government of Canada in recognition of his outstanding contributions to community cultural activities, co-founder of the Liverpool International Theatre Festival, founding member and now music director/arranger for the Lighthouse Chamber Ensemble, pianist for the Chester Playhouse's production of Broadway, Our Way, percussionist with the Chester Brass Band, music director for the Bridgewater Firemen's Band for five years, and he returned to the Mersey Band (formerly the Bowater Mersey Band) as music director for almost eight years.
John continues to teach privately and perform with his trio and the chamber ensemble in a variety of musical events ranging from weddings to dinner music and receptions. -
Terry Campbell - Brass
Born in Antigonish, raised in New Glasgow, Terry Campbell has enjoyed performing for a wide variety of audiences as far back as he can remember. In 2005, he graduated from Saint Francis Xavier University with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies. Currently living in Halifax, he has had the opportunity and privilege to share the stage with a variety of groups and musicians while in the area, including multi-Juno nominee jazz singer Jeri Brown, multi-ECMA nominee singer/songwriter Andrea Curry and the Andy Cragg Nonet.
Passionate about education, he enjoys teaching as much as he does performing. He has done many brass and improvisation clinics for various schools in the province in addition to private instruction. -
Julie Cuming - French horn
Julie Cuming hails originally from Guelph, Ontario from a family of brass players, and is currently principal horn of the Stadacona Band of Maritime Forces Atlantic.
When not performing or touring with the Stadacona Band, she freelances extensively within the Atlantic region, appearing with Symphony Nova Scotia, Nova Sinfonia, and on various CBC recordings with local artists. Julie has also performed at PEI's Indian River Festival, and is a founding member of Horns East, Canada's premier horn quartet.
She enjoys teaching, and is eager to encourage young musicians to study the glorious horn. -
Mark Cuming - bands
Mark Cuming is a local free lance musician and conductor. He was born and raised in Truro and was fortunate to have had Ron MacKay as his first band director and mentor.
Mark is a graduate of the Nova Scotia Teacher's College and Acadia University. At Acadia, he studied clarinet with Dr. Stan Fisher and composition with Dr. Alfred Fisher.
Mark has performed on a variety of instruments with a variety of ensembles, including flugelhorn with the Chester Brass Band, clarinet with the Port City Band and percussion with Nova Symphonia and Chebucto Orchestra (a group he once guest conducted, as well). He can sometimes be found playing tenor sax with local bands such as Sax in the City, Kenny Weeks and the Meteors and most recently with the Super Fossils.
Mark retired from public school teaching in 2006 after 33 years of service and now enjoys his affiliation with the Halifax Community Band both as a percussionist and as a guest conductor. He is also the founder of Tin Tone Music Co. -
Charlie MacKinnon - trumpet
Mr.
MacKinnon has performed with the Canadian Opera Orchestra (Principal
Trumpet), National Ballet Orchestra, Royal Scottish opera (Edinburgh),
Toronto Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Confederation
Centre Orchestra (Principal Trumpet). Mr. MacKinnon has also
played Broadway shows in New York and is now a frequent performer
with Symphony Nova Scotia.
Charles MacKinnon, BA, B Ed, studied trumpet with Vincent Penzarella (New York Philharmonic), Mel Broiles (Metropolitan Opera), and Ray Crisara (NBC Orchestra).
While in Toronto, Mr. MacKinnon worked as both a clinician and soloist for the Toronto Symphony Education Programs, as well as Trumpet Instructor at Upper Canada College. Recently, Mr. MacKinnon was Brass Instructor at Dalkeith High School in Scotland.
Mr. MacKinnon has made recordings with the Canadian Opera Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, and National Ballet Orchestra. As a member of the Composers Brass Quintet he has made recordings of brass writing by Canadian composers. Mr. Mackinnon is currently teaching for the Halifax Regional School Board.