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Lessons at Tapestry Music Victoria
What We Offer
We currently offer private music lessons in Victoria for flute, clarinet, saxophone, violin, viola, cello, ukulele, piano, guitar, bass (electric or stand-up) voice, trumpet, baritone, tuba, trombone, and french horn.
LOCATION
We have 3 teaching studios in our Victoria location at #3-772 Bay Street.
FEES
Lessons are taught one-on-one.
The fee is $30/half hour, $45.00/45 min., or $60/hour, paid each month in advance.
SCHEDULES
Lessons are weekly and paid monthly in advance. Casual lessons may be available depending on teacher schedules.
Lesson Times
- 3 pm to 6 pm Monday to Friday
- 10 am to 6 pm Saturdays
Lessons before 3 pm on weekdays may also be available. Please call (250) 590-0752
REGISTRATION
A completed and signed registration form is required before lessons commence. If doing in-person lessons a covid policy form will be required as well.
Call (250) 590-0752 to reserve your time! A registration form and first payment must be made before lessons commence.
Skye Alexander - Voice
With over fifteen years of experience teaching singing and music basics, Skye is a supportive and encouraging teacher who loves working with song lovers of all ages. She has a lifelong passion for folk and traditional music, and enjoys discovering the musical theatre and pop songs that bring her students joy. She earned a Bachelor’s and Masters in Music from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California, where she was honoured with Outstanding Musical Performance and Academic Achievement Awards. She studied voice at the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute in San Francisco and the Adriatic Chamber Music Festival in Bonefro, Italy. Her EP of original songs, Ten Mile Creek, was recorded on Vancouver Island in 2022.
Peter Caton - Cello (online lessons only)
Cellist Peter Caton attended the University of Western Ontario where he
received his Bachelor of Music degree with Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi. While attending
the Banff Centre he worked with many distinguished artists including Janos
Starker, Zara Nelsova, the Orford String Quartet,and Gyorgy Sebok. He later
received his Master of Music degree from the University of Victoria where he
studied with Hanna Dedecius and James Hunter.
While attending the University
of Victoria, he won the annual concerto competition, performing Haydn’s Cello
Concerto in C.
He has played with the orchestras of London, Ontario, Windsor, Victoria,
Kelowna and Prince George and was a teaching assistant to both Tsuyoshi
Tsutsumi and James Hunter. He spent thirty years working in Vancouver as a
freelance cellist, teacher and arranger, and currently plays with the Vancouver
Opera Orchestra.
Maia Copley - Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Baritone
Maia Copley is currently a 3rd year Music Education student at the University of Victoria where she performs in the university wind symphony and orchestra. Her primary instrument is the French horn but she also enjoys playing other brass instruments like trumpet and trombone. Maia also has RCM training in piano and voice.
Louise Deschamps - Violin, Fiddle, Electric Violin, Viola, Music Theory
Originally from New Caledonia, Louise Deschamps was born and raised until adolescence in Noumea. Her early years on the instrument were founded primarily in Classical music style at The Music Conservatory of New Caledonia. After immigrating to Vancouver Island, Louise became a versatile violinist/fiddler after she enrolled in a 4 year program in Classical and Jazz for violin under symphonic orchestra maestro Marlin Wolfe and multi instrumental virtuoso musician Daniel Lapp. She studied voice under Sheila Sommerville and Teresa McQuarrie with the vocal jazz ensemble and Malaspina choir at Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo BC.
With on-going experiences and exposure to a diversity of worldwide cultural music genres, Louise continues to guide, counsel, perform and share with others her passion and her broad knowledge for this soulful artform. Her musical journey has led her to connect and play with wonderful musicians and groups from New Caledonia, Canada, Algeria, Brazil, and Latin America. Louise welcomes students of all ages, of all levels, and of all musical backgrounds, who will expand their technique fundamentals throughout a selection of world music styles. World music styles provided are the following : Latin/Afro-Brazilian/ Reggae/ Calypso/ Mediterranean/ New Age/ Techno/ Middle Eastern/ French Popular Musettes/ Jazz/ Blues/ Gospel/ Celtic/ Old Time/ Classical and many other. Students will be shown how to study efficiently, how to positively face music challenges and how to stay inspired through it all. Through various approaches and insights such as sight-reading training, ear-training and tactile-training, you will explore and learn the fundamentals of the music language. You will discover how to become effortless, creative, dedicated, passionate and ultimately how to become artistically expressive. Just like any other spoken language, you will be able to develop and expand your vocabulary skills in music and on the instrument.
Louise offers lessons from 45mns to 1 hour in length all throughout the year.
Monique Fink - Violin, Viola, Cello
Monique is a classically trained cellist of 34 years, with a Bachelor's Degree in Music from the University of Victoria. She began studying music at four years old with the Suzuki method. She has first class honors in many Royal Conservatory of Music Exams in both cello and piano. She has also been playing fiddle since 2008. She has been teaching music since 2004. She teaches cello from beginner to advanced levels, as well as violin and viola from beginner to intermediate levels in both classical and fiddle styles, and is very familiar with the Victoria school strings program. During the summer months, Monique can be seen busking on Government Street.
Nancy Hilton - Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Voice
Nancy teaches students of all ages in voice, guitar, and piano. Her instruction includes all aspects of music including music theory, ear training, and rehearsal and performance techniques. Nancy is proficient in all styles of music including classical, jazz, folk, rock, blues and pop. As an adjunct professor, she has taught at the college level and works well with beginners to advanced students. Nancy is a friendly and outgoing instructor who strives to make learning music an enlightening and enjoyable experience. We are happy to offer this outstanding teacher to our students.
Nancy received her degree in Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston. She has taken master classes with many top musicians and teachers, including Quincy Jones, Barry Manilow, Cleo Lane, and Buddy Rich. Nancy also studied privately with President Kennedy's renowned voice therapist, David Blair McClousky, at the New England Conservatory of Music. She has produced music programs around the world such as PBS's "Bahia, Africa in the Americas", BET's "Reggae Sunsplash." and The Newport Tall Ships Music Festival.
Nancy received her degree in Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston. She has taken master classes with many top musicians and teachers, including Quincy Jones, Barry Manilow, Cleo Lane, and Buddy Rich. Nancy also studied privately with President Kennedy's renowned voice therapist, David Blair McClousky, at the New England Conservatory of Music. She has produced music programs around the world such as PBS's "Bahia, Africa in the Americas", BET's "Reggae Sunsplash." and The Newport Tall Ships Music Festival.
Emerson Jong - Saxophone
Emerson Jong is currently a 2nd year Music Education Student at the University of Victoria and was recently graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University with a Diploma in Music. His primary instrument is the saxophone. His musical journey started when he was 6 years old, when he started to play the flute. Although saxophone and flute are his main instruments, he also loves to play the tuba and the French horn. He would love to pass his passion in music on to young musicians and assist them on goals such as developing musicianship, appreciation of music, and expressing themselves through their instruments.
Channing Mar - Clarinet
Victoria based clarinetist, Channing Mar is a solo and chamber music performer, community school clinician, and private teacher. She has experience in classical wind, chamber and orchestral ensemble playing. Channing has performed in the University of Victoria Wind Symphony as principal clarinet, UVic Symphony Orchestra, Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra on
clarinet and bass clarinet, and with the Victoria Symphony.
clarinet and bass clarinet, and with the Victoria Symphony.
Channing received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Victoria in 2021 and is currently continuing her advanced studies in performance at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Channing enjoys teaching and supports creating a positive and fun learning environment for musical exploration and curiosity for everything clarinet!
Nick Mintenko - Electric Bass, Stand-up Bass, Guitar, Music Theory, SongwritingHello! My Name is Nick, and I have been teaching music lessons since 2012. I started out by showing some friends of mine how to play a few songs on guitar and quickly decided that I wanted teaching to be a part of my life. I live for that eureka moment as a teacher, when I can see a student suddenly understand a song, a method, or a concept. I am happy to delve deep into music theory with you, get started with the basics, or leave it alone all together. Music theory is a great tool, but it is not necessary to have music be a huge piece of your life. For instance, some of my favourite composers can’t read music. I learned from Victor Wooten long ago to think of music as a language, and the first steps we take when we learn English are to speak with our family and imitate them, not punctuation or syntax. I believe that every person has their own method of learning that works best for them, and I will endeavour to find that best method for each person I meet.
Now for a little about me. I myself began in music by starting with theory and sight reading from a very early age, until I was about 12. I actually grew frustrated and left it behind for many years as a young adult. It was only later when I rediscovered music for myself as a teenager by listening to the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones, that I became interested in playing again. I then spend four or five years as a member of the Vic High RnB band and The Midnights. There I studied all music RnB, Funk, and Motown, and learned perhaps over 300 songs in the genre. I came into Jazz music on my own but quite by accident. I mistakenly listened to John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”. I was completely taken by the raw emotion, improvisation, and expression of their music. I immediately rented my own double bass and enrolled in the Jazz Diploma Program at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. There I learned most of my foundational music theory knowledge. I learned arrangement, ear training, scales, harmony, improvisation, sight singing, composition, song form, and many other things. I also learned many bass techniques and methods by studying with the Victoria legend Joey Smith. We worked largely with Ray Browns Bass method. Since graduating in 2013 I have taught independently (2013-present), and at Larsen Music (2012-2016), as well as South Island Studio (2014-2016), and I have recently filled in for a few teachers at the West Shore Academy of Music. I have also toured Canada, the US, and Europe with Jazz, and Folk groups. I have co-written, co arranged, recorded and released eight or more studio albums with various groups, as well as many other singles, and short releases in genres including Folk, Funk, Pop, RnB, Jazz, and more. I have composed, recorded, and released twenty of my own songs under my own name, hopefully with more to come.
I am really excited to be a teacher with Tapestry Music, as many people involved here in Victoria are my longstanding friends. I look forward to meeting with you and playing some music together!
Charmaine Tai - Flute
Charmaine Tai most recently received her Master of Music in flute performance from the University of Victoria, where she held the positions of principal flute for both the UVic Orchestra and the UVic Wind Symphony. She has also performed with the Greater Youth Orchestra and the High Notes Flute Choir, and has led flute clinics for high school band students on Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley. Charmaine’s musical education started with the piano at the age of five, and she began studying flute when she was ten. She hopes that through learning proper fundamental techniques, students will build confidence and grow in their enjoyment of making music.
Cleo Yong - Violin, Viola
Gaining recognition for her musical diversity, Cleo is a violinist and violist that performs regularly on Vancouver Island and in Greater Vancouver. Based in Victoria, BC, Cleo is in her fourth year of music studies at the University of Victoria. She has participated and performed in the International Festival of Music in Naolinco, Mexico, and as a soloist and ensemble musician in the USA and Canada. She has been teaching musicians of all ages as a private teacher as well as in orchestral sectionals since 2015. She mainly teaches the Suzuki Method, Royal Conservatory of Music, and adds in her own technique and historical context. Cleo enjoys guiding and inspiring her students in their musical learning adventure.