Louise opened her very own Kindermusik & Piano studio in the Fall of 2005, right in her home basement! Louise taught music in the public school system and had dreams of bringing a higher level of music education to families in her community. Kindermusik with Louise offered classes for parents and children to participate in the award-winning curricula program known as the world’s leader in musical and developmental learning for children. 

In June of 2011, Kindermusik with Louise changed its name to Joyful Sounds Music Studio. The studio has continued to grow year after year, offering Kindermusik classes, private lessons in many instruments, group classes for rock bands, songwriters, theory, glee club, and more. Louise and her team have maintained Kindermusik Top Program status every year since 2007, thanks to the tremendous support of the surrounding communities.

Louise currently does contract work with Kindermusik International as part of the Kindermusik University Training Team. She enjoys spending time with her husband V.J., and their three children Cormac, Breton and Flora. 

Hometown: Truro, Nova Scotia

Education: 

St F.X. University: B. Mus in Classical Piano, 1st Class Honours

Memorial University of Newfoundland: B. Music Education

Kindermusik International: Licensed Educator; Top Program status since 2007; currently ranked 2nd in Canada!

Favourite Pastimes: Camping & campfires, going to the beach, making music, reading, spending time with family

Instruments I Play: Piano, guitar, ukulele, clarinet, saxophone, bagpipes, and many others at a more beginner level

Favourite Band/Artist: Do I have to pick? Piano Instrumental: Haydn & Debussy Rock: BEATLES! Folk: anything East Coast – Bruce Guthro, Bois Jolis… Country: Shania Twain, Zac Brown Band, Eli Young Band, and much more!

Best Advice I ever received or Favourite Quote: Never go to bed angry; “worries are like bedcrumbs – the more you wiggle, the more they scratch!”

Andrea Schofield began her musical career as a very young ABBA lip-syncer in her parents’ living room in Lower Sackville. After years of singing in choirs, and playing clarinet and piano, she headed to Acadia University where she earned her Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees in 1997. That same year, she moved to Ontario for her first teaching position and, over the course of five years, taught elementary school music and high school band, English, choir, history, Bible and drama.

Hometown: Lr Sackville, Nova Scotia

Education: BMus, BMusEd, Acadia University (1997)

Favourite Pastimes: reading, singing, camping, playing with my family

Instruments I Play: mainly clarinet, some piano, and various concert band instruments

Favourite Band/Artist: Chris Tomlin, Tenth Avenue North, Norah Jones, Brahms and Beethoven

Best Advice I ever received: In marriage, it is better to have an ounce of commitment than a pound of love

Favourite Quote: Albus Dumbledore, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, describes love as “a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study…”

Chandra loves working to pave the way for Joyful Sounds families to make music! She helps people find their way in the studio, supports staff, answers questions and works with the computer systems that keep the studio running smoothly. 

Hometown: Southfield, Michigan

Certification: Project Management Professional (PMP)

Instruments I play: Flute and Piccolo in high school marching band (a lifetime ago!)

Favorite Pastimes: Reading, quilting, watching movies based on Jane Austen books and mysteries, spending time with family

Favorite Music/Artists: Songs with a great bassline, anything from the 80s, 90s and 2000s

Favorite quote/Best Advice: “It always seems impossible until it’s done” 

Private Lesson Instructor, Kindermusik Instructor, Certified Music Therapist. Heather grew up playing piano, as well as performing in school bands, and community bands on the alto saxophone. She graduated from Acadia University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Music Therapy, completed an internship in Saint John, New Brunswick, then went on to Southern Ontario working as a Music Therapist and music teacher with clients in geriatrics, mental health and clients living with developmental and psychiatric disabilities. 

Since 2017 she has been joyfully teaching piano/guitar/ukulele, Kindermusik, summer camps and offering Music Therapy throughout the halls of Joyful Sounds!

Hometown: Cole Harbour, NS

Education: Bachelor of Music Therapy, Royal Conservatory of Music Level 10 Piano, History and Harmony

Certified Music Therapist through the Canadian Association of Music Therapy

Kindermusik International: Licensed Educator, 2017

Favourite Pastimes:  Playing music, outdoor adventuring with her 2 dogs

Instruments I Play: Piano, Guitar, Ukelele, Alto Saxophone

Favourite Band/Artist: Great Big Sea

Favourite Quote: “Smell the sea, and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.” – Van Morrison

Alex grew up in a musical family, in rural PEI. He moved to Nova Scotia, to study music at St. F.X. and Acadia University. He has performed and recorded as a bassist with several groups/artists. Alex is passionate about helping students explore their own musicality to set and achieve growth-based goals that are motivating.  

Hometown: 

Stratford, PEI

Education: 

Bachelor of Arts in Music – Jazz Studies – St. F.X. University

Certificate in Music Therapy – Acadia University

Favourite Pastimes: 

Cooking, learning new instruments, and playing with my cat!

Instruments I Play: 

Electric and upright bass, guitar, ukulele.

Favourite Band/Artist:

Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Scary Pockets

Favourite Quote: 

“I’ll play it, and tell you what it is later.” – Miles Davis

Ben started taking lessons at Joyful Sounds in 2016, at the age of 12. During this time he worked through three kiwanis seasons in piano and concert band as well as a Grade 8 RCM. He joined Joyful Sounds as a staff member is 2021.

 In 2023 Ben had the honour of working on 4 films. Cash Cow, by Shubham Chhabra, screened at VAFF (Vancouver Asian Film Festival), The Gift Of Life by Aviel Kurulkar, screened at the GRFF (Grand River Film Festival), and two films with the Vancouver Film School. 

Currently, he studies Composition with Amy Brandon at Dalhousie University where he has had opportunities to write for the Alkali Collective and workshop with The Bozzini Quartet.

 Hometown: Marystown, NL

Dana was born into a very musical family in Marystown, NL. She grew up taking piano from her aunt and most of her childhood memories include gatherings of family and friends sitting around the piano singing, strumming, and enjoying the music. Dana is featured with an original song on Marystown Come Home Year CD. 

Emma is a Kindermusik Educator and full time student at Dalhousie University. Some of Emma’s earliest musical memories are from Kindermusik classes as a child so she is so exited to be teaching her own Kindermusik classes at the studio! She has been involved in music through choirs and musical theatre since she was young and still loves participating in musical theatre productions! 

Education: Graduating this spring with a BSc in Psychology!

Pastime: Singing, dancing, watching movies, drawing, swimming.

Instruments I Play: Voice

Favourite band: Among many: The Beatles, Poor Man’s Poison, Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Best advice: Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

Izra is an alt-pop musician who teaches vocals and keys at Joyful Sounds Music Studio. She also takes part in Pop Academy, helping lead the rock bands, theory and songwriting groups.

 Izra graduated from the NSCC Music Arts Program with honors in 2017, and since has been recording and touring with bands based out of Halifax. She has now returned to NSCC to teach songwriting and vocals herself, and continues to play live in a variety of groups.

Izra aims to meet her students where they are at musically, and help them achieve their own goals: be it technique, creation, and/or performance. 

Hometown:  Wolfville

Education: NSCC Music Arts Program, Honors. Performance and vocal training with Lawson Vocal Studios in Toronto

Instruments I play: Vocals, Keys

Favorite Pastimes: Watching movies, songwriting, hanging with friends

Favorite Music/Artists: Lorde, Florence + the Machine, Maggie Rogers

Favorite quote/Best Advice: “Why not me?” – Mindy Kaling 

Linell is a musician, a teacher, a huge geek and a hair brush rock star. She sings and plays piano in her church worship band, sang in choirs ever since she can remember, plays cello sometimes and loves to laugh as much as possible. Music has been her soul food since she was born and her love for her husband, family and friends is her rock.

Linell finished her B.Mus (Piano and Music ed) in 2010 and recently completed her M.Mus specializing in musicology and music education – congrats Miss Linell! She is teaching piano, voice and Kindermusik at Joyful Sounds, as well as directing the Joyful Sounds Kids Chorale.

She has a funny accent, loves cooking and dislikes scary stuff

Hometown: Potchefstroom, South Africa

Education: Masters in Music Education and Ethnomusicology

Favorite Pastimes: Cooking, photography, camping and travelling

Instruments I play: Piano, Voice, Drums and a little Cello

Favorite Band/Artist: Celine Dion, Beyonce, Diana Krall, Muse, Coldplay… Too broad to mention

Best Advice Given or Favourite Quote: Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat

Hometown: St. John’s, Newfoundland 

Education: Current Music Arts Student at NSCC

Favourite Pastimes: Seeing live music & watching Netflix shows

Instruments I Play: Voice 

Favourite Band/Artist: Avril Lavigne 

Best Advice I ever received and/or Favourite Quote: There’s no rainbows without a little rain!

I currently live in downtown Halifax. I teach at Joyful Sounds on Tuesdays, I work at Pro Skateboards and Snowboards, and I perform. I play guitar in a few groups: Doublespeak, Freya Milliken, Sweet Bean, and a jazz trio. I love teaching private lessons and I love being a student. I enjoy learning about music theory concepts. I also love learning and transcribing songs/solos. I love country, folk, rock, R&B, pop, jazz, and classical music.

Hometown: Glace Bay, Nova Scotia

Education: Bachelor of Music, Acadia University

Favourite Pastimes: Wandering around the city with my partner, improvising, writing, skateboarding, snowboarding, camping, movies

Instruments I Play: Guitar, Ukulele, Piano, Drums

Favourite Band/Artist: Father John Misty

Best Advice I ever received and/or Favorite Quote: “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how”

Sam Wilson is a guitarist-composer, private music instructor and Kindermusik educator based on the east coast. Her solo album ‘Into a Heart Pt. II’ (2020 Muzak records- Japan), won Music Nova Scotia’s 2022 ‘Jazz Recording of the year’. In 2021 she was awarded the Paul Cram Creation award, which gave her the opportunity to write a piece in honor of Paul Cram’s legacy, which was premiered by Symphony Nova Scotia at the 2023 Open Waters Festival. Her third-forthcoming, album as a leader, ‘Wintertides’, is a trio project with drummer Jen Yakamovich (Vancouver) and Geordie Hart (Vancouver) to be released in the winter of 2024. Sam frequently plays with the acclaimed trombonist Andrew Jackson in their collaborative project the ‘Jakcson\Wilson Duo’, they released their debut album ‘New Doors’ on January 28th, 2023. 

Hometown: Windsor, Ontario

Instruments I play: Guitar, ukulele, piano, I sing!  

Favorite Pastimes: reading, going on adventures outside with my dog Lewis 

Favorite Music/Artists: jazz, folk, instrumental, improvised, experimental   

Favorite quote/Best Advice: ‘never underestimate the power of walking’ – pg

Hi, my name is Sarah Sani. I graduated with my level 2 ECE Diploma from Jane Norman College in Truro, NS. I have been working as a casual in the Pre Primary program ever since and love working with children. In my spare time I enjoy being active outdoors, spending time with my nine year old daughter, as well as practicing yoga and pilates. I am passionate about inclusive education and providing equal opportunities for all children.

Hometown: Nine Mile River, NS

Education: Digital Graphic Design Diploma, Success Business College

Level 2 Early Childhood Education Diploma, Jane Norman College 

Favourite Pastimes: Yoga, pilates, cross country skiing, reading, spending time with my daughter.

Instruments I Play: Guitar

Favourite Band/Artist: Jewel, Greenday

Best Advice I ever received: 

Character isn’t built from doing everything right the first time. If you fail, get up and try again.

Favourite Quote: 

Practice makes perfect.

Songhan was born in Nanchang, Jiangxi, in southeast China. Her earliest musical steps were guided by her mother and she started learning piano at the age of 4. She received her first piano prize at age 10 and achieved excellent grades in piano examinations. She came to Canada in 2014 and finished her Bachelor of Music degree at Dalhousie University in 2019.

Hometown: Nanchang, China

Education:  BMus, Dalhousie University

Favourite Pastimes: Hiking, Swimming, Cooking, Watching TV shows, reading

Instruments I Play: Piano

Favourite Band/Artist: J.S. Bach, Hillsong, Elvis Presley, Sarah Brightman, Jay Chou

Favourite Quote:  “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18