Quest Musique - Music Teacher Profiles

Quest Musique has amazing teachers:

Andrew Erickson (Guitar)
Annie Langdon (Piano)
Ashley Au (Bass)
Brett Leier (Guitar)
Dan Levasseur (Drums)
Dane Moreau (Piano)
Dave Brown (Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute)
Doug Northcott (Drums)
Eric Ens (Guitar, Bass)
Helen White (Voice)
James Creasey (Guitar, Bass, Pedal Steel, Dobro, Mandolin)
James McKee (Trumpet, Trombone)
Jeff Gordon (Drums)
Jesse Krause (Guitar, Bass, Cello)
Kanisha Cruz-Kan (Piano / Keyboard, Cello)
Kari Chastko (Voice, Violin, Viola)
Kyle Bain (Guitar/Bass)
Lois Gillespie (Voice)
Pierre Freynet (Guitar)
Randy Weslak (Violin/Fiddle)
Richard Jeanson (Piano)
Terry Smith (Guitar, Bass)
Tristan Rivers (Guitar, Bass)
Tyler Del Pino (Guitar / Bass)

Quest Musique believes in the importance of individual instruction for learning a musical instrument. In music, the aptitudes, skills, interests and determination of each student vary greatly. One child may have strong sight reading skills. Another may want to focus on a certain style of music. An adult may learn at an accelerated pace because of comprehension level and a desire to learn.

We have the right teacher for you!

Teacher Profiles

Andrew Erickson - Bass

Andrew Erickson is currently studying classical guitar at the Marcel A. Desautles Faculty of Music. He is enrolled in the Bachelor of Music/Education and Performance degrees. Andrew has recently been included in the Winnipeg Classical Guitar Society 2008-2009 & 2009-2010 concert series. Andrew also competed in the 2008 National Music Festival, where he placed 3rd in guitar, and received the award for most outstanding classical guitar performance in the 2008 Winnipeg Music Festival.

Annie Langdon - Bass

Annie is a second year piano major at the University of Manitoba who has completed her Grade 10 RCM exam. From a very early age, Annie knew that she wanted to perform for the rest of her life. She is very passionate about music and about sharing music with others. In her teaching, Annie emphasizes technique and musicality in a fun and exciting way.
Annie has performed solo in many recitals, the Winnipeg Music Festival, and in collaboration with her high school’s Jazz Band. She has also received the RCM Certificate of Merit for having the highest mark of 2008 for the Grade III Harmony exam. Her hope is to inspire a love for music in those who she teaches and who hear her perform.

Ashley Au - Bass

Ashley Au is a Winnipeg-based bassist, song-writer, guitarist, and music educator. With a B. Mus (Jazz Performance) from Brandon University (under the direction of NYC pianist Michael Cain), Ashley specializes in both upright and electric basses as well as guitar. Ashley is a multifaceted musician with performing, recording, and touring experience in a wide array of styles including jazz, classical, world music, rock, funk, and folk.

Brett Leier - Guitar

Bio Coming Soon...

Dan Levasseur - Drums

Bio Coming Soon...

Dane Moreau - Piano

Bio Coming Soon...

Dave Brown - Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute

Dave Brown has been playing woodwinds for over 30 years. From the beginning he excelled at the flute, and in 1972 he was chosen for International Music Camp European Tour Band as the youngest musician at 15, and played six European countries including a concert at the Vatican in Rome. Dave studied flute at Brandon University in 1974-75, and finished his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Winnipeg. Since the 80s Dave has been playing and teaching the flute, saxophone, and clarinet professionally and has gained a wealth of experience in touring, performance, and recording with various groups. Currently he plays flute and sax (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone) with NAfro Dance Orchestra and harmonica and saxes with the Black Aces.

Doug Northcott - Drums

Doug is the Music School Administrator for Quest Musique. He has been teaching and playing professionally since 1995. Doug has performed with numerous groups in a variety of styles including rock, alternative, metal, jazz, R&B, funk, fusion, hip-hop, country, and classical. He also has a wealth of experience in songwriting, studio work, engineering, and mixing. In 2002 he won a Prairie Music Award (since renamed the Western Canadian Music Awards) as a member of the Funk / Rock band Fast Orange. Doug is a teacher at heart and is constantly researching new teaching methods and curriculum for his students. He holds a B.A. (Psychology - Honours) and wrote his thesis on applications of behavioral psychology principles in teaching drum beats. Doug's current projects include playing in a classic rock cover band, a jazz fusion group, and recording in his home studio.

Eric Ens - Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Oud

Eric Ens has been with Quest since 2007. He teaches all contemporary music styles from metal to pop and has particular expertise in progressive rock & Jazz. Eric is highly trained in music theory and enjoys teaching the inner workings of music. He is very much a student of every aspect of the guitar, with a vast knowledge guitar repair, maintenance, construction, and the instrument's history including classic brands and models. Outside of music, Eric is currently pursuing a masters degree in pure mathematics.

Helen White - Voice

Originating from near London (U.K.) Helen has been immersed in music since her early years. After training in Classical music she expanded her interest in music to writing and performing rock, pop and folk songs with various bands. She has studied electro-acoustic music and jazz in the U.K., the U.S.A. and Canada. Helen has performed and recorded in all three countries, most notably with her new release No (More) Dinosaur Bones (2009) - a diverse and exciting mix and folk, jazz and British pop sensibility.

Since completing her M.Mus in Performance Helen has performed at the Winnipeg Jazz Festival 2009, in the Mardi Jazz series 2009, as well as performing at various venues around Winnipeg. She has organized several charity concerts and has also provided regular performance opportunities for her students around the city.

Helen has been the Director of the University of Winnipeg Downtown Vocal Jazz Choir since 2008. She has been teaching for over ten years and currently teaches at Quest Musique and at Portage Conservatory of Music.

www.helenwhitesings.com - for information and bookings.

James Creasey - Guitar, Bass, Pedal Steel, Dobro, Mandolin

James has been playing guitar since 1967. He studied with the late jazz great, Lenny Breau in the early seventies and has been a teacher, session player and performer for the last 34 years. He has recorded, performed and given seminars with such diverse artists as Burton Cummings, George Benson, Tommy Tedesco, Jerry Donahue, Dutch Mason, Savoy Brown and Paul Hyde from the Payolas.

James' studio experience has been pivotal in his vast knowledge of all popular guitar styles and techniques that he incorporates into his lessons from beginner to advanced. He is also an accomplished pedal steel and Dobro player. His philosophy to teaching is simple: make it fun, musical, and informative while tailoring each lesson to the client’s needs and personal goals.

James was nominated for a 2005 Juno award for instrumental album of the year for his self produced and composed Longhouse Series and is currently an independent music producer, studio owner and digital audio instructor. James teaches Guitar, Bass, Pedal Steel, Dobro, Mandolin, Pro Tools and Logic Audio.

James McKee - Trumpet, Trombone

My name is James Mckee and I teach brass instruments at Quest Musique. I have been playing brass instruments for 10 years, starting with the French Horn in Grade 6 concert band at Bruce Middle School. After two years on the horn I picked up the trumpet because I wanted to be in Jazz band. I went on to Silver Heights Collegiate where I played trumpet in both jazz and concert band. During high school I also played guitar and sang in a classic rock cover band which first exposed me to jamming and improvising without sheet music in front of me. I later learned to use these skills on the trumpet by jamming with friends. I now play trumpet, trombone and euphonium in a number of bands in Winnipeg ranging from ska and funk to country and bluegrass. I also play professionally as a member of the HMCS CHIPPAWA Naval Reserve Band. I joined shortly after graduating high school in 2005 and have experience performing in high pressure situations, such as playing the Last Post at the MTS Center. I am now studying Jazz at the University of Manitoba and performing as a member of the U of M Jazz Lab Band directed by Steve Kirby. When I am not performing with any of these groups you can find me busking or jamming with friends. I love music and take my trumpet with me everywhere and play whenever I think I might not get in trouble for it.

Jeff Gordon - Drums

Jeff Gordon has privately studied drums & percussion for 13 years. He is a graduate of the Los Angeles Music Academy. As well, Jeff has studied jazz & big band at Grant MacEwan college in Edmonton Alberta.

Bringing 8 years of teaching experience to the table, Jeff teaches all styles to all skill levels with an emphasis on reading and technique.

Jeff has years of experience playing locally and touring North America with Driver (a Winnipeg rock band), Sarah Sommer, Chai Folk Ensemble, Troy Westwood (AKA Littlehawk) and Davinport. As an experienced studio musician, Jeff has recorded CDs for Driver, Davinport, Chai Folk Ensemble, Littlehawk, Dirtywords and others.

Jesse Krause - Guitar, Bass, Cello

Bio Coming Soon...

Kanisha Cruz-Kan - Piano/Keyboard, Cello (Meadowood location only)

Kanisha has been teaching since 2007. She is an accomplished classical and contemporary musician with her Gr. 9 RCM certificate in cello and RCM Performers ARCT in piano. She has also completed her Gr. 5 in RCM Theory and taught beginner to advanced levels in piano, cello and theory.

Kanisha has performed at multiple Winnipeg competitions, including the Winnipeg Music Festival, Manitoba Registered Music Teachers Association, and U of M scholarships, as well as competitions at a national level. She has also shared her music at many recitals, master classes and senior homes, and accompanied various musicians (choirs, strings, winds, vocals, etc.)

Kari Chastko - Voice, Violin, Viola

Bio Coming Soon...

Kyle Bain - Guitar, Bass

Bio Coming Soon...

Lois Gillespie - Voice (Portage location only)

Born and bred in Winnipeg, singer-songwriter Lois Gillespie is not just another girl with a guitar. A voice that is by turns, vulnerable and resilient complement her well crafted songs. She passionately delivers music that resonates with those who have loved, lost, loved again and learned to laugh at life. Lois has performed locally and nationally for the past ten years and released her debut cd, Sensible Shoes in 2005. She is currently working on a new EP to be released in summer 2011.

One of her passions is working with Manitoba Artists in Healthcare, where she has shared her gift of song with staff, patients and visitors at the St. Boniface and Grace hospitals for almost a decade.

Lois received a diploma in Contemporary Voice in 1993 and has coached and taught singing for the past twelve years.

Pierre Freynet - Guitar

Pierre has been studying and playing music for as long as he can remember. His teaching experience includes: - private guitar instructor since 2003 - guitar instructor, group classes (all ages) for the City of Winnipeg Community Services Department - music teacher for the Division Scolaire Franco - Manitobaine, kindergarten to grade 9, two schools.

Pierre teaches many different styles of guitar playing, including: blues, jazz, rock, fingerstyle, classical, flamenco, bluegrass, country and reggae.

He is currently involved in 3 different musical projects. He is the guitarist and vocalist for The Bottlecaps Blues Band, he is the lead guitarist for folk-rock group The Afterparty, and he is currently in the process of recording a demo of his own original folk compositions.

You can check out some of his music at: www.myspace.com/pierrefreynet

Randy Weslak - Piano

Randall has been playing the fiddle for over 20 years and has been teaching since 2000. He has performed in numerous competitions throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and British Columbia. He has received top honours for fiddling, including two Manitoba Open Fiddling Championships, the most recent being 2008 and two Central Canadian Fiddling Championships.

Randall has played with many groups from B.C. to Nova Scotia, has participated in recording movie soundtracks and recorded 4 solo albums. He is currently working on his 5th album and plans to release it in late 2009.

Randall's style of fiddle music can be described as a blend of Scottish, Irish, French Canadian, Métis, and Bluegrass fiddling.

Richard Jeanson - Piano

Richard is a classically trained pianist with his grade 9 RCM certificate. He has been studying pedagogy for over 2 years. Richard has experience playing other instruments, like the trumpet and violin and has played piano in the jazz band at his high school. His teaching puts emphasis on sight-reading and collaboration. His aim is to instill a passion in and teach true musicianship to his students. Richard aspires to a career in music and specifically in education.

Terry Smith - Piano

Terry Smith teaches guitar and bass at Quest and is one of our most popular instructors. He has played live and recorded material with many bands throughout his career,and has shared the stage with some well-known artists. As a winner and finalist of several guitar competitions, Terry is very adept at teaching a wide range of styles. Whether you want to play rock, metal, blues, country, or classical, learn techniques like slide guitar and finger-style, just strum along with your favorite songs, or shred on lead guitar, Terry can show you how it's done with fun, informative lessons.

Tristan Rivers - Piano

Tristan has been playing guitar for nearly 20 years and has been teaching for the last 10 years. Although his insane chops have primarily established him as one of Quest Musique's shred teachers, Tristan teaches all genres of music and is also an accomplished classical guitarist. During his classical training he won virtually every competition he entered. Tristan's diverse musical background, knowledge of theory and attention to technique make him an ideal teacher for both beginners and advanced students looking to take their playing to the next level. Currently, Tristan plays in local bands Nine Lives and Mode 7.

Tyler Del Pino - Guitar, Bass

Bio Coming Soon...

Take Music Lessons From Qualified Teachers!