About

Welcome to Avalon Music Academy! For over 20 years we have served the Hamilton, Dundas, and Ancaster regions by providing high quality music instruction for all ages and abilities. We pride ourselves on the patience, experience, and professionalism of our staff, and on the well-being and growth of our students.

There are no memberships or hidden fees - what you see is what you get! Weekly lessons are conducted on a one-on-one basis, though parents are welcome (but not obliged!) to attend. Group lessons offer a chance for students to play with others, creating friendships and skills that will last a lifetime.

At the heart of all we do is a love of music, which is what we hope to inspire and instill in our Avalon community!

Krista is the proud owner of Avalon Music Academy both in Ancaster and in Dundas, where she has taught private voice and piano lessons for the past eighteen years. In addition to her work at Avalon, Krista is also the Talent Coordinator for CHCH's popular television show 'Tiny Talent Time' and was the Youth Coordinator at Theatre Ancaster for many years, creating both the popular Stage 2 Saturdays Broadway and Skill Builders programs. Krista holds a diploma in Musical Theatre from the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Redeemer University, with a double major in Theatre Arts and Music. Still active on stage, Krista regularly performs with local theatre companies as well as in Hamilton’s live music scene.

Tom started playing bass guitar at the age of 11 with his church choir. Once in high school he took up tuba, trombone, and trumpet and at the age of 14 began playing with the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra on tuba. He also played tuba and trombone with the Toronto Wind Ensemble. In 1997 he moved to Vancouver and spent years working as a session player and in 2010 he started working for Fbass (a boutique handmade in Canada bass producer), teaching at their bass camp and working with their artists. He currently calls Hamilton home and continues to perform both live and in sessions.

Mike has been teaching at Avalon for nearly 20 years. He is a film composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the guitarist, songwriter, and singer of Juno-winning band The Killjoys, and currently fronts the band Sematary Spawn. He is also a guitarist for proto-punk pioneers, Simply Saucer.

Trina Nadeau started cello through a school program in elementary school. After the program was cut she begged her mom for a long time for a cello, and continued learning through high school, lessons, and orchestras. She graduated from Mohawk College for music in 2004. While raising 2 daughters she continues her musical journey with cello yoga, Dounis methods, body mapping, and more! Playing for gigs, bands, teaching, and playing with friends and family are her highlights of life with music in community.

Matt Soliveri is a professional drummer and instructor based out of Hamilton Ontario. Matt’s journey as a drummer began nearly 20 years ago, playing in numerous local acts before studying Music at Mohawk College. After completing his music degree, he began performing and recording with some of Canada's top artists such as Alessia Cara, Jesse Labelle, Brian Melo, and joining the award-winning roots-rock band The Redhill Valleys in 2017. Above all else, Matt has a never-ending passion for drumming as an art form which he hopes to pass onto future generations of drummers and musicians alike.

Josh began his professional career as a musician at age 15, and soon after he started touring with bands nationally before attending Mohawk College to pursue a diploma in Jazz performance. After Graduating in 2006 Josh put his main focus on gigging/ recording and touring internationally. Over the past close to 20 years he has played with many artists such as Leaving Sangster, LoFi, Then General Lee, Katelyn Dawn (Canada's Next Top Model), Red Light King, Fiction and many more.

Brandon Wild has formal education in classical piano, jazz guitar, music theory, and music cognition. He is experienced in teaching a variety of styles, whether it be classical, jazz, pop, folk—even medieval plainchant!

Chris has been teaching guitar at Avalon for six years, and elsewhere for the last thirty years. He has performed live as a guitarist and singer in a huge variety of contexts since he was a teenager, and has recorded extensively. He is currently an ARCT voice candidate and sings in two choirs. He also presently is part of the Hamilton improv/jazz trio Lee Palmer Bennett.

Erin is a Classically trained (RCM), life long Pianist and Choral Singer who has worked at Avalon for four years. She went to Brock University for Piano Performance and Voice Pedagogy , and is a Registered Early Childhood Educator. She focuses on Student centered lessons, goals and curriculum.

Frances is a graduate of the Applied Music program at Mohawk College and obtained First Class Honours in Grade 10 Piano with the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has been a clarinetist with the Hamilton Concert Band and the McMaster Concert Band and for six years was the Music Director at a New Thought Church.  For 23 years she taught visually impaired clients at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

Fredric is the Director of Music at St. Paul's United Church, Dundas, Ontario. In addition to being organist, he directs many other community groups. He holds both Associate (Peaker Scholarship) and Fellowship degrees from the Royal Canadian College of Organists. He was a featured composer in Organ Canada. He is the past President of the Hamilton Centre of the RCCO, served on the RCCO national examinations committee and lead music workshops.

Ella McIntosh has been playing the violin for thirteen years and is enthusiastic about sharing her love of music with her students. A member of the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (HPYO) for the past four years, Ella has also served in the prestigious role of concertmaster. In addition to her classical training, Ella also has an interest in fiddle music.

Jessica teaches voice, piano, theory and public presentations, guiding students through the RCM levels and exams. A lifelong learner and a strong advocate for music education, Jessica continues to study advanced voice, sings in a local choir and is a board director for a music festival.

Dhara Cristina is a vocal coach originally hailing from Brazil. She has a passion for music and education, which has come to life along with her studies in both classical and contemporary music at Mohawk College's Applied Music program. Dhara has extensive experience with performance and songwriting, as well as guitar, piano and percussion training. She is familiar with a vast range of genres, from Latin America’s Bossa Nova and Samba to North America’s Pop and Rock, and is also enthusiastic about classical training.

Sarah has been playing piano since childhood and has graduated with the Associate Diploma of the Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT). With an endless appetite and passion for learning music, she has joined numerous music groups throughout the years, varying from children's choirs to military marching bands. Although she may be currently pursuing an education in healthcare at McMaster University, she looks forward to sharing her love of music with all students!

Madison Daniels is a musician born and raised in Guelph, Ontario and is a graduate of Mohawk College’s music program with a focus on Contemporary Guitar and Applied Music. While Madison’s focus may have started with the guitar, he has expanded his studies to also include voice, piano and the ukulele. No stranger to the stage, Madison is the primary songwriter and band leader of Frantic Lullabies, who record and perform in the greater Hamilton area. Madison has been teaching and performing for the past five years and can’t wait to share his love of music with your kids.