Artistic Team

Creative Team

  • Michael Grice (Adult Choir)
  • Carrie Tennant (Youth Choir)
  • Donna Otto (Children’s Choir)
  • Nicole (Coco) Roberge (Movement Coach)
  • Tia Tuner (Girlchoir)
  • Annette Coffin (Novisingers)
  • Diana Clark (Boychoir)
  • Kate Smith (Sources)
  • Angie Lundin (Sources)
  • Celina Fader (Sources Teaching Assistant)

Accompanists

  • Kathleen McLeod (Adult Choir)
  • George Chung (Youth Choir/Boychoir)
  • Siiri Rebane (Children’s Choir)
  • Adam Carabine (Girlchoir)
  • Alyssa Espiritu (Novisingers)
  • Danielle Marcinek (Ecole des Pionniers Choir)

Donna Otto

Artistic Director Music Director, Children’s Concert Choir

Recognized throughout North America as a leading music educator, Donna Otto believes “music must be experienced by the whole person”. She is well known for her energetic and holistic teaching combined with artistically excellent musical performances. Drawing on over 30 years of teaching experience, she focuses on the intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual qualities that make music magical.

Education and Training:

  • Masters of Music (UBC)
  • Trained at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria
  • Orff-Schulwerk Master teachers such as Doreen Hall (Canada), Jos Wuytack (Belgium), and Jane Frazee (US)
  • Worked with conductors such as Elmer Iseler (Canada), Diane Loomer (Canada), and Henry Leck (US)

Annette Coffin

Music Director, Novisingers

Annette Coffin has been singing, teaching music, and directing choirs in British Columbia since her arrival to the province in 1980. She began her music career as an elementary music specialist and over the past 29 years, Annette has taught everything from Kindergarten to University! Annette currently holds the position as District Coordinator – Elementary/Middle Music with Curriculum and Staff Development in the Coquitlam School District and has been with CSMA for over 10 years.

Education and Training:

Diana Clark

Music Director, Boychoir

With over 13 years of teaching experience, Diana Clark grounds her eclectic approach to music education in fostering creative thinking and aesthetic values in students. As a frequent clinician, Diana places these values at the forefront, and is recognized for her innovative and relevant presentations. She honours and celebrates the unique abilities of each child, and nurtures their innate love of music with her joyous and inspiring leadership.

Education and Training:

  • Bachelor of Music (UBC)
  • Masters in Trombone Performance (Northwestern University, Chicago)
  • Top program honours in a Master of General Music Education (Northwestern University, Chicago)

Tia Turner

Music Director, Girlchoir

Tia joined the CSMA team in 2006 and as the newest conductor, is busy bringing fresh ideas to the organization. As the mother of twin boys, she looks forward to teaching the Girlchoir every week. Tia believes in the power of music to bring out the very best in everyone.

Education and Training:

Carrie Tennant

Director, Youth Choir

Carrie Tennant is fast becoming well known in the choral community for her energetic and creative approach to working with youth. She values artistic excellence combined with an emotional connection between student, music and audience. Carrie works hard to foster a sense of leadership and caring in the singers she works with and firmly believes that singing makes you a nicer person all around.

Education and Training:

  • Bachelor of Music (University of Victoria)

Nicole (Coco) Roberge

CSMA Movement Coach

As the movement coach for CSMA, Nicole (Coco) Roberge hopes to help these young people feel free to dance like there is no one watching. When she’s not touring with a Latin dance company Grupo America, Coco is a theatre and dance educator in the Coquitlam School District.

Education and Training:

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts

Michael Grice

Music Director, Adult Choir

One of Michael’s happiest times each week is Tuesday nights when he works with CSMA's Adult Choir. To be able to work with such dedicated and eager musicians is definitely the joyful culmination of all that he believes to be important about education and the possibilities of music. He has conducted provincially and nationally acclaimed orchestras, concert and jazz bands, and concert and jazz choirs in churches, schools, and community organizations.

Education and Training:

  • Masters of Music, instrumental and vocal (UBC)

Kate Smith

Music Specialist, Sources

Kate Smith brings a varied musical and teaching background to Coastal Sound’s “ground level” Sources group of four- and five-year-olds. With a specialization in eurhythmics and music education, Kate has taught for 28 years in both Ontario and B.C. and presently teaches general music K-7 in Burnaby where she directs her school’s Junior and Senior level Choirs.

Education and Training:

  • Bachelor of Music (Laval University, Quebec City)
  • Levels training in both Orff and Music Ed/Ventures
  • Master’s equivalent Music Education, Assessment, and Evaluation

Angie Lundin

Teaching Director, Sources

Angie has been a member of CSMA’s Adult Choir since its inaugural season and is thrilled to be teaching the Sources program. She has taught Kinderdance® to hundreds of children over the past eight years and is now a student herself. She has been accepted into Simon Fraser University’s Professional Development Program to become an elementary school teacher specializing in music and movement. Having spent most of her adult years working professionally as a singer, dancer, and actress around the globe, she is able to pass on her practical knowledge to CSMA’s youngest singers.

Education and Training:

  • Bachelor of Arts, Telecommunications and Theatre (Indiana University, Bloomington)
  • Three-and-a-half years training and working in New York City
  • Off-Broadway, regional theatre, dinner theatre, and television

Kathleen McLeod

Accompanist, Adult Choir

Kathleen McLeod is a Vancouver native who earned her Bachelor of Music at UBC. She holds an ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music and a Licentiate of Music from the Western Board. Kathleen taught piano privately in New Westminster from 1993-95 before re-joining TELUS. She enjoys performing with instrumentalists and singers, and joined CSMA’s Artistic Team in 1998.

Siiri Rebane

Accompanist, Children’s Concert Choir

Born in Tallinn, Estonia, Siiri Rebane received her Bachelor’s equivalent in piano performance at Tallinn Academy of Music in 1982, and her Master’s equivalent in 1987, later returning for graduate work in organ performance. She has performed several solo organ concerts in Tallinn and is affiliated with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Siiri came to BC and joined CSMA in 1995 as Accompanist for the Children’s Concert Choir, and from 1996 to 2003 was the Music Director of CSMA Girlchoir. Siiri performs throughout the Lower Mainland, teaches at Capilano College and is Music Director at St. Catherine’s Anglican Church in North Vancouver.

George Chung

Accompanist, Youth Choir/Boychoir

George, a very popular member of the CSMA accompanist team, manages to keep everyone loose during rehearsals with his imaginative impromptu accompaniments. A grade 12 student at Pinetree Secondary, George has been studying piano since the age of five. He is currently working toward his grade 10 Royal Conservatory. George often picks up his violin and accompanies during the mass training choirs arrangements. A multi-talented musician, George also plays the clarinet.

Alyssa Espiritu

Accompanist, Novisingers

Alyssa has worked for several years with CSMA, first as accompanist for the Novisingers from 1998-2001 and then with the Girlchoir from 2002-2004. Alyssa rejoined Ms Coffin and the Novisingers in 2005. Alyssa has been studying piano since the age of five and has completed her ARCT Royal Conservatory. She occasionally accompanies voice students. Alyssa sang and toured with the Children's Choir and is currently a member of the Coastal Sound Chamber Choir.

Adam Carabine

Accompanist, Girlchoir

Adam has been singing with Coastal Sound since he was 8 years old, and has been playing piano since the age of 5. He has completed his grade 9 Canada Conservatory with first class honors. Adam has been the accompanist for the Coastal Sound summer music camp Middle Level Choir for the past 4 years, and is thrilled to join the CSMA Artistic Team 'full-time' accompanying the Girlchoir. Adam is a grade 12 student at Riverside Secondary.

Danielle Marcinek

Accompanist, Ecole des Pionniers school choirs

Originally from Port Alberni, Danielle Marcinek holds an ARCT and a Bachelor of Music with distinction in performance through the University of Victoria. Danielle has also received the 2002 and 2003 awards at Provincial festivals for the best performance of a Canadian piece (senior division). In addition to accompanying for CSMA, Danielle works with the Surrey children’s choirs, the Surrey Community Chorus, various vocalists and instrumentalists and is one of the pianists recording for Canadian composer Chris Ludwig’s CD ‘expressivity’.