Thaddeus Howard
Executive Assistant
Nancy Howard
Registration Director
Jim Ferris
Vice Chair, Concert Band
Jim Ferris from McDougall has adjudicated bands at various music festivals across the country at both regional and national levels. He is presently responsible for the sight-reading segment of MusicFest Canada’s Concert Band Division. Jim Ferris earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Western Ontario and his Master of Education degree from the University of Toronto. Following his retirement after 32 years of teaching, he was the Education Consultant for Yamaha’s Music in Educational program until he retired from that position in December 2005. In 1999 he was awarded the Canadian Band Journals. Outstanding Directors Award and was inducted into MusicFest Canada’s Hall of Fame for his long outstanding contribution to Music Education.
- Location: McDougall, On.
Alex Dean
Vice Chair, Instrumental Jazz
Alex Dean, one of Canada’s foremost jazz saxophonists, has been a mainstay of the Canadian music scene for many years. He has played and recorded with Gil Evans, Kenny Wheeler, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Harry Connick Jr., Phil Nimmons, the Dave McMurdo Jazz Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Alex held the tenor saxophone chair with Rob McConnell’s Grammy award winning Boss Brass and, the Juno award winning Rob McConnell Tentet. The Alex Dean Quartet/Quintet recordings include At this Point (November 2010), Dreamsville, Both Feet, and Kaitlyn’s Waltz. Kaitlyn’s Waltz was voted Best Jazz CD of 1994 by The Jazz Report and one of the Top Ten Jazz CD releases by New York’s Village Voice. He was also voted Jazz Musician of the Year by the Toronto Star.
Lean more about Alex at Alex Dean.
John Chalmers
Chair, Choral/Vocal Jazz
John is active as an adjudicator and clinician throughout North America and has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Vocal Festival and part of the Executive Committee of MusicFest Canada for over 30 years. He taught music at Humberview SS, Central Peel SS, Mayfield SS, Humber College and the University of Toronto Jazz Performance Program where his groups received national and international recognition, winning nine DOWN BEAT Magazine Student Music Awards. John has received the I.A.J.E. “Outstanding Jazz Director Award” for Canada, the Jazz Report Award for “Best Secondary School Jazz Program” and was inducted into the MusicFest Canada “Hall of Fame” for outstanding service to young Canadian musicians.
Changyong Park
Internet Technologies Director
Dr. Shirantha Beddage
Vice Chair, Instrumental Jazz
Dr. Shirantha Beddage is a baritone saxophonist, composer and educator from Toronto, Canada. He has released three critically-acclaimed albums as a leader: Roots and Branches, Identity (2013 JUNO nominee) and Momentum (2017 JUNO nominee). His compositional skills have won him accolades such as the Montreal Jazz Festival Galaxie Rising Star Award, recognitions at the Canadian Songwriting Competition, and placements in the Emmy-winning TV series “Fargo”. Dr. Beddage currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Jazz in the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. He was previously Director of Jazz Studies at the Columbus State University Schwob School of Music (Columbus, Georgia, USA) and a Professor in the Humber College Bachelor of Music program. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Studies from the Eastman School of Music (New York, USA), a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies from William Paterson University (New Jersey, USA), and a Bachelor of Music degree from Humber College.
Learn more about Shirantha at Shirantha Beddage.
Neil Yorke-Slader
Treasurer, Executive Director
Neil has composed over 55 works at various levels for jazz ensemble, available through UNC Jazz Press and Burnihla Music Publishing and distributed worldwide by J.W. Pepper. He taught music at the elementary and secondary levels for 17 years, and is active as a jazz adjudicator and clinician throughout North America. Neil directs the renowned Nepean All-City Jazz Band, one of Canada’s per-eminent student jazz ensembles for the last 35 years. In 2018, he was named the inaugural winner of the Tommy Banks Outstanding Canadian Jazz Director Award. In 2020, he was named an Honourary Life Member of the Ontario Music Educators’ Association.
Learn more about Neil at Neil Yorke-Slader
Neil is sponsored by Burnihla Music.
Jim Howard
Executive Director
Mr. Howard is an author, adjudicator, arranger, producer, performer and a former faculty member at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. He was the recipient of the “Berklee College of Music Distinguished Alumnus Award” in 1989.
Mr. Howard has been the Executive Director of MusicFest Canada for the past 30 years and has been involved with the festival for 36 years. Prior to that Mr. Howard served as Visiting Professor of Jazz Studies at Sir Wilfred Laurier University, Jazz Ensemble Director at McMaster University and the Senior Faculty Member and Teaching Master at Mohawk College.
Dr. Mark Hopkins
Director
Currently, Dr. Hopkins is an Assistant Professor in the School of Music at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. He is responsible for overseeing the Music Education area, teaching conducting, and is Director of Bands at Acadia University. Dr. Hopkins is very active as a guest conductor of professional and collegiate ensembles, having led performances across Canada and the United States, Bermuda, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, and Romania.
Learn more abotu Mark at Dr. Mark Hopkins
Bryan Stovell
Director
Bryan taught music in Nanaimo for 50 years. Since 1997 he served as Chair of MusicFest Canada’s Jazz and Concert Band Divisions and is currently a Board member. He also taught Jazz Pedagogy at Vancouver Island University and was Chairman of the Music Department until he retired again in 2015. Bryan is a MusicFest Canada Hall of Fame member, recipient of the Marshall McLuhan Distinguished Teacher Award for both BC and Canada, BCMEA’s Professional Music Educator Award, and the City Of Nanaimo Excellence in Culture Award.
Learn more about Bryan at Bryan Stovell
Peter Grant
Chairman
