“Teachers have three loves:  love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together.” Scott Hayden

 

To be an excellent teacher, Sheelah believes that one must continually learn from experts, and she also gains insight from listening to and observing her own students.

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Here are some of the workshops/conferences:

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September 2017 - Sheelah attended the Meant to be Heard! workshop (the art of transformational voice) with voice teacher,performer and composer Jocelyn Rasmussen.  The workshop focused on strategies singers can use to memorize lyrics with imagery for inspired performances, and techniques for remembering entire programmes.

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November 2017 - Webinar - Mastering the Mental Game - Music professor Jeff Nelson (Indiana State University) helps students understand and replace their musical performance fears.

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January 2018 - Jazz Piano workshop with jazz pianist Kathleen Gorman - Canadian Music Centre, Focus was on jazz pianists and composers of the 20th century, and jazz chording.

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March 2018 - Vocal masterclass with Dr. Darryl Edwards, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and Artistic director of the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy.

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May 2018 - RCM workshop- The Art of Teaching Theory: Inspiring a new Generation.

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August 2018 - RCM workshop - Now's the Time: Teaching Jazz to All Ages with music educator and Orff Schulwerk proponent Doug Goodkin.

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March 2019 - completed The New Vocal Science of Singing course with John Henny.

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 August 2019 - Sheelah was delighted to receive her RCM Intermediate Piano Teaching Specialist Designation.

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January 2020 -  Attended the World Piano Teaching workshop and master class with piano virtuoso, Jarred Dunn. There was a special emphasis on studying the traits of excellent music teachers.

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June 2020 -  Attended the virtual 75th National Association of Teachers of Singing  conference, and benefited from excellent workshops like Teaching Contemporary Music Theatre,  The Voice from Head to Foot: A Holistic Approach to Safe Vocalizing,  The Self-Assured Singer: preparing for Auditions, and Eat, Sing and Be Merry - A Singer's Guide to Nutrition fo Peak Performance in Singing.

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Jan - Feb  2021 - Attended Alison Taylor's Alexander Technique art of breathing series. We explored how to expand and relax your voice and body, and the interconnection of the two.

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January 31, 2021 - Attended the panel discussion on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour)music and composers, and found it very informative.

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June, 2021 - Webinar "Mental Health in the Teaching Studio" with Ingela Onstadt from Courageous Artistry

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July, 2021 - Attended the online LovVetri Institute for Somatic Voicework - a body-based method of vocal pedagogy. Sheelah earned

Level I certification for this excellent form of developing the singing voice.

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January 16, 2022 - Attended NATS Chat - Contemporary Vocal Styles: Demystifying the Pedagogical Process Specifically for Pop/Rock

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July, 2022 - Attended the Ontario Registered Music Teachers' Association Convention - appreciated the presentation from the Royal Conservatory of Music introducing the repertoire from the new 2022 piano syllabus.  Enjoyed the workshop on Contemporary Musical Theatre - Vocal Styles and Performance Practise.  Also was inspired by the performances of young, competitive pianists and vocalists at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts in Kingston, Ontario

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June, 2023- Workshop with Lindsay McIntrye at the Canadian Music Centre, dealing with music performance anxiety, root causes and mindfulness.