TEACHERS
William Schollar | Managing Director & Guitar
William Schollar is the managing director of Beats and Bars Music School. Away from education Will is a Music Producer and Guitarist. Will studied Guitar and graduated from one of Europe’s leading conservatoires Leeds College of Music in 2014, with a BA(Hons) in Music with first-class honours. During that time Will studied under the tutorage of Stuart McCallum (Cinematic Orchestra). Will specializes in a range of playing styles and contexts. In 2015 Will became a fully qualified secondary school teacher in the U.K. gaining a Postgraduate degree (PGCE) in Secondary Music from the Manchester Metropolitan University. He then went on to be Head of Music at Heron Hall Academy in London for three years. Will is currently the head engineer and producer at the iconic Kensington Sound recording studios in downtown Toronto. His diverse credit list includes industry professionals such as Snoop Dogg, Ben Pelchat (MyMySugar, Chris Hart, Boy George), Vezi Tayyeb (Alannah Myles, The Drifters), Jaymz Bee, Robert Priest (Poet & Author), Jordan John, Prakash John (Alice Cooper, Lou Reed), Shannon Dooks, Raff Pylon, Jeff McMurrich, João Thiré, Rosanne Baker Thornley (RBT), Mikalyn Hay, Trevor LaRose, Kevin Fox and Mark Kelso (Pat Metheny, Michael Bublé, Shania Twain).
Morgan O'Grady | Vocals
Originally from Ottawa ON, Morgan has been deeply passionate about Music and singing for as long as she can remember. Her love of Drama led her to theatre and stage at the early age of 6. Morgan moved to Toronto to study Musical Theatre, graduating from the Randolph Academy of the Performing Arts. She has performed in a range of theatre productions across Canada alongside making TV appearances. Since graduating Morgan has been working as a session vocalist, vocal coach and actor. Morgan has been teaching vocal lessons and preparing students for RCM vocal grades for over 5 years. Morgan specializes in Musical Theatre, Classical, Jazz, Pop, and Folk repertoire. With a nurturing and full-body approach to the music lessons, she approaches each student’s journey individually fostering confidence to create loud, powerful and joyful noise!
Trevor Falls | Drums
Trevor Falls is a drummer and composer who grew up in Port Alberni, B.C. Trevor earned his degree in music at Humber College where he focused on performance, song-writing and recording. At Humber he had the fortune to study with some of Canada’s best musicians.Trevor has won awards on both a regional and national level for his drumming. At the Musicfest National competition he was awarded Zildjian’s “best young rhythm player”. Trevor works in and around Toronto and tours Canada with many groups ranging from Jazz to Hip-Hop to Rock. He has been performing around Canada for the past two years with Sony Music artist Langston Francis. In 2010 Trevor was awarded a grant from the Canada Council to attend the Banff International workshop for creative and improvised music at the Banff Center for the Arts as well as a Factor Demo grant for recording. In 2016 Trevor was accepted into the prestigious Leighton Artist Colony Residency at the Banff Center for the Arts where he composed music for his latest album. He has had the chance to perform & record with some great musicians & bands including but not limited to Lauren Falls, Tristan Clark, Seamus Blake, Brad Turner, Nir Felder, Miles Jones, Oscar Tango, Dionne Taylor, Kae Sun, Dee Dee & the Dirty Martini’s and Langston Francis to name a few.
Patrick Smith | Woodwind & Piano
Patrick Smith is a freelance musician and teacher based in Toronto (originally from Ottawa). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance (BMus with Honours) from the University of Toronto, during his time there he was given the Ann and Wallace McCoy Renewable Scholarship upon graduation was awarded the SUBA Institute Award for Performance Excellence. Outside of his formal education, Patrick has traveled to New York to study with internationally acclaimed American saxophonist Mark Shim and in the past has studied under Canadian jazz legends Mike Murley, Kelly Jefferson and Tony Malaby.
Tristan Armstrong | Guitar & Ukulele
Tristan Armstrong has been teaching the guitar since 2004. In that time he has worked with students of all ages and abilities, and has developed an approach that is tailored to each individual’s strengths and learning style. Lessons focus on developing an appreciation and enjoyment of music, as well as the basics of music theory and technique as they apply to the guitar. Emphasis is placed on getting students playing songs that they personally enjoy. Originally from the west coast, Tristan completed a Bachelor of Music degree at Vancouver Island University, with further studies in Jazz Guitar at Humber College in Toronto. In addition to being an educator, Tristan also performs professionally on a weekly basis, working in a variety of styles. Performance highlights include playing in concert with drummer Steve Gadd (Paul Simon, James Taylor, Steely Dan), as well as playing the music of The Blues Brothers as Dan Aykroyd’s backing band together with drummer Johnny Fay (The Tragically Hip.)
Andrew McAnsh | Brass
Award winning trumpeter and recent graduate The Berklee Global Jazz Institute, Andrew McAnsh is currently involved in several creative groups and initiatives, as well as a composition society. Andrew has worked with notable artists including Esperanza Spalding, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Bill Dobbins Terri-Lyne Carrington, George Garzone, Pat Labarbera, Larnell Lewis, Hilario Duran, and Bobby Shew at major international festivals such as Newport Jazz Festival, Panama Jazz Festival, Kobe Jazz Walk, Toronto Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival and many more. He has collaborated with Jack Dejohnette, Chris Potter, Joe Lovano, Dave Holland, Terence Blanchard, and the New York Voices during his studies at Humber College.
Andrew Rasmussen | Piano
Growing up in the interior of BC, Andrew showed early passion and aptitude for music, completing his Royal Conservatory piano studies at the age of 15. After spending his high school years playing in rock and pop bands, Andrew studied Jazz Piano at Capilano University, which eventually led him to many touring and performing opportunities in a variety of musical styles : from globally recognized pop artists to renowned jazz figures. When Andrew moved east in 2017, he began graduate studies at the University of Toronto, where he was involved in numerous areas of research including psychoacoustics, music neurology and electronic music. Andrew is currently active in the Toronto music community as a songwriter, producer, teacher, piano player, drummer and sound designer. When teaching, Andrew strives to foster individuality and creativity, while laying a strong foundation of technique and structure. Drawing from the experience of invaluable instruction received during his career, Andrew has the ability to passionately and sensitively lead students in their comprehension of overarching musical concepts, while appealing to the specific musical taste of each student.
Shannon Dooks | Vocals (online only)
Shannon Dooks has been singing since she was 4 years old in Oshawa, Ontario and started enjoying acting at an early age as well. She now lives in Toronto after returning home from studying musical theatre in Australia. An early childhood education specialist, she has taught in various capacities including family group classes and private teaching. She also taught for the Australia Girls Choir while pursuing a career in music and acting. She has performed on various stages in Australia, America and Canada and also writes and records her own music at Kensington Sound. She has worked with and taught many artists over many different genres including Musical Theatre, Pop, Jazz, R&B, Soul and Folk. You can find her music on all music streaming platforms. Shannon has a passion for sharing music, drama and performance with children because of how young she started and how important it is to start early.
Jeff LaRochelle | Woodwind (online only)
Jeff LaRochelle is a Toronto-based woodwind specialist, as well as a composer and educator. He graduated from Humber College with a Bachelor of Music degree in 2010, and has been freelancing in Toronto since then. Jeff has performed throughout Canada as well as in Europe and South Korea. He has had the chance to work with many renowned musicians including Danilo Perez, Brian Blade, Pat LaBarbera, Rich Brown, and Tim Ries. Jeff has released 5 full-length albums as a leader or co-leader, including his latest solo recording “Lenses Extend” in November 2018. He also co-leads the contemporary jazz trio Autobahn and has arranged and composed music for The Massey Hall Band (big band) and Spectrum Music (chamber music), along with freelancing with many Toronto-based acts. As an educator, Jeff has over 10 years experience teaching saxophone, clarinet, and flute and has been teaching at Montcrest School for the last 5 years. He has also taught clinics at Humber College, the University of Toronto, Upper Canada College, and the Simcoe County District School Board.