Heather Charsley (Senior Choir) – Heather teaches vocal and instrumental music to elementary students at C. R. Judd Public School in Capreol, and serves as the director of music at St. Alban the Martyr Church. She was inspired to pursue her passion for singing while attending Sudbury Secondary School as a vocal major, where she performed in several choirs and variety shows. After graduating from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Musical Arts and a Bachelor of Education, Heather went on to teach vocal music with the Toronto District School Board. While in Toronto, she studied vocal conducting techniques with conductor Doreen Rao. Since returning to Greater Sudbury in 2000, she has been a chorister and soloist with the Capreol Community Choir and the Bel Canto Chorus.
Jessica Lloyd (Intermediate Choir) – Jessica is a professional singer, private instructor, and music educator with over three decades of experience. As a performer, she has worked with such ensembles as Tapestry New Opera Works, Native Earth Performing Arts, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Canadian Opera Company. Jessie has also performed and toured as a professional choral singer with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale and the Elora Festival Singers. For more than ten years Jessica has collaborated with multi-instrumentalist and composer, Louis Simão exploring the musical traditions of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking worlds. As a private instructor and educator, Jessie has worked for the Toronto District School Board and was Head of Music at Havergal College where she conducted the Upper School’s Intermediate, Senior, Chamber and Faculty Choirs. Currently, she is the Arts teacher at Lansdowne Public School in Sudbury and is a vocal instructor at Bayside Music.
Colette Nadeau (Junior Choir) – Colette earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (Honours in Music) from Laurentian University in 1996, and a Bachelor of Education from Windsor University in 1997. Past voice teachers include Bette Leake and Dr. Brad Richmond. Since beginning her teaching career with the Sudbury Board of Education in 1997, Colette has taught a variety of subjects in the elementary school setting, including music, drama and dance. She currently directs the school choir, band and other musical ensembles at R L Beattie Public School. As the Executive Director for the Northern Ontario Music Festival since 2007, Colette continues to promote music at the school and community levels.
Kristina Taylor (Junior Choir) – Kristina’s love for music and singing began at an early age when she received a guitar as a Christmas present and began writing her own songs. She pursued many singing opportunities in her community and at her church, and performed her own compositions in a musical band. In 1999 Kristina decided to pursue a career in teaching, and is now a music teacher at Lasalle Elementary School where she directs the Primary and Junior Choirs. Colette and Kristina are thrilled to be working with the Junior Choir as they embark on their new musical adventures.
Ralph McIntosh (General Manager & Accompanist) – A graduate of the Faculties of Music and Education at the University of Toronto, Ralph joined the YSS team in 2012, serving as Artistic Director during Dr. David Buley’s sabbatical year. He assumed his current roles of General Manager, assistant director and accompanist the following season. Ralph taught in Sudbury Secondary School’s Arts Education Program for over 20 years, where he was the choirmaster and musical director for many musicals and variety shows. From 2005 to 2015, he served as the Arts Education Coordinator for the Rainbow District School Board and chaired the Joan Mantle Music Trust, which raises funds for musical instruments and equipment in Rainbow schools. After retiring from teaching, Ralph became the Education Director for the Sudbury Theatre Centre team (now YES Theatre) where he continues to be active in the Sudbury community as a vocalist, accompanist, church musician, and arts advocate.
FOUNDING DIRECTOR – Dr. DAVID BULEY
David Buley (B.A.; B.Ed.; ARCCO (Chm); M.Mus.; M.Phil.; Ph.D.) served as the Assistant Professor of Music Education in the Concurrent School of Education at Laurentian University from 2006 to 2017, and established the Young Sudbury Singers in 2007. While in Sudbury, Dr. Buley also served as the artistic director of the Ariadne Women’s Chorus and the award-winning mixed-voice ensemble Octatonic Decadence. A practitioner of Jaques-Dalcroze Eurhythmics, he is a graduate of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J., having studied with Joseph Flummerfelt.
David and his partner Jan moved to St. John’s, Newfoundland in May 2017 to assume new positions in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University.
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