Lessons at Tapestry Music Victoria

Take music lessons at Tapestry Music and learn from any one of our experienced music educators who teach everything from piano, guitar, banjo, drums, violin, voice, trumpet, baritone, tuba, trombone, and french horn!

What We Offer

We currently offer private lessons in flute, clarinet, saxophone, violin, cello, ukulele, guitar, bass (electric or stand-up) banjo, dobro, voice, trumpet, baritone, tuba, trombone, and french horn.

We also offer group classes in ukulele, fiddle, and more.

OUR TEACHERS

 Carolyn Babuin - Violin and Viola 

 Carolyn has been teaching violin and viola for 8 years. She has worked with all sorts of abilities and her students have ranged from  3 to 65+ years old!

 Carolyn was originally classically trained and has spent lots of time in orchestras, string quartets and other classical ensembles. She began violin   lessons at age 4 with the traditional Suzuki method. In 2015 she moved from Alberta to Victoria to study Viola at the Victoria Conservatory of Music   and later attended the University of Victoria for the Music Education program. Although she has a strong classical background, Carolyn is also well   versed in contemporary music and has performed   with various bands of different styles. Carolyn also has spent the last 4 years busking in Victoria,   her fiddle duo can be seen performing at the Inner Harbour.

  Carolyn believes in teaching a solid foundation so that her students can move on and adapt to different genres if they wish. Carolyn can teach how to read music, but also enjoys teaching the art of improvisation and “playing by ear”.

Carolyn loves music and the power it has to bring people together. She is excited to share this love with her students and help them also have this life-long love of music.

Peter Caton - Cello

Cellist Peter Caton attended the University of Western Ontario where he received his Bacherlor of Music degree with Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi. While attending the Banff Centre he worked with many distinguished artists including Janos Starker, Zara Nelsova, the Orford String Quartet, and Gyorgy Sebok. He later received his Master of Music degree from the University of Victoria where he studied with Hanna Dedecius and James Hunter. While attending the University of Victoria, he won the annual concerto competition, performing Haydn's Cello Concerto in C.

He has played with the orchestras of London, Ontario, Windsor, Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George and was a teaching assistant to both Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and James Hunter. He spent thirty years working in Vancouver as a freelance cellist, teacher, and arranger, and currently plays with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra.

Skye Eriksen - Saxophone

Skye Eriksen is a recent graduate of the University of Victoria's music education program. Her primary instrument is saxophone. Skye has been teaching music privately since 2015 and has been performing professionally as a multi-instrumentalist for over five years. Skye aims to provide lessons to each and every student who seeks to develop a comprehensive musicianship by improving the fundamentals of saxophone and to assist students to enjoy more deeply the experience of making music. Skye is committed to providing students with opportunities to develop musicianship, artistry, personal expression, and confidence through music. Teaching and making music are her favourite things to do in the world. Skye will be continuing her education to complete a Bachelor of Education degree and eventually hopes to become a full-time music teacher in public schools.

Nancy Hilton - Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Voice

 Ben Litzcke - Clarinet

Christopher Mattila - Guitar

Christopher studies at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and teaches electric and acoustic guitar. With a drive to build musicianship at the beginner level while also having fun, Christopher is a great choice for beginners of all ages to discover their passion in an environment of enthusiasm and inspiration. 

  Nick Mintenko - Electric Bass, Stand-up Bass, Guitar, Music Theory, Songwriting

  Hello! My Name is Nick, and I have been teaching music lessons since 2012. I started out by showing some friends of mine how to play a few songs        on guitar and quickly decided that I wanted teaching to be a part of my life. I live for that eureka moment as a teacher, when I can see a student   suddenly understand a song, a method, or a concept. I am happy to delve deep into music theory with you, get started with the basics, or leave it   alone all together. Music theory is a great tool, but it is not necessary to have music be a huge piece of your life. For instance, some of my favourite   composers can’t read music. I learned from Victor Wooten long ago to think of music as a language, and the first steps we take when we learn English are to speak with our family and imitate them, not punctuation or syntax. I believe that every person has their own method of learning that works best for them, and I will endeavour to find that best method for each person I meet.

Now for a little about me. I myself began in music by starting with theory and sight reading from a very early age, until I was about 12. I actually grew frustrated and left it behind for many years as a young adult. It was only later when I rediscovered music for myself as a teenager by listening to the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones, that I became interested in playing again. I then spend four or five years as a member of the Vic High RnB band and The Midnights. There I studied all music RnB, Funk, and Motown, and learned perhaps over 300 songs in the genre. I came into Jazz music on my own but quite by accident. I mistakenly listened to John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”. I was completely taken by the raw emotion, improvisation, and expression of their music. I immediately rented my own double bass and enrolled in the Jazz Diploma Program at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. There I learned most of my foundational music theory knowledge. I learned arrangement, ear training, scales, harmony, improvisation, sight singing, composition, song form, and many other things. I also learned many bass techniques and methods by studying with the Victoria legend Joey Smith. We worked largely with Ray Browns Bass method. Since graduating in 2013 I have taught independently (2013-present), and at Larsen Music (2012-2016), as well as South Island Studio (2014-2016), and I have recently filled in for a few teachers at the West Shore Academy of Music. I have also toured Canada, the US, and Europe with Jazz, and Folk groups. I have co-written, co arranged,  recorded and released eight or more studio albums with various groups, as well as many other singles, and short releases in genres including Folk, Funk, Pop, RnB, Jazz, and more. I have composed, recorded, and released twenty of my own songs under my own name, hopefully with more to come. 

I am really excited to be a teacher with Tapestry Music, as many people involved here in Victoria are my longstanding friends. I look forward to meeting with you and playing some music together!

Izzy Spencer - Trumpet, French horn, and Low Brass

Izzy is passionate about sharing her love of music and playing brass instruments with students. Any genre can be explored in her studio through a focus on correct technique. She has played trumpet for eleven years and has been teaching privately for five. Izzy studied trumpet with Merrie Klazek, and education with Dr. Steven Capaldo at the University of Victoria where she completed a Bachelor's degree in Music Education. She has performed with the Uvic Wind Symphony, in joint concerts with the Naden Band, and with varying chamber groups. Izzy has gained experience working with middle and high school-aged students through her ongoing position at Cadets Canada summer programs as their private brass instructor and band teacher.

 Charmaine Tai - Flute

 Charmaine Tai most recently received her Master of Music in flute performance from the University of Victoria, where she held the positions of   principal flute for both the UVic Orchestra and the UVic Wind Symphony.  She has also performed with the Greater Youth Orchestra and the High   Notes Flute Choir, and has led flute clinics for high school band students on Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley. Charmaine’s musical education   started with the piano at the age of five, and she began studying flute when she was ten.  She hopes that through learning proper fundamental   techniques, students will build confidence and grow in their enjoyment of making music.