Campbell River

Barb Homoncik (Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Barb is an accomplished piano instructor with a wealth of musical expertise and over 20+ years of teaching experience. Her students have consistently received First Class Honours in RCM Piano exams and have shown excellence performing in local music festivals. Barb is also an award-winning singer/songwriter and has spent years performing as a piano-based solo artist. She was also a member of the Ninth Hour Band in Vancouver, the Royal City Musical Theatre Company, and the Vancouver Outreach Community Soul Gospel choir. Barb has also shared her talents as an accompanist and director of church choirs in the lower mainland and locally. Not only does Barb teach her students what they need to know to play piano proficiently but also how to take that knowledge and apply it to contemporary playing and songwriting (if they’re interested!). She provides personalized instruction in a fun, supportive, and encouraging environment for students of all ages! Her rate is $30 for a 30 minute lesson.

Jonathan Appleton-Jones (Guitar, Bass Guitar)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Tuesday

Jonathan has been teaching (and amassing his knowledge of music) since the late 1970s. In the mid 1980s he was a member of staff at the Douglas Academy of Music before moving to the Campbell River area in the early 1990s to teach at the Music Plant. He has a deep understanding of composition, theory and harmony and applies it progressively via the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of many music language styles. His strengths are classical, jazz, contemporary, finger style, and solo arrangements. His rate is $30.00 for 30 minutes.

Marty Verhagen (Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Thursday, Friday

Being fascinated by the sounds of over-driven and distorted guitar, Marty started his musical journey at the age of eight when he discovered Alternative Rock, Grunge and Nu Metal music. Using up most of his allowance money to purchase albums, his parents noticed his obsession and soon bought him a guitar for his tenth birthday. Not being keen on formal guitar lessons, Marty taught himself by ear (listening to his albums), guitar magazines and the internet thus developing himself a strong relative pitch to decipher the songs he wished to learn and play. By the end of high school he decided to expand his musicianship by enrolling into the music program at MacEwan University in Edmonton, AB. Achieving outstanding grades, Marty majored in both performance and recording and was asked to start teaching for a mentor of his during his second year. This developed into a passion that he still carries today, leading himself to evolve since 2007 as a brilliant instructor and learning other instruments to teach such as bass, ukulele, drums and piano. Marty is capable of adapting to any learning style and is driven to teach the student what they want to learn while guiding them into new territories and encouraging them along the way. His rate is $30 for a 30 minute lesson.

Rafaelle Matheson (Piano)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Style: classical

Teaching Day(s): Wednesday

Rafaelle has taken piano lessons from the age of 4 and studied in Campbell River between 1999-2019 with private piano teachers. She completed The Associate Diploma of The Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) for piano in the summer of 2019. Rafaelle plays the keyboard in The Strathcona Big Band directed by Erin Dwyer and has played piano accompaniment for many groups including Carihi School choir, local musicals, The Campbell River Singers and local voice students. She played the clarinet and piano in the middle school and high school bands, became a student teacher for beginners, teaching from 2013-2019. She enjoys sharing her love for music and helping others find their musicality. Her rate is $30 for 30 minutes.

Sam Britton (Guitar, Bass Guitar, Voice, Composition, Ukulele)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday

Sam is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, composer and producer with an interest in all styles of music. He attended the Jazz Studies program at the Vancouver Island University, graduating in 2013. Sam has been on touring since 2014 all over Canada with bands such as The Body Politic, and Indie-Pop sibling duo Flawed Hearts. Sam loves to keep his students interested and engaged, let him know what you want to learn and he'll make it happen. He is excited to share his passion for music with all ages and skill levels! His rate is $30 for 30 minutes.

Steve Sawatsky (Drums)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Friday

Steve is an accomplished drummer/percussionist with more than 4 decades of playing experience. He is also a vocalist, bass player and producer with many years of studio recording in several genres of music in the fields of Rock, Country, Blues, Gospel and progressive fusion styles. Steve has toured and performed live with both cover and original acts in Canada and the USA such as Trouble Iz, Flashpoint, The Timebenders and his current band project Ariel. Steve has taught privately over the years with an emphasis on the full drum set, producing many satisfied and accomplish drum students. He is looking forward to sharing his musical experience and love for percussion with all levels of student interest. His rate is $30 for 30 minute lessons.

Taya Haldane (Violin, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Taya Haldane offers personalized music lessons for both violin and flute. She completed her Bachelor of Music in 2020 at the University of Victoria and a Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia in 2024. Taya combines a deep understanding of music and education to provide effective, engaging lessons, tailored to a student’s learning style and interests. Her experience includes serving as First Chair Violin with the Terrace Symphony Orchestra and performing as a flutist with the Skeena Sisters. Taya’s approach focuses on technique, musicality, and building confidence while fostering a love of for all music. Her rate is $30 for a 30 minute lesson.