Courtenay

Amanda Neufeld

LESSONS COORDINATOR
Phone: 250-338-3899
Email: [email protected]

adam willey (Guitar, Ukulele, Clarinet, Theory, Piano, Voice, Upright Bass, Bass Guitar)

Online Lessons:

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

Multi-instrumentalist Adam Willey has been an active part of the Canadian music scene for over a decade. His ability to fill a multitude of roles has kept him in demand as supporting musician for many notable Canadian artists on festival stages across North America. He completed his Undergraduate studies at the VCC School of Music, where he received his Bachelor of Music (2021), and has helped hundreds of people set foot on their own musical journey through one-on-one music education. His educational philosophy is simple; There's a music lesson in everything if you're willing to look for it.
His rate is $31 per half hour.

alan jossul (Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Mandolin, Banjo, Slide Guitar)

Online Lessons:

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

Alan Jossul teaches guitar, bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo. He has taught music in the Comox Valley since the 1990s and earned a diploma in jazz studies from Vancouver Island University in 2001. Alan is an expert in a wide variety of styles including jazz and bluegrass, and he is a founding member of local bands Big Red Truck and The Emily Cars. His lesson rate is $30 per half hour.

christy vanden (Guitar, Voice, Drums, Bass Guitar)

Online Lessons:

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

Christy Vanden is a guitar, drum and vocal teacher with over 8 years of teaching experience, both privately and at the Long and McQuade Lesson Centre in Courtenay. She is a local musician who has played lead guitar and vocals in numerous bands, toured as a solo act and played in the all-female multi-award nominated group, She Could Be Trouble. Christy has performed multiple times at Filberg Festival, Nautical Days, The Sid Williams Theatre, Sunfest Country Music Fest, and 2024's Vancouver Island Music Fest.

Christy was nominated in the 2022 Comox Valley Record's “Reader's Choice Awards” under the ‘Best Musician’, ‘Best Performer’ and ‘Best Music Teacher’ categories. She placed 2nd in the category of “Best Musician” in the valley and most recently placed 2nd for 'Best Music Teacher' in the Record's 2024 awards! Her rate is $30 per half hour.

corijn de roo (Drums)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Tuesday

Corijn de Roo has extensive experience performing a wide variety of musical styles. Besides many years of private lessons, he has had early classical percussion lessons in Amsterdam Conservatory for music and has attended VIU for Bachelor of Jazz Performance on drums. Having 25 years of combined music lessons between drums and piano as well as many master classes he has versed himself in styles from classical music to jazz, funk, blues and rock and roll to name a few. In addition to 4 years of teaching experience including one-off workshops with band classes and bands, Corijn has had an active career playing gigs in restaurants, pubs, and festivals both in Canada and overseas.
His lesson rate is $29.00 per half hour.

filipe andrade (Guitar, Piano, Ukulele, Violin)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Friday, Saturday

Filipe has lived in the Valley for over twenty-five years. He studies classical guitar which remains his first instrument. He has played bass, guitar, banjo, and ukulele in many local musical productions. He has sung in many choirs and has played percussion in worship music settings. He has been a part of many music ensembles, most recently playing with Chouette, a local French Canadian music cover trio: and has returned to playing bass with Raising Hale, with whom he has performed with at Comox Valley Music Fest. Filipe also has a diploma in Social Services and is currently working at Mark R Isfeld as an Indigenous Support Worker. He believes in connecting students following a strength base model. He has mentored and taught many students and is forever learning and growing within his craft. Filipe's rate is $29 per half hour.

jesse mccloy (Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Thursday, Friday

Jesse is an experienced teacher, performer, and purveyor of all things musical, Jesse has been playing in venues and studios across the world for the last 20 years.
His styles are far ranging, including anything from rock, blues, funk and soul to heavy metal.
Specializing in guitar and ukulele, Jesse believes in maintaining a relaxed and comfortable learning environment suitable for all ages and skill levels. Lesson rate $30 per half hour lesson.

oscar robles diaz (Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums)

Online Lessons:

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

Oscar Robles Diaz is a musician and music educator based in the Comox Valley. Originally from Mexico, he studied Classical guitar in Mexico City's Autonomous University (UNAM). Since 2008, he has been residing on Vancouver Island, Canada. He has toured extensively throughout Mexico and Central America, Western Canada, and as far away as Taiwan, and has also worked as a recording artist. A skilled multi-instrumentalist, he offers one-on-one instruction on guitar (acoustic and electric), bass guitar, Chapman Stick, ukulele, and drum kit. He is adept at teaching and performing a wide range of styles, including Flamenco, Spanish-Classical, Latin, Rock, Funk and Pop, to name a few. His rate is $31 per half hour.

rick bossom (Piano, Keyboard, Bass Guitar)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Thursday

Rick Bossom has been performing, writing and creating music since 1982, and has taught at Long and McQuade since 2011. He has a great deal of experience in the music business, including over 5,000 live performances, writing radio jingles & video production soundtracks and signing a publishing deal on his first CD. Rick's teaching style focuses on ear training techniques, improvising and making songs “your own”, reading sheet music, lead sheets and the fundamentals of music theory. Advanced students can explore the place of piano & keyboards in rock & pop bands, and creation & sequencing of music through midi sequence programs and hard disk recording. His rate is $31 per half hour.

sebastian robles (Guitar)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Wednesday, Friday

Born in Mexico City, Sebastian Robles Servin is a guitarist currently based in the Comox Valley. He specializes in blues, rock and metal styles of electric guitar.
Locally, he has performed at venues such as the Sid Williams Theatre and Simms Park. He also has taken the stage at events such as Cumberland Wild Festival, Comox Nautical Days Festival, and the Zattzoo Project's Battle of the Bands - an island-wide competition held annually in Port Alberni, where in 2022, he clinched the 'Best Guitarist’ award.
Sebastian has benefitted from one-on-one studies with internationally-renowned musicians - Sander Alex, Amir John Haddad, Julio Revueltas, Oscar Robles, Amar Alhoch and Ariyuki.
His rate is $29.00 per half hour

shaun weima (Guitar, Ukulele, Mandolin, Voice)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Monday, Tuesday

Shaun Weima moved to the Comox Valley in 2019 from Kingston, Ontario. He has been teaching music since 2003 at various schools in the area. He has performed, toured and produced with a number of Kingston bands, including Ianspotting, The Swampward Orchestra, and Hoppipolla. Shaun specializes in guitar, ukulele, mandolin, beginner piano and voice. His rate is $30 per half hour.

tavis weir (Banjo, Bass Guitar, Guitar, Piano, Theory)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Tuesday, Wednesday

Tavis Weir has lived and breathed music since he was old enough to walk. He grew up in a diverse musical family, gave his first concert at age 8 and never looked back. He attended the University of Toronto for Jazz guitar and has toured across Canada with many artists as well as to support his solo album. His passions are songwriting and recording; improvisation and sound exploration; as well as guiding others on their journey into the life changing power of music. He has been teaching people from all walks of life for the past 15 years. Tavis firmly believes music is available to everyone and inspiration can come from anywhere. Lesson rate $30 per half hour lesson.

thomas callow (Voice, Piano, Theory)

Online Lessons:

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

Thomas Callow is an experienced musician who has studied and performed for 27 years, and specializes in classical voice and piano. His musical journey started at the age of 5 years old with his first piano lesson, and it quickly flourished from there. He had his first performance at the age of 6, and then continued growing his passion for music by performing in musicals, choirs, orchestras, jazz bands and vocal jazz groups. In high school he found an additional love for music composition. He composed multiple choral pieces for professional choirs across Victoria such as Vox Humana, Prima, University of Victoria Chamber Singers, and many others. Thomas’ journey continued with studying and honing his craft of classical singing and music composition at the University of Victoria. He is now dedicating himself to passing on his knowledge, love and passion for music by offering exciting and engaging lessons to all those who wish to experience the magic that music has to offer. His lesson rate is $29.00 per half hour lesson.

valerie willey (Violin, Viola, Cello)

Online Lessons:

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

Valerie began playing the violin shortly after moving to the Comox Valley in 2004. She has been passionate about playing, teaching and performing ever since. After 1 1/2 years with the instrument, Valerie was appointed Concert Master of the Strathcona Symphony Orchestra for the 2007-2008 season. She has played in multiple Orchestral settings, and has passion for small ensembles. With 16+ years of teaching experience, beginner to intermediate students will find a fun, inspiring and comfortable learning experience. She has played through the Suzuki Violin series and continues working towards the RCM ARCT. Valerie also offers beginner Viola and Cello lessons. Her rate is $32 per half hour.

veronica klock (Piano, Theory)

Online Lessons:

Teaching Day(s): Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Veronica Klock’s students play to learn, to learn to play! Classroom activities get students moving to help them understand not only what music is, but how it feels and how it works, so they can learn to create their own musical ideas from their very first lessons. Healthy playing techniques learned in this way help students protect against repetitive strain injury while allowing them to draw the most exquisite tone possible from the instrument. She encourages group learning opportunities to experience the joy of playing together while building ensemble skills that serve musicians not only in their musical journeys, but in their day-to-day lives as well. Veronica began playing at age three, performing at age four, and teaching at age 18. Having studied with Dr. Harald Zabrack, Dr. Terence Dawson, Dr. Dale Reubart, and Helen Silvester, Veronica completed her A.R.C.T. in 1994 and graduated from UBC in 1998. She enjoys a vibrant career performing with the Strathcona Symphony Orchestra and in small ensembles; accompanying soloists; teaching; and composing; and has accompanied choirs as far away as the Grotto in Portland, OR and Disneyland, CA. Veronica teaches all ages and all levels. Her rate is $32 per half hour.