Meet Our Instructors!

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Piano, Flute

BA, RCM Certified Teacher, ARCT

Growing up in a musical family Kendra has been surrounded by the love of music her entire life.  Her mother was a piano teacher and took every opportunity to get Kendra up on any stage and perform to help build confidence and experience as a child.  Fast forward to today Kendra has fostered that love of music through teaching piano and flute lessons to students of all ages as well as providing music and movement classes to young children over the past 24 years.

As a music teacher, her aim is to help students develop a lifelong love of music.  In her music lessons, she provides opportunities for each student to become problem solvers and independent learners, as they find their artistic voices through learning music.  Music has a way of bringing students out of their shells and sparking individuality and she loves to watch the character development happen in each lesson.

Kendra finds it very rewarding teaching her students and loves to watch when her students grasp a concept and the satisfaction each student gets with it.  Music lessons become a unique experience for every student.  It’s amazing to watch students perform at recitals, festivals, and exams and see their confidence grow right before everyone’s eyes.

Piano, Voice

Katie has always been surrounded by music and has been singing for as long as she can remember. She took many years of piano and voice lessons and has recieved her level 8 RCM qualification for each. 

During school, she expanded her artistic experiences through musical theatre, a cappella, choir, and “jam nights” with friends. When she’s not teaching, Katie can be found travelling, singing in Myriad Ensemble, or furthering her studies to become a family therapist. 

Katie believes the best artistic spaces are the ones that leave judgement and perfection at the door, encouraging people to show up with a willingness to try new things, make mistakes, and learn from everything we do!

Piano, Voice

Sami is thrilled to join the team at Shepherd Private Coaching as a piano and voice teacher! 

Her love for music began at a young age, experimenting on her grandparents’ piano, and she is incredibly grateful that her parents put her in lessons early on. Shortly after starting piano, Sami added vocal training to her studies and went on to earn her Grade 9 RCM in Voice and Grade 8 RCM in Piano before heading to university to study Mechanical Engineering. 

While at University, Sami combined her passion for music and leadership as a cast member and Vocal Director for the McMaster Engineering Musical. Since graduating, she has continued to pursue creative and active interests, including pottery, volleyball, and travelling, and is currently working toward her Grade 10 RCM in Voice. 

Sami is passionate about bringing people together through music and creating a welcoming, supportive environment where her students feel confident to explore and express themselves. She is excited to bring her enthusiasm, experience, and positive energy to the studio.

Choreography, MainStage, Recreational Dance

Acting for Film & TV

Alma Sarai is an actor and arts advocate working in Burlington, Hamilton and Toronto. A graduate of UTM Sheridan's Theatre and Drama Studies program, she's gone on to perform in an extensive list of theatre projects with Tottering Biped Theatre, It's a Mystery to Me and Shakespearience, as well as film and voiceover; the former, most notably, as a featured role in Canadian Screen Award Winning Short Documentary "Patty vs. Patty", the latter of which include roles ranging from popular kids' program Finny The Shark, to commercial clients like Stella Artois. She also sings with Myriad Ensemble, an upper voices choir in Burlington. 

When she isn't acting or teaching, Alma also works with various other local adult and youth programs, helping to promote youth education and development through the arts. 

Creative Director

Piano, Voice, MainStage, LeadHERship, Zumbini