Piano, (classical/pop) or the art of accompanying
Voice, pop/musical theatre
Coachings for vocalists: Classical, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, & Musical Theatre
Coachings for instrumentalists, and chamber music of all levels
Theory and ear training (group classes possible)
French Horn
Trumpet
Orchestral audition preparation for brass and winds
University audition preparation for piano, voice, brass and winds
Stratford Symphony Youth Orchestra

Patrick grew up in New Brunswick, Éric in Québec, they met at Western University and moved to Stratford in 2017. Alongside his work as a professional musician, Éric also teaches a studio of voice and piano students. He offers coaching and audition preparation for voice (opera or musical theatre), piano, chamber ensembles and accompaniment students. Éric is fluent in French and English, and can coach multiple languages for singers. He is happy to accept students who want weekly lessons, or to work with students as a coach on an “as needed” basis, preparing them for kiwanis, university auditions and/or attending student’s lessons as an accompanist. 

Éric has a B. Mus in performance from the University of Sherbrooke and a M. Mus in collaborative piano from Western University. He has been teaching piano since his teenage years and always keeps a balance between teaching and performing. The Stratford Festival brought him to Stratford as Éric joined as rehearsal pianist on HMS Pinafore and substitute keyboardist on Guys & Dolls. Then, Éric was the associate conductor on The Music Man, Billy Elliot and, in 2020 before Covid-19, on Chicago. Éric joined the Stratford Festival’s Education Department in 2017 as music director of the musical theatre intensive The Shakespeare’s School and has been teaching different workshops for the theatre since then. He has performed with Canada’s finest musical theatre talent and was recently seen on stage with legendary composer Alan Menken in Portrait of a Collaboration: Alan Menken & Marion Adler. Further credentials can be found at:

linkedin.com/in/ericcharbon

Patrick privately teaches french horn, trumpet, piano (classical only), theory and ear training. He also offers sectionals and masterclasses to chamber ensembles, brass and wind students.

Patrick recently joined the horn section of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra. He obtained his B. Mus with honours in performance from Dalhousie University and a M. Mus in performance & literature from Western University. Patrick completed his RCM grade 10 in piano before making the switch to french horn. Patrick has performed with professional orchestras in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario, as well as toured across Europe with an orchestra from Long Island New York. 

Both Patrick and Éric maintain small studios, with a focus on (but not limited to) students aged 10 and above. They are able to share students, and always begin with an introductory zoom meeting for prospective students to understand their goals and match them with the appropriate teacher.
Éric & Patrick have formed Peck Productions in 2018 as they produced Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah at the Palace Theatre in London. You can reach both of them at:
peckprods@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/peckprods/
Lessons are held at their home in Stratford, On. 

Eric started teaching music when he was 12 years old, after obtaining Grade 10 on piano accordion. With 48 years of teaching experience, he has found that “interest is the greatest motivator of learning,” and that playing music has to be “fun.”

Eric teaches:

• Accordion (piano and button)
• Banjo (Bluegrass and tenor)
• Bass (electric)
• Clarinet
• Dobro
• Ear training
• Fiddle
• Guitar (classical, electric, acoustic)
• Harmonica (chromatic, diatonic)
• Keyboard (piano, organ, synthesizer)
• Mandolin
• Music Theory
• Recorder
• Recording production technique (Protools, Logic Pro, GarageBand)
• Songwriting
• Ukulele
• Voice

Music Styles: Classical, Jazz, Popular, Celtic, Bluegrass, Folk, Rock.

Beginner students are taught by “ear,” playing along with YouTube videos and recordings. This is, after all the way we all learned our first language. We learnt how to talk by imitating our parents… learning to read much later.

After the student has learnt to actually “play” music, applied music theory is taught… explaining why and how these chords, melody notes and rhythms work with each other.

Music notation, (reading) is then taught after the student is already performing and enjoying music.

Music “reading” is introduced earlier on some instruments: violin, clarinet and piano for instance. And on some instruments it’s not really practical to read traditional music notation, but we use tablature or chord symbols: harmonica, dobro, banjo, ukulele, singing and chording on guitar and piano.

Creativity, songwriting and composition are encouraged from the earliest stage of learning music and since lessons are taught in a professional digital recording studio, the techniques and art of modern recording are experienced.

Eric teaches through Skype to advanced guitar students from Australia, Europe and across Canada.

Eric in Studio with “Five Instrument”Student

About Eric Mahar

One of Eric’s earliest musical memories is playing a plastic ukulele or harmonica in front of the television along with the Don Messer Show. Add to this fact that his parents and grandparents are Prince Edward Islanders and he grew up listening to family and relatives playing “Olde Time” music at get-togethers.

Eric’s music education began with harmonica, taught by his father Fred Mahar, and then achieved grade 10 on the Piano Accordion at age 12. He then studied classical guitar, electric guitar and clarinet, playing in several professional bands and joining The International Musicians’ Union before high school, (youngest musician at the time to belong to the union).

After high school, Eric studied music at Humber College graduating with “First Class Honours” in the famous Certificate program, as well as private classical guitar lessons through the University of Toronto. During this time he was fortunate to have private lessons for jazz guitar with the legendary guitarists Lenny Breau, John Abercrombie and Ralph Towner.

Many years were then spent on the road in various recording studios across Canada and Europe with a variety of recording artists, including a ten-year association with the multiple Juno Award-winning group, “The Mercy Brothers,” as a producer and performer.

Eric returned to college to gain a Certificate in Broadcasting and worked in media sales at a Toronto Advertising agency.

Lately, Eric has been a featured jazz, country, pop and classical guitarist/singer performing in Canada and Europe in a variety of stage shows, theatre productions or concerts, and is a busy studio musician and producer. He enjoys mountain biking, cross country skiing or just being out in the woods.

Benefits of Musical Study with Eric Mahar Include:

• teaching all ages of students: 5 to seniors, beginner to advanced
• a lifetime love and enjoyment of music
• various performance opportunities supporting local fundraising benefit shows
• ability to record and learn modern recording techniques
• preparation for college or university music programs

Find Out More About Mahar Music Studio

Mahar Music Studio is located in a 100 plus year old house close to downtown Stratford. Contact for lesson enquiry and fees.

• phone: (519) 274-5664
• e-mail: ericmahar@hotmail.com
• YouTube: Mahar Music Studio Channel
• Facebook: maharmusicstudio
• Skype Name: maharmusicstudio

Formerly of Stratford Ontario, Kathleen Wood has recently relocated to Saskatchewan.  She is currently offering private music theory lessons in an online format.  She is learning to co-ordinate lessons across multiple time zones and looks forward to continuing her connections with Stratford.

Kathleen has had a long career as a music theory teacher.  Focusing on teaching private lessons has allowed her to specialize in adapting instruction to each individual student and their particular interests.  In her teaching, Kathleen emphasizes the connection between theory and making music. Rather than just learning theory at a desk and from a book, students are given opportunities to learn how theory applies to the music they make. Ear training is also prioritized in this approach.

Kathleen has experience in teaching students from ages 10 to 80.  Her students routinely achieve first class honours and distinction on RCM theory examinations.  Some have been gone on to study music at postsecondary institutions including the faculties of music at the University of Toronto, UBC, and McGill.  Others pursue lessons to develop their musical literacy, increase mental focus, or find support for musical projects.

At present, Kathleen is offering lessons in rudiments, ear training, and harmony.  Lessons are customized to accommodate your individual schedule and goals.

Originally from Duncan BC, Kathleen Wood began her early studies of piano and theory in Saskatchewan, at the Regina Conservatory of Music where her piano teacher was Gordon Wallis. Kathleen then earned a Bachelor of Music degree (major in music history and literature) from the University of Toronto, where she studied piano with Andrew Markow. This was followed by several years of composition study with Dr. Alexander Rapoport at the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Kathleen was a member of the College of Examiners at the Royal Conservatory of Music from 1995 to 2018.  Over the years, she marked several thousands of rudiments, harmony, counterpoint, and analysis examinations.  From 1999 to 2014 she served as the Junior Harmony Coordinator, a role in which she was responsible for developing marking schemes for use by the team of harmony examiners.  She also served on the Council of Examiners and presented workshops for teachers.  Kathleen has set and edited examination papers in a wide range of grades and subjects, served on review panels, and mentored new examiners.

Kathleen has contributed to several publications of The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited.  She revised, updated, and edited Elementary Rudiments of Music by Barbara Wharram (2005, 2010).  She served as content editor for the three-volume Harmony series by Mark Sarnecki (2002, 2003, and 2005, second edition 2010).  She participated in the development of the RCM Celebrate Theory series as a reviewer of the Levels 9, 10, and ARCT Harmony, Counterpoint, and Analysis volumes (2017).

Kathleen provided several arrangements and figured-bass realizations for the Royal Conservatory series of graded repertoire books published by Frederick Harris.  Her work appears in series for Violin (2006, 2013, and 2021 editions), Flute (2010), Voice (2012 and 2019), Viola (2013), Cello (2013), Trumpet (2013), and Saxophone (2014).

Kathleen has composed original works for keyboard, voice, choir, and chamber groups and often draws upon historical styles in her compositions.   A long-time student of yoga, Kathleen is currently exploring ways to draw together her interests in yoga and music.

Fees

Please contact for fees.

Location

All lessons are online, via video calls (Zoom or similar), and email correspondence.

Contact Information

• email address:  kathleenwoodmusic@gmail.com
• phone number:  (306)  590-9020
• website:  kathleenwoodmusic.com
• mailing address: P.O. Box 223, Kamsack, SK, S0A 1S0