Emily Martin
Music Teacher & Owner
From the colourful city of St. John’s, Newfoundland, singer/songwriter and music teacher Emily Martin has been on the stage for as long as she can remember. With vocal and RCM training since the age of five, her genuine dedication and passion for music has helped her earn numerous awards and opportunities throughout her years of training. At the age of 13, Emily won first place in all of Newfoundland for an RCM Vocal Exam. Emily has since graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting, where respected professors Ken Livingstone and Todd Hennessy presented her as the proud recipient of the Andre Noble Scholarship.
As a private voice, piano, guitar, and ukulele instructor for close to ten years, Emily has had the privilege of teaching in numerous music studios in Toronto (Michael Johnston Music Studio/Bloor West Music/Red House Music Academy) and Newfoundland, where she has since proudly opened her own music studio called Shine (which was actually her nickname growing up.) With her training and certification in Applied Behavioural Therapy, Emily welcomes all ages and abilities into her studio including, but not limited to, people diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and OCD.
For the past five years Emily has taken on the role of lead facilitator of the Creative Expressions Music Program at Easter Seals and has currently begun teaching group music classes at live-in residences for people with disabilities, such as Andrews Place.
Releasing her first album at the age of 12, and then another at the age of 26, Emily has toured and recorded all types of tracks for herself, her students, and other artists. Emily strives to be a constant teacher, role model, and safe space for her students. Her studio is a place where she encourages an open mind and celebrates each and every student for exactly who they are.
Christina Acton
Music Teacher
Christina Acton (they/them) is a Masters of Choral Conducting student at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where they are studying under Dr. Jakub Martinec. Christina completed their Bmus in Voice Performance at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, where they studied voice under Monette Gould, and choral conducting under Dr. Kiera Galway and Dr. Gayle h. Martin.
Christina has a passion for contemporary classical music and diversified repertoire, and has performed solo and/or choral works by Katerina Gimon, Ily Matthew Maniano, John Cage, H. Leslie Adams, and Hope Salmonson. Christina is also passionate about accessible and inclusive music education! In 2022 they were the ArtsNB Arts Matters Undergraduate Conference winner for Best Research Presentation, for their research on transgender inclusive vocal pedagogy, research which they updated and presented again at the 2023 Newfound Music Festival Symposium.
Christina grew up in North Vancouver, BC, where they sang with the Vancouver Bach Children’s Choir for 11 years. Christina also participated in the BC Youth Choir and BC Music Educators Association Honours Choir for many years, and through these ensembles was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with Carrie Tennant, Kathleen Allan, Scott Leithead, Graeme Langager, and Jake Runestad.
Genevieve Cunningham
Music Teacher
Genevieve Cunningham (she/her), originally from Nova Scotia, is currently in her second year of pursuing a masters in music performance/pedagogy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Voice Performance from MUN with Honours and is classically trained in opera singing.
Genevieve is also RCM Certified in both voice and piano. She has a diverse background in various different styles of music including musical theatre, pop, and celtic music. She has played several notable roles during her career, such as that of Prince Charming in MUN Opera Workshop’s Cinderella production, which toured with Opera Roadshow across Newfoundland and Labrador. Her extensive experience in musical theatre includes her portrayal of characters such as “Marian” in The Music Man, “Annie” in Annie, “Tzeitel” in Fiddler on the Roof, and many more.
Genevieve’s vast choral involvement includes participation in MUN Chamber and Festival choirs, as well as the Nova Scotia Youth Choir, Xara Choral Theatre, Soundtrax, and many others.
Genevieve is a bilingual artist in French and English, proficient in both languages since childhood. She enjoys writing her own music for voice and piano, and is very passionate about allowing students to explore and express their own musicality.
During her leisure time, she enjoys drawing, painting, experimenting with intricate makeup looks, and playing with her cat Butterscotch. With Genevieve as their teacher, students can expect to learn in a supportive and enriching environment led by a dedicated musician who is passionate about nurturing the next generation of musical talent.
Nicholas Leblanc
Music Teacher
Nick Leblanc (he/him) is currently in his fourth year of a Bachelor of Music degree, pursuing Voice Performance as a major under Dr. Caroline Schiller. Upon completion of his Bachelor’s Degree, Nick plans on applying for a joint Masters in Choral Conducting and Voice Performance and continuing the work that he loves to do!
From a young age Nick exhibited a passion for music, starting piano lessons at the age of 4. All throughout his youth, he sang in choirs including the Halifax Boys Honour Choir, Soundtrax and Jazz Voices. At the same time, Nick played percussion in the Halifax Regional Arts Wind Ensemble and the Halifax Regional Arts Symphony Orchestra, as well as serving as the percussion Section Lead in the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra. In addition, Nick has played a variety of roles in musicals and opera: some of these include Fat Sam (Bugsy Malone), Feldzieg (The Drowsy Chaperone), King Herod (Jesus Christ Superstar) and Alidoro in Memorial University’s production of La Cinderella.
Nick has spent much of his adult life teaching and leading children, both in and outside a musical environment. He worked as a staff member at the Adventure Earth Centre leading both day camps and overnight camps. At the Junior Choir Camp in Berwick, NS, Nick provides musical support for kids over a week of choral rehearsals and activities. This past summer, Nick worked as a Co-Director and Musical Coordinator for the Prospect Bay Children’s Centre’s production of Oliver!
Nick is so excited to be a part of the amazing staff at Shine! With expertise in piano, guitar, ukulele and voice, he is equipped to share his knowledge in a wide number of musical areas. Nick can’t wait to meet new students, and encourage their musical expression to their fullest capacity!
Keira Davis
Music Teacher
Keira Davis (She/her) is currently in her third year of a Bachelor of Music Degree studying Voice. She is currently studying with Dr. Caroline Schiller, and had been previously studying with Dr. Betty Allison at Dalhousie University. Keira has experience in many different styles of voice performance. She started performing in musicals and operas from a young age. She has performed roles such as Willy (Street Scene) with the Halifax Summer Opera Festival, Mary Poppins ( Mary Poppins Musical) with the Broadway Company Players, and Golden (The Cunning Little Vixen) with Dalhousie Opera.
Keira also has an array of choral experience. She has sung in choirs such as the Halifax Girls and Youth Honour choir, Soundtrax, and the Dal Chorus.
Keira has been working with children in music since she was in highschool. She has multiple years of experience mentoring students with the Halifax Broadway Company players. She also has worked as a counsellor for the Junior Choir Camp in Berwick, NS.
Keira is passionate about guiding everyone to find their voices through music. She is excited to meet new students and sing and learn together!
Eric Burry
Music Teacher
Eric Burry (he/him), originally from Labrador, is currently completing his fourth year at Memorial University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Eric began piano lessons at the age 5 years old and explored his interest in music through as many opportunities as possible. Throughout high school he was heavily involved in his school’s music programs including playing in the concert band, helping with the junior band, performing in, and helping to organize concerts, as well as assisting with school instrument maintenance. Eric performed in the St. John’s Piano Fest for two years, and participated in multiple band trips with his school’s ensemble.
Eric continued piano taking lessons throughout high school and later began teaching private lessons of his own for three years, where he discovered his love for teaching and sharing the joy of music with others.
In recent years Eric has been focused on learning various instruments such as guitar, bass, drums, and ukulele while honing his skills on piano. He now actively participates in the local music scene by playing at venues with other musicians and in local groups such as the CBS Band. While exploring different instruments, he has found a love for guitar and has spent years focusing on becoming a better guitarist by exploring a variety of styles, techniques, and genres. Because of his experience with many instruments and styles of learning, Eric is well equipped to employ a wide variety of teaching styles to cater each lesson to the individual needs of students.
Eric strives to make lessons fun and welcoming for students of all ages while also ensuring that their developmental needs or personal goals are being met.
Jana Gillis
Toddler Group Teacher
Jana Gillis is a professional skit artist and bagpiper from Cape Breton, NS. Her skits have taken many forms over the years. Sometimes as short films (screened at SJIWFF, AIFF, The Nickel, HIFF, TOSketchFest & various Sci-Fi & Fantasy Conventions throughout Atlantic Canada); as plays (St. John’s Short Play Festival, Cape Breton Stage Company, Out of a Box Kid’s Theatre) as “sketches” (Is This a Bit?, Almost Baymous, The Second City Toronto Sketch Conservatory) and straight up make ‘em ups (St. John’s Improv, Extreme Improv XStreamed, Movie Night Productions).
She’s also acted in longform television skits (Hudson & Rex, Son of a Critch, Astrid & Lilly Save the World, Hallmark’s Everything Christmas). Jana studied professional skitcraft and earned a red t-shirt with a chair on it from The Second City Toronto and a BFA in Theatre Acting from Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland.
She regularly performs improv, stand up, solo sketch and bagpipes around Town and beyond, sometimes all at once. She also serves on the boards of the Newfoundland branches of the Director’s Guild of Canada and ACTRA.
Elizabeth Blake
Baby Group Teacher
Elizabeth Blake (she/her), originally from Labrador, is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. As an Inuk woman she aspires to enter the field of Clinical Psychology to promote awareness and inclusivity in the provision of mental health services for under-represented groups. Elizabeth is bilingual in English and French and will soon be continuing her studies at l’Université de Moncton in French! Her work with Franco-Jeunes de TNL was instrumental in this decision as well as her dedication to advocating for inclusivity, linguistic security, and the development of representation in support systems and our everyday environments and spaces. As such, she is more than happy to converse in either language and accommodate any needs – big or small!
Elizabeth’s love affair with music began at age three, and despite opting to pursue studies in another field, she has maintained the passion and her musical education, earning RCM certifications in Piano, Voice, and Music Theory. She enjoys various music styles in both voice and piano with a particular fondness for singing Folk music and playing piano pieces from the Romantic era.
In line with her Psychology interests, Elizabeth is dedicated to creating safe spaces for self-expression for individuals of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. This is seen in her experience teaching individuals with disabilities, hearing impairments, Autism, ADHD, Dementia, and more. Elizabeth’s studies have fueled her passion for promoting the positive impact of music in life and on the brain and body. Whether your goal is to improve memory and cognition, develop social/emotional intelligence, or foster self-esteem and mental well-being, Elizabeth believes that everyone can benefit from music!
Join Our Team!
At Shine Music, we are always looking for eager music teachers to join our team. As our waiting list grows, as does the need for talented musicians to help make our students shine. Click the button below to submit your resume!