Meet Our Team

Our teachers are among the most talented in the industry.
​It would be our pleasure to put our extensive experience to work for you and your family!

Kai Lee
Piano, Guitar, Voice

Kai has had an enriching and engaging musical upbringing working with and learning from many world class musicians, directors, and arts organizations. This provided him with incredible opportunities for personal growth and connection with people. Empowering his students to have such opportunities of their own is his greatest passion in life. Kai has had the pleasure of working with hundreds of children and amateur musicians as a counsellor at the Canadian Opera Company’s educational programs, performed as a lead in many choirs and various roles in opera companies over the years. In addition, he has to taught privately and in a classroom environments over a variety of subjects. Having such a diverse educational and musical background has allowed Kai develop the flexibility to accommodate the needs and interests of his students in order to set them up for success in the way that works the best for them. By breaking down the vast landscape of music into its simplest components and building tools around them to explore music and the creative process, students become empowered to engage with the world creatively and cultivate their interests and talents with excitement and drive. When Kai is not teaching students, he teaches himself! Kai enjoys learning languages, coding, gardening, sewing, calligraphy, illustration, and reading. 

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Catherine Almeida, BMus, BEd
Piano, Voice

Catherine has always had a strong connection to music and education. From an early age, she demonstrated her love of teaching and music. She first started on the piano, then enrolled in any choir that she could. Through singing and exploring different instruments, Catherine has found a lifelong passion. Since attending York University’s music program, she has gained experience in educating students on most woodwind, brass, and string instruments. She has years of experience as a piano and voice instructor, teaching both very young students and adults. Catherine has had the pleasure of organizing and directing choirs, glee clubs and piano ensembles. Conducting these ensembles has brought joy to many communities, and has created fond memories of many happy holidays and events. 

Catherine is a recent graduate of Nipissing University’s education program, earning a specialization in music education along with her degree. Studying to be an educator through a pandemic has had it’s challenges, but nothing compares to the joy of getting to know students and positively impacting their lives through art. She is now an Ontario Certified teacher, and works with the Halton and Peel public school boards as an occasional teacher. As a shy student for most of her life, Catherine understands the vulnerability that sometimes comes with learning an instrument. She hopes to work with students to build their confidence and encourage their self-expression through the arts.

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Camila Milla, BMus
Guitar, Piano, Composition

​Camila is a Chilean guitarist, composer, and educator. She started playing guitar at thirteen years old and performed on various stages in her home country. She started teaching in her second year of music school, and during this time, she began to receive invitations to collaborate in projects including rock bands, contemporary music festivals, and composing for short films and animation. After a few years of teaching, she became the head guitar teacher in a music academy, teaching all ages. At the same time she started a Bachelor in Education so she could also work as a secondary school teacher. Camila has also been pursuing a career as a solo artist and engaging her audience through social media. In 2018 Ibanez Guitars made Camila part of their family giving her the opportunity to be one of the first women from South America to be featured in their artists catalogue. 

She enjoys teaching all kinds of music styles which reflect her students' interests; motivating them to exercise their technique and understand the discipline in a close and entertaining way. In this way she helps her students build their self confidence and encourages them to be curious and creative. Sharing her passion for music, Camila feels very lucky to be able to teach and learn from her students every day.

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Elizabeth Hutt
​Piano

Elizabeth Hutt comes from a family of musicians which allowed her to become familiar with all genres of music from a young age. She started teaching group and private piano lessons when she was in high school and now she has over a decade of skills and experience. Teaching group piano has taught her patience and discipline all the while creating a fun atmosphere for students.  Her students have gone on to test in RCM curriculum and even pursue careers in musical education. Every year since teaching Elizabeth has organized recitals with up to 60 students. She loves pairing up friends for duets and even triplets! Elizabeth is a charismatic and engaging teacher while making sure that each student is learning to their full potential. She is able to recognize her students strengths and work towards bettering their weaknesses. As the eldest sister in her family, Elizabeth has a lot of experience caring for younger children. She took the responsibilty of tending to her two younger siblings and babysat for others. She is able to recognize their needs and adapt to the circumstances by building a nurturing relationship with them. As a result she creates a creative and supportive environment for students of all ages with which she can share the love of piano, a skill they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.

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​Luis Figueroa, BMus
Guitar, Drums, Electronic Music

​At an early age Luis decided that music was going to be the path he was going to choose as a career. Beginning his journey with the drums at 9 years of age, he quickly decided that the guitar should be his next challenge. All happening at once, he joins the school band, the church choir, the jazz combo, the funk and punk bands with his friends, all of these elements making up his overall musical integrity. Fast forward to today, having worked on over a dozen albums and projects, and having 9 years of teaching under his belt with post-secondary education coming from the renowned Jazz program at Humber college in Toronto majoring in percussion, Luis refines his techniques. Recently getting on board with Featherstone Music to teach guitar full time there is no sign of Luis slowing down. 
Luis finds his passion in the production of music electronically and organically but always finds time for session work, teaching and his country/folk rock outfit "The Idaho Stop" 

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​Maya Jenkins, BA Musical Theatre
Piano, Voice 

Maya is a music theatre performer, actor, and arts educator located in Toronto. She recently      graduated from the prestigious Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre
Performance program at Sheridan College where she received excellent training in voice, acting, dance, and music. Along with her music theatre training, Maya has completed her RCM training in piano, voice, and music theory. Maya has performed in many musicals including Anne of Green Gables, Seussical, The Mikado, and The Drowsy Chaperone. A supporter of the Canadian musical theatre canon, Maya has been lucky to be in many new Canadian musicals/workshops in the GTA including: Catherine in The House of Martin Guerre/Theatre Sheridan; Gloria in Kelly v Kelly/CMTP & Musical Stage Co.; and a new workshop of Bartram and Hill’s Bethune/CMTP. This summer Maya will play Eliza Doolittle in The Brott Music Festival’s production of My Fair Lady. Along with performing in musicals, Maya has gigged at many festivals across the GTA for the past few years, always singing Joni Mitchell whenever possible. Maya started a private piano and voice studio when she was in high school and has been teaching privately and supply teaching for music schools since 2010. She loves working with musicians of all levels but has a soft spot for beginners. Maya believes that music lessons should be fun and confidence building. She hopes to instill the same passion she has for music in her students. ​

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Michael Hodgson, MMus
Piano, Voice, Guitar 

​Michael Hodgson has been teaching privately for over 12 years and has performed for audiences across Canada, the United States, Sweden and Germany in the operatic, oratorio, art song, choral and contemporary genres. His teaching method emphasizes technique, confidence and an over all aim towards providing consistent progress and a sound foundation. While educating his students on necessary genres of music for steady progression, Michael also includes music that pertains to his student's personal interest to keep their motivation and interests in mind. Michael received his Bachelor of Music from Queen's University, studying voice under Canadian baritone Bruce Kelly. He is comfortable teaching students of all ages, in all styles of music. He believes that being a well rounded musician is a much needed asset and because of this he makes himself as fluent as possible in all genres of music to be able to cater to any students needs. Having the privilege of working with a wide variety of skilled musicians in the past has allowed Michael to study numerous teaching methods and philosophies. It is through these means that he has solidified his own methods and feels that he can provide a unique, friendly and effective learning environment for students of all ages. Above all else, music is his undying passion and he feels that being able to pass on and teach what he has learned over the years is a treasure all in its self. Having had teachers who love their craft and love to teach has inspired him and he practices that mentality in his teaching.

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Chris Tanaka-Mann, BEd
​Piano, Guitar, Voice

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​Christopher Tanaka-Mann is a musician, educator, arranger, vocal coach, clinician, and performing artist. While specializing in voice, Chris also plays piano and guitar. As a teacher, Chris has taught voice, piano, and guitar privately, as well as English, music, and philosophy at the secondary school level. He is a proud member of the Barbershop Harmony Society, singing with several different groups that specialize in the style. He has had the opportunity to lead choruses and music programs around Ontario.

As a performing artist, Chris is most notably the tenor of Yonge Guns, The quartet performs around Ontario and the world, competing in the Barbershop Harmony Society’s quartet contests regularly. Most recently, Yonge Guns won the provincial competition, and now sets its sights on representing Ontario and Canada in the International Quartet Contest! 
Chris teaches voice and performance privately, as well as providing beginner piano and guitar lessons. He recently worked as a Singing Ambassador for the Waterfront Business Improvement Area, and now works for Taddle Creek Montessori School and also as a nanny for a private family. He is a certified Ontario Secondary teacher.

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Madi Trupp, BMus
Voice, Guitar, Ukulele, Piano

Madi has been teaching music with featherstone studio for 3 years. She graduated in 2016 from Burman University in Lacombe, Alberta with a BA in Music, where she studied under Dr. Wendolin Munroe. Madi is also an avid theatre performer. Her roles include Winnifred, Once Upon A Mattress; Lucy, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; and Golde, Fiddler on the Roof. Madi is also a member of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
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Madi has expanded her musical skills to become a teacher of piano, voice, guitar, and ukulele, with a specialty in working with very young students and those with disabilities. She recently created her own early childhood music introduction program while working with Royal Bear Daycare in Oshawa, ON. Madi sees learning music as an adventure; she is excited to share that with her students, helping them grow and discover music for themselves along the way.

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Ann Blennerhassett, BMus
​Piano

Ann is a singer, pianist, teacher and arts administrator. With 10 years of teaching  experience under her belt, Ann enjoys teaching students of all ages, specializing in intermediate and early advanced piano. She aims to teach her students to be not just good players/singers, but to be well-rounded musicians. Her biggest goal as a teacher is to inspire her students to want to achieve their best and push their limits. Ann believes that learning an instrument, like learning any new skill, is hard work which requires discipline, however it should also be enjoyable and rewarding. She believes that classical techniques and theory are essential building blocks for any style of playing or singing. Ann graduated from The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music, and has been featured on Toronto’s Classical 96.3FM and Buffalo’s Classical WNED 94.5.

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