Meet Our Team
Orrett Music Academy employs only active music professionals with degrees in Music Performance and/or Education and a minimum of 3 years of private teaching experience. Several are also certified teachers (OCT) and/or ARCT. We strongly believe the best teachers live and love the life they teach. Ask any of them though and they will tell you they are proudest of their passion for teaching and their desire to inspire students of all ages.
Dave Orrett
Academy Director
If you are going to put your name on something, make it something special
Dave Orrett
Academy Director
If you are going to put your name on something, make it something special
Dave’s love for music education spans almost two decades. He began his early teaching career as a part-time Arts and Sports camp coordinator, drama teacher, and piano teacher with Toronto Parks and Recreation. By 1998, Dave’s passion for music began to take over and he decided to open up his own music school where he could teach and inspire full time. More than 800 students later, and with the help of a meticulously chosen staff of like-minded professional teachers, Dave’s goal remains to give each student the tools necessary to attain his or her highest musical potential while making the journey enjoyable. Using techniques he has developed for numerous learning styles, Dave is an exceptional motivator and curriculum developer. Dave is also the proud founder and former volunteer director of “Pulse”, a percussion ensemble for inner-city youth which enjoyed considerable exposure on Breakfast Television, Reader’s Digest Magazine, and dozens of live performances including a feature at Massey Hall in 2002. Enjoying an established reputation as a songwriter, performer, producer and studio engineer, Dave lives and breathes the world of music.
Carla-Grace Colaguori
Voice and Early Childhood Music Education
A warm, caring and knowledgeable teacher focused on Early Childhood Music Education.
A talented musician known for her beautiful smile and patience and a caring individual dedicated to sharing her love and knowledge of music with others. Carla–Grace, a native of Toronto, received an Honours Bachelor of Arts specializing in music from the University of Toronto and an A.R.C.T in Voice Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. With a keen interest in sharing her joy and knowledge of music with young children, Carla–Grace is currently pursuing an Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Music Education through the Royal Conservatory of Music in partnership with Ryerson University. Through this program Carla–Grace works with children from birth to eight years of age and provides effective music programs for enhanced child development.
Carla–Grace’s love of music began at a very young age studying both piano and voice. At sixteen years of age Carla–Grace began studying classical voice with Canadian soprano Mary Lou Fallis and continued her studies in vocal performance at York University with Canadian mezzo-soprano Catherine Robbin. Carla–Grace has sung various operatic roles including Stella in A Tale of Two Cities with Summer Opera Lyric Theatre, Giannetta in L’Elisir d’Amore with Opera York, Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro with Opera by Request and Zerlina in Don Giovanni. Not only is Carla–Grace a classical singer but she also performs musical theatre, jazz, and pop and is a member of a rock and roll band “The Semiotones,” a University of Toronto charity band based at Victoria College where she sings in several different languages and shares her joy of music.
Kristina Bijelic
Violin Teacher
Multi-instrumentalist, multilingual, and multi-faceted teacher who makes learning fun!
Kristina was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. She wanted to play the violin so badly that when she was five years old, her aunt bought her her first violin… without asking her mom! The rest, as they say, is history. She started in the Suzuki program and later went on to study privately and play in ensembles and orchestras around Toronto. She also started taking voice lessons at the age of 10 and was a member of the Canadian Children’s Opera Company for many years, where she had the opportunity to sing as a soloist and chorus member in professional opera productions both in Canada and internationally.
Kristina studied a BA musicology at the University of Toronto, and later an MMus in Contemporary Performance at Berklee College of Music, Valencia Campus. She is currently studying a Certificate program in jazz at Humber College in Toronto. She is proficient in many styles of singing and violin, including classical, jazz, pop, Latin, and traditional Balkan music. She has recorded an album of original music, several movie and video game soundtracks, and has voiced video game characters and commercials.
Kristina has a great deal of experience working with kids, as a music teacher, French tutor, and Spanish instructor! When she is not teaching, she is singing or playing with various groups around Toronto, or in festivals abroad.
Christian McKibbin
Guitar and Bass
Our most experienced teacher. A Tuesday legend.
Christian is an established and highly sought-after guitarist in the Toronto music scene. With well over a thousand performances, Christian has played across North America and Europe with highly notable Canadian and international artists. From club dates to festival tours to TV appearances, Christian’s experience is highly regarded in the industry. He has recorded and produced major label releases both domestically and in Europe. In 2006, Christian received a Juno nomination for Best New Group. On top of his performance skills, Christian is an honours graduate in Performance and Arranging at Humber College. His teaching experience includes many years at one of Canada’s premier learning institutions. He is a respected educator whose knowledge and skills are ideal for all ages and interests.
Derek Bunyak
Piano
Taking passion for music to another level. Instantly likeable and hugely popular.
Originally born in Sudbury, Derek began as a young self-taught piano player and eventually moved to Toronto, where he completed his Diploma for Jazz Piano at Humber college. Derek originally joined Humber as a saxophone major, but quickly found a greater fascination with piano. With high regard from teaching staff and a rekindled passion from his youth, Derek switched his major from saxophone and began his formal study of piano. While completing studies for arranging, composing, improvisation, theory, and ear training, Derek undertook lessons with Art Maiste at Humber (Pianist for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra 1958-1983, as well as a frequent player in the Jazz scene), and Brian Dickinson who both helped Derek harness the technical aspects of playing, as well as the theory behind composition. Passionate about Classical and Jazz, Derek has a diverse understanding and appreciation for many genres of music, and a love for passing on knowledge. Lessons with Derek are genuine and inspiring, just ask his HUGE list of loyal students of all ages!
Darcy Welch
Voice Instructor
Awesome and enthusiastic voice teacher who inspires children of all ages!
Darcy has loved music her entire life. She is passionate about performance and communication through Music. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music from Acadia University in Voice in 2012. Since then she has balanced her time between performing and teaching, sharing her passion of music with children of all ages. She loves to learn and inspire a love of learning in others. She always brings enthusiasm and creativity to all of her classes with the goal of using the arts and imagination to inspire creativity and innovation in children. Last year she wrote and performed in her own Original Musical Version of Thumbelina with her theatre Company Enchantment Theatre and she often performs in a folk trio with her brother and sister.
Simon Miminis
Drums
The heartbeat of Orrett Music Academy
We are over the moon to have Simon join our team of educators. Not only is Simon already a respected professional drummer, multi-instrumentalist, film composer, and studio engineer, he is also a natural teacher; gifted with children and adults alike. With over 15 years of experience behind the kit he has performed with many established artists, ensembles, big bands and orchestras both live and in the studio spanning genres such as pop, rock, folk, country, jazz, funk, latin and more. He graduated with his Bachelors of Music from Humber College with honours standing and is currently completing his MA in music composition from York University. Simon has been teaching drums, theory, and production for over 7 years and is an endorsed drum set educator through Vic Firth’s PDT program. Though Simon plays a litle bit of everything, his professional qualifications are first in Drums, then on Guitar and Piano with young children. Here at Orrett Music Academy we find that typically students need only a few minutes around his infectious warmth and positive energy to be hooked on his lessons!
Tak Arikushi
Guitar and Ukulele
Virtuistic guitar player and positive, low pressure teacher.
Tak made the decision to move to Toronto from his home town of Vancouver, in 2013. Since then he has been busily establishing his musical ventures in the city: He is the principal guitarist for award winning jazz vocalist, Denielle Bassels as well as leading his own Gypsy jazz group, Les Petits Nouveaux. When he is not performing, he is busy inspiring the younger generation of musicians through his lessons. His musical knowledge spans a wide variety of genres including rock, pop, metal, and jazz. Armed with a degree in jazz studies, his goal at Orrett Music Academy is to help students grow their self confidence and independence in a fun and light hearted environment.
Malak Sound
Piano and Voice teacher
Her talent is matched only by her warmth and sincerity.
Malak is an Honours Graduate of Carleton University’s BMus Singer Songwriter program. Now calling Toronto home, she has been teaching voice and piano for three years. Malak specializes in Pop Voice and Intro to Intermediate Piano. She takes a contemporary approach to her lessons, and focuses on learning through enjoyment. Having worked a lot with kids, Malak has experienced first hand that the best progress is made when the student wants to be there. It is important to her to work on songs the students are passionate about, because you perform your best when you are playing or singing something you love!
Having been immersed in diverse musical influences from a young age, Malak was awarded first place in several voice competitions around Europe and in Egypt, and was awarded two scholarships for her musicianship during her university degree. She was invited to perform at several festivals, including Megaphono Festival and Bluesfest.
In 2016, she released her EP, Circus, and has begun working on a follow up full length album.
Joel Lightman
Modern Piano
Versatile, passionate, and caring teacher specializing in modern piano.
Joel Lightman is a contemporary pianist hailing from London, UK. In a professional career spanning two decades, Joel has played with everyone from stadium-filling bands to small ensembles and has toured the planet behind his instrument. He has studied at some of the finest institutions the world has to offer, including degrees from the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles and Leeds University in the UK.
Versatile and adept in all modern styles, Joel places a premium on the actual understanding of music, rather than repeating notes on a page. He engages the full spectrum of musicianship, from reading chord charts to ear training to allow students to use all their tools to reach their creative maximum. The passion he has for the piano is infectious and ensures his student revel in the learning process.
Charlie McKittrick
Drum Workshops
Charlie runs many workshops and camps at OMA. Everyone loves him!