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Born into a family of musicians in Trail, BC, Steve Guidone began his musical training in piano, percussion, clarinet and musical theory at an early age. By thirteen he was playing drum in local dance bands. Graduating with a Bachelor of Music from University of Victoria (1972) followed by a Diploma in Education (1973), Steve began teaching in the Shuswap School district in 1973. Over the next 30 years, he taught music at every grade level from elementary school to senior high school, conducting secondary level choir, concert band and jazz band.
Steve has been music director for many musicals at Shuswap Secondary and in the early Shuswap Theatre, receiving the Theatre BC award for his composition to accompany their production of “Oedipus”. Committed to contributing to the musical life of the community, Steve formed a madrigal choir in Salmon Arm in the mid 1970’s , conducted the Shuswap Singers for a brief time in the l980’s, and performed with many local dance bands as instrumentalist and vocalist.
Continuing throughout his career to study choral conducting, jazz choir and voice at both the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia, Steve’s most recent voice teacher and inspiration has been Donald Bell of the University of Calgary. Steve has been a performer with Opera Viva (Kelowna), and has sung as chorister with the University of Victoria Chorus, Okanagan Symphony Chorus, Shuswap Singers and the Monashee Chamber Choir.
Encouraged by fellow music teacher and school administrator, the late Margot Hewitt, who recognized Steve’s skill as a choral conductor, he founded the Northern Lights Chamber Choir in 2009. Always striving for excellence as teacher and conductor, Steve continues to study all aspects of vocal pedagogy and choral conducting.
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Jim Johnston Accompanist
Born in Kamloops, Jim was raised in Salmon Arm, beginning piano lessons at age 6, (Royal Conservatory of Music curriculum). In l974 he graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of British Columbia followed by a diploma in education and shortly afterwards began a teaching career in Salmon Arm which spanned thirty years.
By retirement in 2007, Jim had taught at Salmon Arm Elementary, J.L.Jackson Secondary and Salmon Arm Secondary School (SASS), all schools which he had attended as a boy. During this time, he was music director for many productions at SASS, Shuswap Theatre and Jupiter Theatre, as well as teaching piano and playing in numerous dance bands.
Still continuing to teach piano and remain active in the dance band scene as a performer, Jim currently accompanies the Shuswap Men’s Chorus and Anchora as well as the Northern Lights Chamber Choir since its inception. A gifted pianist as well as an accomplished arranger (Mark Rose Big Band, Serious Dogs Dance Band, Dixie North Dixieland Band, the Shuswap String Orchestra and the Northern Lights Chamber Choir), Jim can be relied upon to master any score presented to him. |
