Originally from Kanagawa, Japan, Hiro Suzuki is an enthusiastic musician and teacher with 9 years of teaching experience both in English and Japanese. Hiro works predominantly in the genres of jazz, Latin, pop, and rock. After formally learning the piano and drums, Hiro picked up the guitar and played in various jazz, rock and bossa nova groups, orchestra pits for musicals, and on recording projects. Hiro acquired his first experience in teaching back in Japan, where he taught guitar students of all levels and ages for 4 years at a music academy. Then, Hiro moved to Canada to pursue a degree in Music at Humber College, where he studied with David Occhipinti, Lucian Gray, Kirk McDonald and Trevor Giancola, and was awarded Humber's scholarship for academic excellence in 2021. After graduating from Humber, Hiro is an active performer in the Toronto live music scene. Since moving to Canada, Hiro has taught in-person and online private guitar, ukulele, drums and piano lessons tailored to each students needs and requirements for the past 5 years.

Santiago is a professional musician currently based out of Toronto. He started classical training at the early age of five. At the age of twelve, Santiago started studies at the Conservatory of Geneva (Switzerland) under Christian Chamorel, and later Freddie Mendizabal at the conservatory of La Paz (Bolivia). Later on, in Canada, Santiago went on to study jazz piano at Mohawk College with Adrean Farrugia. Meanwhile, Santiago also built up plenty of experience as a performer and educator. He accumulated more than seven years of teaching all skill levels and ages. Santiago is now a highly demanded musician and instructor in the GTA and continues to perform and create with several musical projects 

Debra studied the piano from age 9 to 19 under Haydn Evans of the Royal Conservatory of Music. She participated in numerous recitals, concerts, school events and Peel Music Festival competitions. She was accepted into the ‘School of Performing Arts Program’ at Mayfield Secondary in 1988 with Piano being her main instrument. At age 14 she became inspired to play the guitar and pursued classical, rock and folk studies throughout her high school years. She entered York University as a music major and further developed her technical skills in sight singing, rhythm and ear training.

Debra began teaching music full-time in 2011 and quickly built a solid reputation for being a thorough and highly reliable instructor who’s students have experienced great success. Her students have achieved excellent marks, placements at competitions, entry into talent shows at their schools, they have overcome old struggles, and have even been asked by teachers to help out in their school music classes.

Debra instructs her students based on their individual needs and goals and believes in each one having a solid understanding of music. She teaches beginner to level 6 RCM and accepts students from age 7 to senior adults.

Giulia is a piano lover with a big voice and even bigger heart. Music has been her passion since she was a little girl. She studied classical piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music for almost 8 years and completed her Grade 8 piano and rudiments with the Royal Conservatory of Music. She then made her way to Ottawa where she studied music and vocals at Carleton University.

Currently, she is studying music production and teaching at a music studio in Toronto. She has been teaching piano for over 5 years to students of all ages. Giulia has learned so much about the art of music. She loves to spread her passion to everyone she meets and teaches.

Jesse has been apart of the Locomotion Family for quite sometime now. He’s a former student now a staple of our educational staff. He’s been playing the guitar since the age of twelve. Over the years, he has further developed and honed his passion for music into a full-time career.

He has had the opportunity to go on tour and perform outside of the province. Even making his way to Saskatchewan at the early age of eighteen. Learning the trades, etiquette of the road, valued team building, networking and people skills.

With this being his full-time job and passion he’s well known for wearing plenty of hats. A D.I.Y (Do, It, Yourself) mad man some would say. There is no real off switch with Jesse. In addition to teaching, he co-runs a label based out of Brampton / Toronto called Glue Gun Records. Doing distro, session work as a co-band member / producer “hired gun”. Pre-production, studio recordings for Bands / Artists genres ranging from Folk, Jazz, Punk, Metal and Rock n’ Roll. Does multiple music therapy classes within the Peel Region. Organizes bookings for showcases around Ontario reaching out to other provinces and states. Has worked as a soundman, stage tech and even door person for live showcases and venues. As well knows how to play other instruments proficiently. Jesse is practically a musical multi use utility tool. What can’t he do!

One of his proudest moments is when working with Drop Top Alibi at Metal Works Studios. Having the former GnR guitarist Gilby Clarke producing a track for their debut EP.

To sum up Jesse, he’s known for his eccentric personality that can be contagious; a side effect may cause you to keep alert and engaged with a smile on your face. His goal is to help students reach their full potential by encouraging strategies and reaching for milestones to bring students closer to their own personal goals.

Ethan Zabarylo is an up and coming musician on the Toronto jazz scene. He started taking piano lessons for some years in early grade school, but ended up falling in love with the saxophone later in his development. As a music student, he excelled in his understanding of theory and it’s applications, while also performing at a very high level in all other aspects of music. When he was in grade 11 and 12, he joined the music fest national honours jazz big band as a lead tenor saxophone player, lead by Gordon Foote, one of the top music performers and educators in Canada.

Over the past few years, Ethan has been studying for his bachelor’s of music performance at Humber college, and has had the privilege of working privately with internationally renowned musicians Kirk MacDonald and Alex Dean. He spends hours each day trying to refine his craft and as a result has developed a very strong ability to play and understand music.

Ethan believes that music should be about self-expression. He attempts to communicate a part of himself within the music he creates, and approaches teaching in a similar way. Ethan tends to avoid memorization in favour of developing an understanding of music, and his approach to teaching is very similar. He works with his students to help them develop a healthy connection with music through an understanding of the purpose and functionality of its parts.

Sam is always surrounded by music. He’s taken the time to develop his skills and successfully fuse his passion with his career. As a performing/recording artist Sam can provide great one on one knowledge and practical advisory through many aspects of music, performance, production, showmanship, technical/theoretical, arranging, songwriting, voice acting, djing and music business. Throughout his training. Sam has also developed a wide array of musical prowess, exploring multiple genres in his lessons, Pop, Classic Rock, Jazz, Classical, Musical Theatre, RnB, and HipHop. Music is his passion and he strives to share it with the world.

He is a vocal graduate of the Humber College Contemporary Music degree program, and has been training in the music fields of jazz, classical, and contemporary for over 10 years. Through his time at Humber, Sam has studied with various musicians, such as Greg Wells (Adele), Rik Emmett (Triumph), Ian Terry (Celine Dion) and Denzel Sinclaire (Diana Krall). Sam has also had the opportunity to work with London based producer/songwriter/programmer James Sanger (Madonna, U2, Phil Collins) and has rehearsed and worked with Toronto based Musician/Producer/Songwriter Alan Shiner (Pizza Pizza, Coca Cola, Mariah Carey and Drake). After acquiring his degree Sam quickly found that inspiring others to create and enrich their lives with music was as rewarding as being on stage and performing. He began teaching throughout Toronto at various academies and schools.

Sam has been teaching private vocal, piano, guitar and songwriting classes through Etobicoke based academy Locomotion for about 3 years now, with future hopes of working with them to develop a music therapy program for students. He is also employed as an instructor at both Mississauga Fine Arts Academy and the Canada Music Academy where he teaches DJ and production lessons as well. Sam loves finding each students unique passion and catalyzing it, he’s really good at connecting in his lessons and tries to make each session as meaningful and developmental as the next one. Sam not only has 12 years of vocal performance to share, he’s been eclectically growing his musicianship throughout the years. Sam is trained in voice, piano/keyboards, guitar, production, songwriting, cajon, djing and voice acting. Growth is constantly apart of a musicians journey and Sam is a pure example of that. He always puts himself after others and makes sure the student leaves his lesson with not just knowledge but inspiration.

Sarah has over 10 years experience playing the violin and over 4 years of teaching violin. She has played with several orchestras. At present, Sarah plays with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, in addition to preparing herself to become a student at The Royal Conservatory Of Music.

Sarah is outgoing and has a deep love for music. She enjoys working with a diverse community of students, especially children who are excited to learn and experience all the joys that music and playing an instrument has to offer.

Carmen has been playing music since she was a young girl to a prodigious level, studying music from acoustic pop to hard rock. After studying guitar in the Humber Jazz program, Carmen started to follow her dreams and went on the road with her first band. She played with Canadian Rock artists, Maria Delmar of National Velvet, Danny Greaves of The Watchmen and with first Canadian Idol winner, Ryan Malcolm.

With the advantage of playing several instruments, such as guitar, bass, ukulele, keys and drums. Carmen has been prepping guitarists for RCM exams and pre-covid band camps. She been sharing her love for music with patients using music for cognitive healing and autism.

Melina started taking piano lessons at the age of six. She continued learning the piano and fell in love with all things music, as she completed up to Grade 9 RCM. While she studies Psychology, Writing and Philosophy at the University of Toronto she also spends quite a bit of time understanding how to teach people of all ages how to swim. When teaching, she places a strong emphasis on ensuring that every student’s learning experience lesson is catered to their own learning style. She always wants students to progress while having fun. 

When not working, Melina enjoys reading, spending time listening to all genres of music and picking up new things to learn and expand her mind!

Taylor Barrow has been involved in music and the Toronto music scene for many years. He started off with piano, attaining his Gr. 9 with the Royal Conservatory of Music. Moving his attention towards guitar he has been playing in bands for over 12 years. He has a degree in Live and Studio Audio Engineering from Metalworks Institute. Recently he has been working as a music producer for local hip hop, indie and dance groups. Taylor is a piano, guitar and music production teacher. He’s an all around super positive guy who loves bringing the best out of budding and experienced producers.

Peter’s musical background is primarily in touring and recording. As a guitarist and bandleader, he has played in bars and theaters everywhere from Halifax to Victoria.

Presently, he studies jazz guitar at Humber college and teaches music lessons throughout Toronto and the GTA. Peter recognizes the potential for music lessons to be a task-like, nervous event for young students and takes active measures to ensure that his students are learning in a thoughtful and engaging environment.

John Kervin is a multi-instrumentalist and performer with a passion for many genres of music, including jazz, classical, musical theater, country and pop. After teaching himself piano, guitar and bass by ear he was formally educated at Humber College, where he graduated with honours while earning several awards for excellence and leadership in music. He began teaching piano while still attending school, and has since enjoyed working with younger students, seniors, and students with disabilities. When he is not performing with his many associated acts, he writes his own original music and works in musical theater productions. He mainly teaches piano, guitar, and composition but also has experience in vocals and several other stringed instruments, including ukulele, banjo and bass. John takes pride in creating a learning environment that celebrates individuality, creativity and fundamental musical skills. He has a firm belief that learning music should be fun. After all, you don't work music; you play it!

Chris studied piano and guitar performance at York University. During his time at York, he was President of the Guitar Club. As President, he oversaw teaching group lessons where he encouraged a love for music, and helped many beginners play their favorite songs. He organized yearly concerts where they could showcase their guitar skills to a warm and receptive audience. He has gone up to grade 8 RCM and has taught both piano and guitar for 14 years. He has taught many students over the years, ranging from the ages of 6- 50 years old. Chris teaches RCM piano and has prepared students for both theory and practical examinations. Apart from classical music, Chris also enjoys and teaches boogie woogie piano.

At York University, Chris studied guitar performance under the distinguished flamenco player Roger Scannura for 4 years. During his time at York, he learned pieces from famous flamenco guitarists such as Paco Pena, Paco de Lucia and Sabicas. He also became familiar with the different flamenco rhythms. During his time at York, he participated in the Guitar Ensemble. Moreover, he teaches and plays rockabilly/blues as well as rock guitar.

Furthermore, Chris studied the fiddle under Sherry Johnson at York University. He learned east coast Canadian fiddle tunes as well as country and western standards. He also plays beginner violin.

Chris’ approach to music education is one where the student’s musical education is nurtured through individualized lessons wherein they are able to learn at their own pace and play the music they enjoy. Through this system of learning, students are able to showcase what they have learned and take pride in their musical accomplishments.

Jake graduated from Humber College with an Honours BMus on the electric bass that focused heavily on performance in commercial music. He received an Honours Certificate in Commercial Jazz Performance. Through his time at Humber, Jake had the privilege of being trained by some of the best musicians in Toronto. Coming from a wide array of different musical backgrounds, his teachers were each able to give him different perspectives and helped shape his approach to music. Jake won the entrance scholarship to the Bachelor of Music program and received the Toronto Musicians’ Association Carne H. Bray Memorial Award in 2018.

Jake took private lessons himself for guitar since the age of ten. By the age of twelve, he also began learning electric bass. He loves teaching and believes that music is one of the most powerful & rewarding tools that one can learn. It enables us to better communicate with one another and teaches us the abilities to be more focused, dedicated, and impassioned in what we do. His goal, no matter what age or level of musicianship one is at, is to make sure that students are having fun. While patience and hard work goes a long way, we can’t lose sight that we’re all here to enjoy making music. Jakes believes that all music is valid and worthy of recognition.

With over 10 years of violin and vocal experience, Rianna is a passionate and driven musician who is excited to share her musical knowledge and talent with younger aspiring musicians! She has completed up to grade 7 at the Royal Conservatory of Music and has years of performance experience through performing at formal events, competitions, weddings, choir instructing, and more. She also has experience working with younger children through her ongoing involvement with her parish where she is a Sunday school teacher, as well as the Children and Youth choir instructor. Rianna is currently a second-year student at the University of Waterloo, studying Political Science. She aspires to be a University Professor, as she has a love for teaching students.

Aside from teaching at Locomotion, Rianna currently performs at weddings and other formal events and is actively volunteering at her Parish as a vocal instructor. Her love for music and teaching is what excites her the most about being a teacher at Locomotion Music!

At the age of six, Jamie began his musical journey at the piano, and continued to complete practical, theory, and history RCM exams throughout his youth. He pursued a Bachelor of Music Education as a saxophone major at Western University, performing with the Western Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Saxophone Quartet, Symphonic Band, and Chorale. Jamie went on to attain his Bachelor of Education at the University of Ottawa, and is now an Ontario Certified Teacher. He is a natural with young people, having taught students the flute, clarinet, oboe, trumpet, french horn, and percussion at the high school level.

 

Jamie enjoys spending his time songwriting and building his repertoire. He believes that confidence, critical thinking, and artistic expression are just a few of the benefits that he can share as a music teacher. By working with students both in and outside of musical settings, Jamie has developed a student-first approach to teaching that can guide anyone to achieve their goals.

 

 

     

Karel has played at numerous Jazz and World Music Festivals, including: Grand Bateria Express, Ontario Latin Arts Festival, Toronto TD Jazz Festival, Hispanic Festival, Pan-American Jazz Festival, Copa do Mundo with Chocolate da Vila Maria, Summer Olympics Team Canada Inauguration Party.

In addition to Drumset, Karel also teaches a variety of percussion instruments including Pandeiro, Repinique, Tamborim, Surdo, Agogo Bells, and Congas.

Currently, Karel is working in various musical projects, performing in and out of the city of Toronto. He completed a Bachelor of Contemporary Music at Humber College and is currently completing his Master of Composition at York University.

Steve Fall has been playing guitar for 30 years. In the 1990s, Steve played professionally in a band called Acid Test, signed to Sire/Warner Brothers. As a teacher for the past 12 years, Steve brings his passion for music and education to every lesson. He believes that “everything is a journey and guitar playing should be fun and fulfilling.”

 Sebastian Cruz is a guitarist in the Toronto area and is currently studying music at Humber College. With ten years of experience, both self-taught and with formal lesson experience, Sebastian is comfortable playing a multitude of styles ranging from pop music, rock and jazz. He is always strives to incorporate many genres in a creative way when playing his guitar. 

 Over the last few years, Sebastian has been primarily focused on performing, learning the ins and outs of recording and music production, along with song writing as a session musician and bandmate. Having played throughout the GTA, Sebastian is currently the lead guitarist and co-song writer of the Toronto based group, Wide Witness. Sebastian is always looking for new and unique ways to understand the guitar and to be able to share that with others is a beautiful thing. His goal is to create a comfortable and creative space for students to learn and enjoy the process of making music.     

Natalie McGowan, who goes by the stage name Natalie Evans, is a Canadian born and raised singer and songwriter. Natalie is from Toronto, and her stage name is derived from the street where she grew up.

Natalie’s mom picked up that Natalie was musical from a very young age. At as young as two, Natalie would perk up and do her best to sing along to her mom’s Belinda Carlise CD’s and anything mow town. Her love for music and performing has been ingrained in her for as long as she can remember.

Natalie is a formally trained artist and attributes her training to her development as a performer. She began vocal training in the choir as a young child, soon after Natalie started taking music lessons with the highly regarded late Bill Vincent and Jefferey Haurd as a young adult. After being accepted to Etobicoke School of the Arts for musical theatre in high school and the prestigious Randolph Academy for Performing Arts for college, she continued her training.

A powerful female voice has always inspired her. She draws inspiration from the greats like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and relates to other female artsits such as Erika Badu, Norah Jones, and Jene Aiko.

Natalie has carved out her sound, which can be described as soulful and poetic. As a natural-born performer, Natalie never passes up on an opportunity to sing on stage. She has performed at the Panasonic Theatre, Super Market, the Annex Theatre and been a part of many musicals throughout her high school and college career. Natalie is a vocal coach for other aspiring artists and was hired by the Hudsons Bay to perform at Beauty Gala’s across the Greater Toronto Area. Fun fact about Natalie – she won a car for singing karaoke.

  Michael Poisson is a musician with an extensive background as both a player and a teacher. Starting with piano at the early age of 5, Michael completed grade 8 RCM. As his curiosity grew, so did his skillset. He began to study under renown guitarist Alain Moirier at the age of 12. At 14, Michael began working for The City of Ottawa as a Program Leader for after school programs in addition to working at special needs camp in the summer. At 15, Michael was approached by his boss with an idea to start a music program for kids with The City of Ottawa. This success grew from two students to multiple classes quickly. Since then, Michael has had a passion for inspiring new musicians to love music as much as he does.  

Upon graduating high school, Michael went on to study Music and Digital Media at St. Lawrence College with a focus on Music Production. Simultaneously, Michael was teaching piano and guitar lessons privately on the side.   
After graduation, Michael worked as a Music Director for School of Rock in Ottawa for 2 years. Here he instructed bands, players and lead programs of all ages (from toddlers to adults).
    Michael then moved to Toronto to pursue opportunities to play with various acts. This enabled him to tour across North America several times as a drummer. Currently, he has taken on production work out of his private studio and has collaborated on a wide range of projects from full albums to scoring podcasts and short films. Aside from drums, piano and production, Michael has a passion for synthesis, sound design and audio engineering which he continuously studies and incorporates in his work.     
 Michael's musical philosophy is simple; teach inspiration first, for the love of music is the foundation of all amazing players. 

 Mark has been playing drums for about 5 years. Most of his learning was through private drum lessons where he covered rock drumming, jazz, and Cuban beats. Mark played in the Mayfield Secondary School jazz band and performed for three years on a worship team at a local church. When he plays the drums he likes to structure his practice, working through essential drum patterns (or rudiments), practise new beats on the drum kit, and then finishing off by playing to his favourite songs. Some of the music he is currently working on include songs from the Foo Fighters, Paramore, Justin Bieber, and Thirty Seconds to Mars, among others.  

For the past two years Mark has taught English in China and South Korea. He understands how to develop lesson plans that cater to the needs of students and enjoys working with all ages. Now that he is in Canada he is looking forward to combining his teaching experience abroad with his drumming practice.  
Mark is committed to working with beginner to beginner-intermediate drummers looking to have fun, and develop a strong drumming foundation, while learning their favourite songs.

 Daniel is a passionate multi-instrumentalist and educator. He has been studying music since the age of four and has enjoyed playing and writing music for most of his life. Daniel specializes in jazz and improvisation but has a background in classical piano, completing up to Royal Conservatory grade 8. Daniel is also an alto and soprano saxophonist and composer. He can play many genres of music such as pop, rock, RnB and jazz. Daniel’s influences primarily consist of bebop saxophonists such as Vincent Herring and Cannonball Adderly.

When not teaching, he is performing at staples of the Toronto music scene. Over the past few years, Daniel has been working towards his degree at Humber College and graduated from the program in 2021. During his time at Humber, Daniel was teaching privately and received several awards and scholarships for musicianship and leadership. Daniel strives to create a respectful environment where learning about music is a fun process, while still focusing on important and serious topics.  

  Adina is an indie-folk/rock artist, award-winning songwriter, and music educator based out of the Greater Toronto Area. She recently graduated with honours from Humber College’s Bachelor of Music Program, majoring in vocal performance. Trained classically in piano since the age of 5, she has completed the RCM series up to level 9, and has since branched out into pop and jazz piano as well. Vocally, Adina has performance and teaching experience in many contemporary genres including pop, jazz, rock, folk, musical theatre, R&B, and country. She has been writing original songs since the age of 12, self accompanying on guitar and/or piano, and has 4 singles as well as an EP out under artist name Adina V.  

Adina has been teaching music for the past 8 years - whether it's piano, voice, songwriting, theory, ear-training, self- accompaniment, or exam/ audition prep, she enjoys helping students of all ages and skill levels meet their personal goals while fostering a love of music that lasts forever!