Interview with Hope Salmonson, Composer & Tubist

Composer-tubist Hope Salmonson is queering her music through a cross-genre artistic voice and an emphasis on establishing musical community. Her approach embodies musical joy, placing equal emphasis on elegant composition and camaraderie onstage. She weaves accessible musical language and contemporary approaches to musicking, seeking meaningful collaborative experiences. Through her interactive compositions, Hope seeks to ensure that every voice in the room is valued, on and off the stage.

An import from unceded Mi'kmaq territory (Halifax), Hope is spreading her wings on Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh lands (Vancouver). Dipping her toes in the Pacific, she has never forgotten her Atlantic home and continues to strengthen connections across the land. To Hope, people always come first, and her compositions serve and honour her communities. She is actively engaged in efforts to decentralize and shift the institution of classical music through amplifying underrepresented voices and needs in the industry.

Clare Maguire is a singer-songwriter and speech-language pathologist from Truro, NS now based in Montreal, QC. A long-time musician, Clare took part in a variety of youth music initiatives growing up, including the Nova Scotia Honour Jazz program, the Nova Scotia Youth Choir, and the National Youth Choir. Now, Clare writes, performs, and releases music as independent folk-pop artist Clare Siobhan, and her debut EP “Seek the Sun” will be released in early October.

Outside of her musical pursuits, Clare has recently completed a master’s program in speech-language pathology from McGill University, and is looking forward to starting her career as a pediatric speech-language pathologist soon.

About our Host, Christina Acton

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 is 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. Want to hear more Christina? Well you’re in luck because they also co-host a radio show, Blind Date with Christina and Hannah, on CHMA 106.9FM.

Our Music4 All host, Christina Acton, interviews Dr. Dylan Maddix; Conductor, Band Director, and the Co-Host of the popular podcast The Band Room.

Originally from Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Dr. Dylan Rook Maddix is Assistant Professor of Instrumental Conducting and Community Engagement at Memorial University in St. John’s, NL, where he conducts the Memorial University Wind Ensemble and teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting. Prior to this appointment, he served as Professor of Music and head of wind and brass studies at Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario, where he conducted the wind ensemble, taught music theory, wind/brass methods, and pedagogy courses.

He also served on the conducting faculty of Laurentian University.

Maddix received his Bachelor of Music from Mount Allison University, a Master of Music (Trumpet Performance) from the University of Toronto, and completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts (Conducting) from Arizona State University.

Maddix enjoys a diverse career as a dynamic and engaging musician, performing with artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Roger Hodgson of Supertramp, The Video Games Live Orchestra, Johnny Reid, The Broadway Tenors, Hannaford Street Silver Band, Toronto Concert Orchestra, Hogtown Brass Quintet and Vox Aeris Trio.

He has given masterclasses at the University of Toronto, Western University, Acadia University, Mount Allison University, and McMaster University. He also has served as the conducting/music consultant for Netflix’s Umbrella Academy and Global TV’s Private Eyes.

Olive MacPhail interviewed by Music4All host, Christina Acton

Tubist Olive MacPhail, was raised as a young fiddler in Meadowbank, Prince Edward Island. They have recently completed their Bachelor of Music Education and tuba performance at the University of Prince Edward Island, and will begin their Master of Music in Performance and Pedagogy at Memorial University of Newfoundland in the fall of 2023. Olive plays tuba with the UPEI Wind Symphony, UPEI Brass Ensemble, and the Confederation Brass Quintet. They also have had multiple solo performances, including the Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra’s Tuning into Nature event, Under the Spire Music Festival’s Youth Legacy Concert, and Under the Spire Music Festival’s LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Ceilidh.

While Olive’s focus lies in playing tuba, they also spend their time singing with the Luminos Ensemble, and have participated in minor roles in UPEI’s performances of Mozart’s Magic Flute and Purcell’s Dido and Aneas. Olive has received multiple awards for their solo performances in music competitions, including the 2021 Queen’s County Senior Rose Bowl, 1st place in the Brass category at the 2022 FCMF National Music Festival, 1st place in the 2021 and 2023 Frances Gray Performance Competition, and 2nd place in the 2022 Frances Gray Performance Competition. Olive also had the opportunity to perform a junior recital in collaboration with Alex Sorensen and Frances McBurnie in March 2021 and an independent senior recital with Frances McBurnie in April 2022. Other recent performances include their rendition of Edward Gregson’s Tuba Concerto with the UPEI Wind Symphony and their Directed Studies Lecture Recital, Tuba and the Orchestra, in December 2022.

Olive has a passion for teaching music, having had multiple private students in brass, music appreciation, and ear training over the years. They have experience teaching in both elementary and secondary music programs in the Public School System on Prince Edward Island and find incredible joy in bringing music into the lives of their students. After completing their graduate studies, Olive plans to return to Prince Edward Island to become a full-time music educator and performer before pursuing a Ph.D. in Music and Arts Education, eventually instructing at the post-secondary level.

Episode 1. Emily Steers

Emily Steers (she/her) is a soprano from Guelph Ontario. She completed her MA in Community Music at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2020, studying community and identity formation in LGBTQ choirs. She is an ardent fan and performer of new music, premiering a solo chamber opera by Alexander Wright in 2019, and participating in the Musique 3 Femmes new opera workshop. She is equally passionate about early music, co-founding the Rubrum Aurum early music trio in 2018 and touring the Maritime provinces.

She has a diverse set of operatic performances under her belt, ranging from Britten to Monteverdi to Janáček. Recently, Emily has been honing her skills as a conductor, working with Curtain Call Productions, the Laurier Singers, Vera Causa Opera, and Guelph Chamber Choir. She runs a thriving teaching studio, working in musical theatre, folk, pop, and classical.

Emily is committed to making her work accessible and meaningful to anyone who loves music!

About our Host, Christina Acton:

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 is 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. Want to hear more Christina? Well you’re in luck because they also co-host a radio show, Blind Date with Christina and Hannah, on CHMA 106.9FM.