Our Team
Anton Shynkinov
Music Production
Meet Anton, an up and coming music producer passionate about helping beginner artists and producers create music they love. With nearly four years of hands-on music production experience, Anton can help break down seemingly complex concepts into simple, actionable steps you can use right away.
Forget needing overwhelming software or deep music theory knowledge to start! Anton focuses on getting your ideas out, guiding you through the creative process using Soundtrap, a free, accessible online tool. He's dedicated to helping you bring your musical visions to life, one beat at a time.
Beverley McKiver
Piano, Theory
Beverley McKiver is an Ottawa-based pianist, composer and teacher who frequently collaborates with singers, choirs and instrumentalists. Beverley completed a certificate in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Ottawa in 2019.
She has performed at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Banff Centre for the Arts, and Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto. Her “Odaabaanag” song cycle commissioned by Jumblies Theatre and Soundstreams in Toronto was performed at Toronto’s Harbourfront in November, 2019.
Beverley has a philosophy of life-long learning and continues her own classical and jazz piano studies. As a teacher, she brings her creativity and love of music to students of all ages.
Braun Enoe
Guitar, Theory
Braun has been a member of the RMA team since 2015. Mainly influenced by Blues and Rock, Braun has a passion for sharing music, and teaching others. His warm and encouraging personality is particularly notable amongst his students. Another great passion of Braun's is strength training and personal fitness.
Debra Bourne
Piano
Debra Bourne has a passion for helping people achieve their goals and in assisting individuals of varied age groups to learn to play music. Piano has been a part of Debra’s life since the age
of 7. Through hard work and determination, she achieved Grade 8 piano level and Grade 2 theory.. Debra especially enjoys teaching students who want to learn to play the piano and have fun while doing so. Enjoying oneself while learning, where the lessons “fly by” and progress is made for that particular individual, is very rewarding for Debra.
Interacting with individuals of all ages in a teaching environment has always energized Debra and she carries this through in other forms as well, also being the founder / director of the Russell Village Ringers which is a handbell choir, ringing a 3 octaves set of handbells. She volunteers at Russell Meadows and teaches some of the residents to play choirchimes which are similar to handbells however easier to ring. In her spare time, she has a few accounting clients and she teaches Little Rocks curling at the Russell Curling club, is learning to play bridge, loves spending time with her husband Jim and her grandchildren and their families. Life Coaching and being involved in Family Connections are other volunteer passions of Debra.
“Being engaged keeps me young,” says Debra. She has a goal of living the Blue Zone lifestyle
to age healthily.
Gabriel Glendon
Guitar, Bass, Band
I've been a long time musician but only recently started teaching. I work well with all ages. I have a history in performance in various theatre production bands, recording and performing bands. Playing many different instruments. I played guitar and vocals in a band called Hangar 18 for close to 10 years and we travelled across Ontario playing over 300 shows in our time. I've written, recorded and produced albums. Now I find my peace improvising on bass guitar during spiritual "musical meditations" called kirtan through our temple community. I like travelling and reading and movies. Some of my musical influences are hozier, city and colour, hiatus kaiyote and khruangbin but I can play and teach a wide variety of music.
Hugo Cayen
Drum-set, Percussion
Bio/ Pic- coming soon
Joseph Milazzo
Piano, Theory
Joseph has been around music his whole life. Since he started to learn the basics at 3 years old, he is still continuing to further his studies. Through hard work and devotion, he achieved First Class Honours in both Level 8 Piano and Music Theory through the Royal Conservatory of Music, and he is currently studying Level 9.
Joseph believes that everyone has a love for music and that the best way to discover it is through learning an instrument. Although he is new to teaching, his goals are to inspire and motivate his students, and encourage them to pursue lifelong learning.
In his spare time, Joseph enjoys reading, riding his bike, listening to music, and he is also the Dungeon Master in his D&D group. Whether you’re entirely new to music or thinking of changing instruments, Joseph is happy to help!
Kelsea Hopkins
Piano, Guitar, Double Bass, Voice, Band
Kelsea Hopkins is a dedicated music educator based in Ottawa, ON, teaching piano, guitar, double bass, and voice. She earned a Bachelor of Music in double bass and composition from the University of Ottawa and received the SOCAN Young Canadian Composer Award in 2023. With nearly a decade of teaching experience, she works with students of all ages, from infants to adults.
Raised in Vancouver, BC, Kelsea’s early studies included piano, guitar, double bass, and voice. As a double bassist, she performed with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and at diplomatic events for the Philippines Embassy. Her guitar journey evolved from classical studies to exploring mariachi and son Cubano, traveling to Cuba and Mexico to learn the tres Cubano and vihuela. During high school, she sang, played guitar, and bass in her own rock and jazz ensembles.
As a singer, Kelsea sang competitively with the White Rock Children’s Choir and the BC Girls Choir, performing at Carnegie Hall and earning national and international awards. A pianist since age six, she now uses her skills to compose, accompany her students and collaborate with peers.
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Krishna McAllister
Music School Manager
Krishna has been part of our management team since 2011. Whether you're new to learning an instrument, or an intermediate seeking a group to play with, Krishna will likely be the first person you see or speak to at Russell Music Academy. From scheduling, billing, or even pushing your stuck car out of the snow. Krishna is happy to help!
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Matthew Auger-Di Labio
Guitar, Piano, Band
Matthew is a twenty eight year old multi-instrumentalist. His main studies have been on the guitar with a focus on progressive rock, jazz, fusion, and contemporary music. Matthew is a Carleton University graduate with a Bachelors in Music. He has been teaching for over seven years in the Ottawa/Gatineau region along with the city of Montreal and the villages of the Laurentians. These lessons have been with both young and older students specializing in a variety of different studies and genres. He has an extensive background in theory/analysis as well as performance, and composition.
Olivia Versluis
Vocal, Guitar
Olivia has been deep diving in the music industry since she was born. She’s been in choirs, apart of school concert bands, performing at churches and senior homes.
Olivia’s been trained by Juilliard graduate and broadway singer Mikaela Bennett and is an arts and culture major at her school. Olivia is extroverted and aims to teach kindergarten. She loves all genres of music as well as literature and she loves all kinds of projects. Olivia paints, does welding, cosplays, writes fantasy novels and makes jewelry. Her family is full of musicians, designers, film artists and nature lovers. Olivia hopes to share her love for creativity with the world.
Tristan Le Bahezre
Guitar, Piano, Band
Bio coming soon