Matthew (he/him)

What instruments do you play?
I play the oboe, and I have dabbled with playing the English horn and saxophone. I am also currently trying to learn the bagpipes.

Where, and what, are you currently studying?
I am currently studying Environmental Engineering at Waterloo University.

How long have you been playing music? How did you get started?
I have been playing oboe for 7 years. My first band experience was at Acadia Music Camp, where I learned the oboe, loved it, and decided to keep playing.

What is your favourite component of music making?
My favourite part of music making is playing in an ensemble and working to create a great performance. I also quite enjoy a good solo line in a piece.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp?
I am quite excited to listen to each band's performance at the end of the week.

What’s something unique or fun about you that campers should know?
I quite enjoy gardening, and I have a fairly large vegetable and fruit garden at home.

Payton (she/they)

What instruments do you play?
Voice and piano are the main two, but I have learned how to play a little on many instruments through the music ed program (flute, oboe, French horn, saxophone, bassoon, etc.). I also love musical theatre, and if asked, can freestyle rap (no rap battles though… I’m not that good).

Where, and what, are you currently studying?
I am currently studying music education at Acadia!

How long have you been playing music? How did you get started?
I got started voice lessons when I was ten, and started learning piano when I was twelve. I have a love for all instruments, and dabbled in trombone and euphonium in middle school!

What is your favourite component of music making?
I enjoy choral performances, small ensembles, singing in rock bands, solo performances, and performing as part of theatre productions with friends.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp?
I am so excited to help foster a love for music with campers!

What’s something unique or fun about you that campers should know?
I love the muppets, and I have a springerdoodle (dog) named Maisie!

Gerald (he/him)

What instruments do you play?
I specialize in the classical guitar, but have experience with a wide range of instruments, including all of the basic orchestral instruments (strings, brass, woodwind, percussion), mandolin, banjo, harmonica, and didgeridoo.

Where, and what, are you currently studying?
I am about to finish my undergraduate degree in Music Education at Acadia University, with plans to go on to a Bachelor of Education the following year!

How long have you been playing music? How did you get started?
I was called to music from a very young age, as far back as I can remember! In fact, my grandmother tells me that my mother was listening to Loreena McKennitt as I was being born into this world. I began playing the guitar when I was ten years old, and began playing classical guitar when I was fifteen. Unravelling music's mysteries has been a wonderful challenge that has spanned the course of my entire life, and a challenge I continue to welcome for all of my life yet to come.

What is your favourite component of music making?
If I had to pick a favourite component of musicking, I think it would be the time spent alone with my music. I love puzzling through a new piece, refining a technique, or improvising and exploring sound freely.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp?
This will be my first time as a Camp Counsellor for the Summer Music Academy so I don't really know what to expect. However, I am really looking forward to taking on a mentorship/leadership role and building relationships through musicking!

What’s something unique or fun about you that campers should know?
When I am not practicing my scales, some of my hobbies include running, going to the movies, and surfing at Lawrencetown Beach.

Maddi (she/they)

What instruments do you play?
Percussion & bass clarinet, but I dabble with the guitar and bass (self-taught!). I also took piano lessons for 8 years!

Where, and what, are you currently studying?
I am a two-time graduate of Acadia University, with a Bachelor of Music ('23) and a Bachelor of Secondary Education ('25). Starting in the fall, my plan is to begin teaching within the HRCE!

How long have you been playing music? How did you get started?
Music has been in my life for as long as I can remember! I started playing instruments in elementary school; took off with piano lessons in Grade 5, and my percussion journey began in Grade 6.

I stuck with percussion because it was unique to me; being able to make music out of hitting things with sticks sounded awesome, and I loved going to music class every day. When I was in high school, I was in just about every musical extracurricular you could think of, between our school's Senior Concert and Jazz Bands, to groups outside of school like the Nova Scotia Youth Wind Ensemble. I knew that playing percussion and being a part of ensembles was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

When I graduated high school, I came here to Acadia to study percussion and music education! Watching my teachers and conductors year after year was truly inspiring and I knew I wanted to be that person for someone else; to help others grow as musicians and create meaningful ensemble experiences!

I also owe a lot of it to my dad; he is a DJ, and he has been my whole life. Because of this, I grew up around music all of the time, listening to different styles and how they could fit together. While it is an entirely different type of musicking from what I pursued, it definitely helped me develop an awareness and appreciation for music at a young age!

What is your favourite component of music making?
The best part about music is getting to enjoy it with other people. Since I am a percussionist, I find it easy and enjoyable to collaborate with others in an ensemble setting, like a Wind Ensemble or Concert Band! I also love to play in Jazz Bands; the opportunity to improvise and interact with other musicians in real time makes every performance exciting.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp?
Much like every year, I am so excited to see so many faces, new and familiar. Getting to share the love I have for Music Camp with all of you is truly the best part of every summer. After many years as a counsellor (AND a camper!), this place feels like home, and I know just how special it is to watch my campers grow as musicians, performers, and people. I'm also excited to see what's in store across the ensembles this year when it comes to musicking! Here's to another unforgettable year!

What’s something unique or fun about you that campers should know?
I had never touched the Bass Clarinet until my third year of university, yet I had always told myself it would be the one instrument I'd pick if I weren't a percussionist. One day, we went over it quickly in our Clarinet Methods class (shoutout to Eileen Walsh), and I was SO intrigued and excited that I had to get my hands on one. I've played it so much over the last few years in Jazz Bands and others that I now consider it my secondary instrument!