Camp Director

Lyndsey Mitchell is a dedicated music educator who believes that music can and should be used as a vehicle for both individual and community development. She is committed to creating supportive, inclusive spaces where learners develop their technical and artistic abilities, engage in critical thinking, build confidence, and explore music as a means for self-expression and personal growth.

Lyndsey studied flute at Acadia University, earning undergraduate (BMus ‘12, BEd ‘14) and graduate (MEd ‘19) degrees in music education. After graduating in 2014, she moved to northern Alberta, where she developed the wind and vocal music programs at Charles Spencer High School. During this time, she discovered an unexpected love for choir and musical theatre, routinely bringing ensembles to the Alberta Music Festival Association’s provincial festival and directing full-scale musical productions each year. While working in Grande Prairie, she received Swan City Rotary’s Excellence in Education award and served on the Fine Arts Advisory Committee for Grande Prairie Regional College (now Northwestern Polytechnic).

Since returning to Nova Scotia in 2021, Lyndsey has been involved with Acadia University’s music programs, mentoring future music educators through its Bachelor of Education program, and now serving as director for the Summer Music Academy. She is also the youth coordinator for Quick As A Wink Theatre Society and serves as a member-at-large for both the Nova Scotia Band Association and the Nova Scotia Music Education Council. Currently, she teaches music and computer programming at Horton High School in Greenwich, Nova Scotia.

When she is not in a rehearsal, Lyndsey can be found tackling DIY projects around the house or spending quality time with her beloved rescue animals.

Haley Band

Mellisa Ashley is the music teacher at West Hants Middle School, where she has taught Grade 6 Music and Grades 7–8 Band for the past five years. Before returning home to Nova Scotia, she spent a decade teaching Elementary Music and Grades 7–9 Band in Calgary, Alberta. With 15 years of experience leading beginner bands, directing concerts and school productions, and organizing school-wide and community celebrations, Mellisa is passionate about creating meaningful musical experiences that help students build confidence, creativity, and a lifelong love of music. Mellisa is a graduate of Acadia University, where she earned degrees in Music Education ('06) and Education ('08). In 2024, she received the Canadian Music Educators’ Association Builders Award in recognition of her work building community through music education. This is Mellisa’s first year with the Acadia School of Music Summer Music Academy, and she is excited to work with young musicians and see the remarkable musical growth that can happen in just one week.

Nathan Beeler, DMA, MMus, BME - Low Brass

Dr. Nathan Beeler holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education from Boston University. His research interests include engaging with Indigenous music in settler classrooms, creating and selecting repertoire for multicultural musical experiences, and exploring alternative delivery methods for secondary music education.

Dr. Beeler has served as the resident conductor of Scotia Brass and the Dalhousie Wind Ensemble, and has guest conducted the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, the Chebucto Symphony, and Nova Sinfonia. He is a highly sought-after clinician, guest conductor, and presenter. Currently, he is the vice principal of Halifax Regional Arts, one of Canada’s largest publicly funded arts programs.

Nathan is the author of “Everything Matters: 50 Essays on Music Education,” as well as several scholarly works, including his dissertation, titled “Stepping Toward a Culture: Mi’kmaq Music in Settler Instrumental Music Classrooms.” In 2010, he received the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence, one of Canada’s highest honors for educators.

You can learn more about Dr. Beeler at www.nathan-beeler.ca

Saxophone

Tristan De Borba is a classical and contemporary saxophonist and conductor and is quickly gaining a reputation as an innovative and engaging musician.

He is Associate Professor at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia where he teaches saxophone, conducts the Acadia University Symphonic Band and String Orchestra, and teaches musicianship.

Tristan has a strong interest in the music of our time. He is a member of the Alkali Collective, a Halifax-based new music ensemble dedicated to the creation, performance, documentation, and educational outreach of 21st century music. Tristan also performs with the Strum-De Borba duo with fellow saxophonist Nicole Strum. The duo recently released Heavy Stones by composer Robert Humber. This five-movement duo for two baritone saxophone stretches the technical and musical possibilities of the baritone saxophone. Tristan is a founding member of the Brogue Saxophone Quartet which has performed extensively throughout the maritime provinces since 2013. As a soloist, Tristan’s recording of Derek Charke’s Wired and Wound with pianist Simon Docking can be found on the ECMA nominated recording “Live Wired” (Centrediscs, 2015). He also appears as saxophone soloist on “In the Wide Awe of Wisdom” featuring the choral music of Paul Halley (Pelagos, 2017). In 2021, Alongside pianist Mary Castello, Tristan released a video recording of Fernande Decruck’s Sonata and William Grant Still’s Romance. As a conductor and educator, Tristan is increasingly in demand as a clinician and adjudicator of bands and orchestras.

Dr. Tristan De Borba earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Music degree from the University of British Columbia. When taking a break from a busy performing and teaching career, Tristan can be found alongside his wife Sara and their dogs Lua and Sasi exploring beautiful Nova Scotia.

Website
www.tristandeborba.com

Flute

Diane Clarke retired in 2025 following a distinguished thirty-year career teaching band and music within the Musquodoboit Rural Family of Schools. A passionate advocate for rural music education, Diane is the founding chair of the Rural Youth Band Summit and has dedicated decades to the Nova Scotia music community.

Her leadership extends across the province, having served on the executives of both the Nova Scotia Band Association (NSBA) and the Music Educators Association. Notably, Diane chaired the Nova Scotia Junior Wind Ensemble committee for ten years before later returning as its guest conductor.

A highly decorated educator, Diane holds degrees from Memorial University and Acadia University. Her contributions have been recognized with the NSBA Distinguished Band Director Award and the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys attending Broadway musicals and playing traditional Irish folk music.

Maritime Youth Wind Ensemble

Conductor and educator Dr. Danielle Gaudry is the Director of Wind Studies at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University where she conducts the Wind Orchestra and the Chamber Winds, serves as an Associate Professor of Instrumental Conducting and Community Engagement, and chairs the Performance Department. Prior to her appointment at McGill, she served for ten years as Director of Bands and Coordinator of Instrumental Music at the California State University, East Bay. As a bilingual music educator born and raised in the Franco-Manitoban community of St. Boniface, Dr. Gaudry taught high school instrumental music for several years in a French Immersion program. She proudly served as a musician and conductor in the Canadian Armed Forces for fourteen years, most notably as Director of Music of The Regimental Band of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles and as Conducting Instructor at the Canadian Forces Logistic Training Centre. Retaining her military affiliations in the US, Captain Gaudry was the Associate Conductor with the 38th Infantry Division Band, Indiana National Guard for three years. Dr. Gaudry earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting with a Cognate in Music Education from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She also holds degrees from The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Calgary, the University of Toronto, and McGill University. At home, Danielle and her husband, a musicologist, maintain a fast-paced life with their two sets of energetic twin boys.

Harvey Band

Luke Henderson is a music teacher based in Halifax, NS. He currently teaches at Bay View High School in Tantallon, NS, where he instructs band and guitar classes, runs extracurricular band, jazz, and vocal groups, and is the music director for the school's annual musical theatre production.

Luke graduated from Acadia University with degrees in both Music (BMus) and Education (MEd, BEd). As a conductor, Luke studied with Dr. Mark Hopkins of Acadia University and was also a conducting apprentice with the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra in 2021.

As a trumpet player, Luke has played in several musical theatre productions locally, including community productions with Quick as a Wink Theatre Society in Windsor, NS, and Stage Prophets in Wolfville, NS, as well as school productions at Horton High School, King's-Edgehill School, and Northeast Kings Education Centre.

Luke first attended the Acadia Summer Music Academy as a student in his Grade 7 year, and he is thrilled to return this year as a faculty member!

Band, Community Band

Dr. Mark Hopkins is a Professor in the School of Music at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. In addition to leading the Wind Ensemble, Dr. Hopkins teaches undergraduate and graduate Conducting, Instrumental Music Education courses, SoundPainting, and chamber music courses.
 
Dr. Hopkins is in demand as a guest conductor and music education consultant. Since 2003 he has collaborated with Dr. Gillian MacKay as Artistic Co-Director of the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra, which selects players through annual national auditions. He is Artistic Director of the Nova Scotia Youth Wind Ensemble (2008-2011, 2013-present), and is Past-President of the Nova Scotia Band Association. In May 2019 Dr Hopkins received the National Band Award from the Canadian Band Association and was awarded an Established Artist Award from Arts Nova Scotia in 2016 for his leadership as a conductor of new music projects, including “Shattering the Silence”, an innovative new music festival.  His work as a conductor has been recorded on LIVE WIRED (2015) and In Sonorous Falling Tones (2017, nominated for a 2018 East Coast Music Award). In Canada, he has guest-conducted bands and orchestras in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, and led the National Youth Band of Canada in 2019. Abroad, he has led collegiate and professional performances in the United States, Bermuda, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, and Romania.
 
A native of Toronto, Dr. Hopkins graduated from the University of Toronto (B.Mus. Ed.), the University of Western Ontario (B. Ed.), the University of Calgary (M.Mus. Conducting), and the New England Conservatory (D.M.A. Wind Conducting).  While attending New England Conservatory he served as Assistant to Frank L. Battisti and was awarded the Gunther Schuller Medal at graduation. Prior to his appointment at Acadia University Dr. Hopkins led ensembles and taught at the University of Calgary and Hanover College in Indiana (1999-2005). Dr. Hopkins taught music in high schools for twelve years, including seven years of service as Chair of the Music Department at Upper Canada College in Toronto. His professional work as a Conductor spans the full range of ensembles and genres.

Rock Band

Lydia Langille is a performer, songwriter, and producer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She studied Music Composition at Acadia University, and has written for a variety of ensembles including symphony orchestra, jazz big band, and gamelan. Lydia writes, produces, and performs electronic pop music under the moniker ‘Embedme,’ and plays guitar, writes, and sings in her art math rock band ‘Moonkick.’ She also plays with other Halifax bands: upright bass with queer country band 'Holy Crow,' electric bass with punk band 'Amygdala Hijack,' and electric guitar with lesbian mom rock band 'Saltlamp.' Lydia also has experience with live sound, production, engineering, mixing, and mastering.

Find Lydia on instagram @embedlydia or listen to Embedme or Moonkick wherever you stream music.

Trumpet

James LeBlanc is an instructor at Acadia University where he teaches applied trumpet, and brass methods courses. A native of Nova Scotia, James started trumpet in his school band program and has been performing ever since.

James holds; a Bachelor of Music in Performance from McGill University where he studied with soloist and educator Edward Carroll, a Master of Music in Performance from the University of Ottawa where he studied with Karen Donnelly, Principal Trumpet of NACO, and a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Instrumental Music from the University of Calgary.

James has performed with Symphony NOva Scotia, National Arts Center Orchestra, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, PEI Symphony Orchestra, and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with chamber groups such as Altius Brass, Capital Brass Works, and Boardwalk Brass.

James was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces as a reserve musician for 16 years, where he has gained numerous awards and recognitions. He has performed with the Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy, Central Band of the Canadian Forces, La Musique du Royal 22e Régiment, and the Ceremonial Guard Band.

In addition to teaching at Acadia University, James teaches music and band with the Halifax Regional Center for Education. He is a regular clinician with the Nova Scotia Honour bands, and maintains a private teaching studio. James has also taught courses at the University of Ottawa.

French Horn

Hornist Mary Lee started playing the horn at the age of 12 in Toronto, the city where she grew up and went to university. She followed her undergraduate degree with studies at the Utrecht Conservatory, where she received further orchestral and chamber music training. A winding road finally led Mary to Halifax, where she has long since resided, playing second horn with Symphony Nova Scotia. In addition to performing, Mary greatly enjoys working with horn students of all ages, and has taught for many years at Acadia University and the Maritime Conservatory, as well as coaching the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra horn section. Mary is a founding member of the Halifax-based wind quintet, “Fifth Wind” and playing with this group has taken her to schools, chamber music festivals and workshops throughout the maritimes. More recent musical adventures include playing with the newly formed Peppercorn Horn Quartet, and joining Halifax Regional Arts as a horn clinician.

Percussion

Tyler McDonald, a Cape Breton born percussionist,  works as a full time musician and teacher based in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. Tyler writes, records, and performs regularly with Freya Milliken. He has collaborated with many artists across Nova Scotia in both live and recorded settings including Joe H Henry, Terra Spencer, Avalon & The Pyramids, Sarah McInnis, The Sundries and Mark Riley.

Amidst various freelance projects as a drumset performer, Tyler also engages with music in classical, traditional/folk and contemporary settings playing mallet percussion, timpani, and various other multi-percussion setups. A graduate of Acadia University’s music program, he also studied under Barbara Hannigan at the 2023 EQ Seminar at the Lunenburg Academy of Music where he collaborated and performed with musicians and composers from around the world. Tyler now performs with Alkali Collective and the newly formed chamber orchestra, Conifer, both based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

As of 2022, Tyler has been running a private drumset and percussion studio in the Annapolis Valley, with students of all ages. After completing the Bachelor of Education program at Acadia University (23’), Tyler worked at Kings Edge Hill School as a drum instructor, as well as being the Percussion Instructor at Acadia University for the 2024-2025 school year. In addition to percussion teaching, Tyler also works with local organization Music In Communities, running various afterschool music programs, camps, and community music events.