Karen Try (Executive Director)
Karen Try is honoured to share the CTEC experience as Executive Director. Karen brings to the Children's Talent Education Centre a strong business background, which has included many years at Bell Canada in customer service and budgeting. Prior to joining the CTEC family, Karen was Director of Business Management for Original Kids Theatre, an outstanding children's theatre organization based in London, Ontario. Karen is familiar with non-profit, charitable organizations, fundraising, grant writing and financial management. Karen has completed "Every Child Can", and Stage One of the Suzuki Early Childhood Education training.
Kenichi Ueda (Music Director, Flute / Recorder Teacher)
Kenichi Ueda is the Music Director of the Children’s Talent Education Centre where he teaches flute and recorder to many young children. Kenichi graduated the Talent Education Institute Matsumoto, Japan where he studied with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki and Toshi Takahasi, founder of the Suzuki Flute School. He also studied with Marcel Moyse, Geoffrey Gilbert, Keith Underwood and Louis Moyse. Kenichi taught flute at the Preucil School of Music and Cornel College in Iowa, “Summerstar” Music School, and the Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. He was the Principal Flutist of the Skagit Valley Symphony and the Northwest Philharmonic Orchestra, and performed as a member of the Northwest Chamber Ensemble in Seattle. Kenichi won American Harp Society Concert Artist Audition with the harpist Jill Whitman and the duo performs as members of the popular “Winter Harp” concerts in Vancouver, Victoria, and Seattle. Kenichi is a Teacher Trainer of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, and teaches at many Institutes & Workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada. Preschool & Kindergarten Staff
Brenda Nancekivell, Supervisor
(B.A., Child Psychology, E.C.E., Suzuki ECC*)
Beth Kruithof , Teacher
(E.C.E., Music Production and Recording, Suzuki ECC*)
Claudia Sasse, Teacher
(B.Ed, Post Graduate work in Psychology, Suzuki ECC*)
Nicole Cruji, Program Assistant
(E.C.E., Honours B.Sc., Psychology)
Janice Doerr, Teacher's Assistant
(Suzuki ECC*)
Carmen Gentile, School Cook
Aliah Omid, Housekeeping
* Every Child Can (ECC)
Our classrooms are staffed with nurturing Early Childhood Educators with a diverse background of training and experience, including Every Child Can, an in-depth look at the Suzuki approach to teaching and learning. CTEC's talented teaching staff are committed to creating an environment in which every child can learn. The school's unique philosophy and curriculum are based on the teachings of the late Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. Our teachers believe that the potential for every child is unlimited.
"If adults are considered full-grown plants, then children are seedlings. Unless the seedlings are well cared for, beautiful floweres cannot be expected. Setting a child aside until elementary school age and saying that now education begins is like taking a withered or withering sprout and suddenly giving it large amounts of fertilizer, putting it in the sunlight and flooding it with water. It is too late for the withered sprout." ~ Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
Brian Joyce (Guitar Teacher)
Brian received his Bachelor of Music (Performance) from the University of Toronto in 1991 and his Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario in 1996. He is a professional Double Bass player, currently playing with Orchestra London Canada and the Clarion Symphony. Brian has taught at various schools within the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board. He also taught percussion at the Atlantic Region Air Cadet Band Camp from 1984 to 1988. Brian is currently teaching guitar at CTEC and is the proud dad of Katherine Grace. Vanessa Thatcher (Violin Teacher)
Vanessa got her first violin at age 7 and was introduced to the world of music by her Suzuki teacher, Irene Tandberg. Throughout her teens and into adulthood, Vanessa performed in numerous community orchestras.
Vanessa’s undergraduate degree is an Honours Degree in English Language and Literature. She graduated from Teacher’s College at University of Ottawa and is qualified to teach primary and junior grades. She has taught in Canada and abroad for one year.
The past 2 summers Vanessa trained in Suzuki teaching methods Part 1 and Part 2 at Institute de Montreal.
Lianne Wong (Piano Teacher)
Lianne Wong is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with both Master and Bachelor of Music degrees. She also holds the Licentiate Diploma from the Royal School of Music and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese Language and Literature. She started teaching the piano with the Suzuki approach at the Suzuki Talent Education Program in St. John’s, Newfoundland. She has been teaching at CTEC since she moved to London. Lianne studied teaching with different Suzuki trainers and attended many training sessions. Her close to 20 years of teaching experiences have led her to believe that not only every child can learn to play the piano, everyone can play it with excellence. “I have never seen a child who cannot play the piano well”, she said. She has also been quoted as saying, “Just like growing plants, if the proper environment is given, the seed will grow as it is designed. Parents don’t doubt their children’s ability to speak the mother tongue, because they understand it will be developed. The same is with piano study, for every child is born with a great gift of music. Just don’t rush or manipulate the learning process. Support your child and be consistent in practice. The family will be rewarded in every step along the Suzuki journey”.