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 Our Teachers 

  Magdalena Melax 

Meet Magdalena

 

Hi!  I'm Magdalena Melax (also known as Maggie or Agnes).  I am proud to be the owner and director of the Leduc School of Music!  My intent is to make quality music instruction available to students of all ages in the Leduc area. I believe that a musical education is crucial in developing a society of whole, well-rounded, and cultured young people. I also believe that learning to play an instrument is about more than just playing notes, rather it is about learning to engage the heart, the mind and the imagination.


I have chosen the teachers who work with me because they agree with this philosophy. A common thread that links all of the teachers at the Leduc School of Music, is that we have each had a solid training in our respective disciplines, and we all love sharing what we have learned with our students!

Owner and Director

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Leanne Snellen

Art

Leanne Snellen is an artist from Leduc County. She graduated from MacEwan University with a Fine Art Diploma in 2011 and then received a Bachelor of Fine Art with distinction in 2015. Keenly interested in art education, Leanne is excited about helping others to learn the classical steps of drawing and painting in a new Beginner Art Series developed for the Leduc School of Music, called "Look, then See". As well as being an artist and art teacher, Leanne works as a registered nurse, is a nursing instructor at Grant MacEwan College, and is a dairy farm wife, mother, and grandmother.

Brett Cole

Banjo, Drums, Guitar, Ukulele

Brett is one of our teachers from the former Turner Guitar Studio. He is a multi-instrumentalist, who teaches drums, guitar, banjo and ukulele. He is our one dedicated "online-only" teacher. Originally from Leduc, he has since moved to Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia. Brett enjoys the music scene in his adopted Nova Scotia community. He has a non-music job, but also hosts karaoke in his town, and is involved in writing and recording music, and he remains dedicated to his studio of virtual students. We have a number of families who are very happy with their weekly online lessons, and who have chosen to continue with their lessons in this way. Brett’s main music genre is rock and metal, but can adapt and teach any music genre including country, R&B, jazz, folk and more.

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Clarence Samuelson

Brass and Woodwind Band Instruments

Clarence, nicknamed "Sammy" by his students, is a much loved retired band teacher from Devon, where he taught at Riverview Middle School and John Maland Highschool. In 2022, Clarence was honored for his 35 year legacy when current and alumni students gathered to create a big band at his farewell retirement party. Clarence is respected by his musical colleagues, and was able to engage music and jazz icons like Senator Tommy Banks and Dominik Sperra, and Tom Dust to come to Devon and play with the high school band for dinner jazz concerts. Clarence's students appreciate him for being a mentor and instilling confidence and sense of accomplishment.

Clarence's main instrument is the trumpet, but he is an able teacher of all the typical brass and woodwind instruments. He does defer to his wife Melanie, when it comes to teaching the flute.

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Ryan Hoffman

Cello

Cellist Ryan Hoffman has a Doctor of Musical Arts from James Madison University, a Master of Music from Penn State University, and a BA in Music from Susquehanna University. Ryan is originally from Virginia, where he taught in several schools, including Eastern Mennonite University and Bridgewater College. He performed in several orchestras, including Altoona Symphony, Fairfax Symphony, Huntington Symphony, and Waynesboro Symphony, and as a chamber musician with Two Rivers Chamber Music and Melodious Strings. Now residing in Edmonton, Ryan is active with Alberta String Association, Opus@12 Chamber Music Society, and Concordia Symphony. As a cello teacher, Ryan enjoys getting to know his students and loves introducing them to new skills, awareness, and knowledge through music.

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Neal Smedegaard

Guitar, Bass

Neal has been playing guitar and bass since he was ten, and later learned to play piano and drums as well. Neal has a Bachelors of Contemporary Music from Grant MacEwan University, and is currently beginning an after degree program at the U of A in Education. Neal also plays bass guitar for Edmonton Alternative band 'Darryl Saves Lives'.

Neal teaches beginner to advanced bass and guitar lessons. He likes to include music theory into his lessons, and to lay a solid foundation for technical skills. Neal also enjoys teaching composing and song writing. Neal has many interests and varied skills. Neal is also gaining acclaim in the community as the lead guitar technician at Leduc's Own Music Shop.

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Scott Bergevin

Guitar, Bass, Drums

Scott grew up in Leduc, where he studied piano, guitar and drums locally. He completed a Music Diploma from Grant MacEwan, majoring in recording. Scott maintains a home recording studio, and has recorded a number of local bands and musicians. Scott regularly jams and creates music with friends. Scott has been teaching guitar and drums at the Leduc School of Music since 2010.

Randy Rink

Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Mandolin, Banjo

As a young man, Randy was a touring professional guitarist for countless rock, country and blues bands all throughout the 1980's and 1990's. As such, he likes to say that he survived the 80's Rock & Roll scene. To date, he has played every major rock and country festival throughout Canada. As a lead guitarist hired by numerous bands and solo artists, he has appeared in CMT videos, has played in Las Vegas, and has played on television live from Parliament Hill on Canada Day in 2011. He still maintains a busy performing schedule as guitarist for various solo acts, and is currently the lead guitarist for the band Sweet Tequila. Randy teaches guitar, bass, mandolin and ukulele and Rock Band Classes at the Leduc School of Music.

Magdalena Melax

Music for Young Children

Magdalena "Maggie" has been a Music for Young Children teacher since 2002, and has a designation of MYCCT (MYC Certified Teacher), which is a designation given to MYC's most experienced teachers. She thoroughly enjoys watching her students progress the way they do in this fun and engaging method of learning! Magdalena loves the deep foundation in musical literacy, composition and listening skills that Music for Young Children provides for its students. Magdalena carefully balances her time between being the owner of the Leduc School of Music, plus teaching Music for Young Children and private voice students and Musical Theatre and Sunrise.

Carla Thompson

Music for Young Children

Carla has been an MYC teacher since 2000, and she is an MYC Certified Teacher (MYCCT) which is a special designation given by MYC to its most experienced teachers. She began her own music studies at the age of 2 and 1/2 in a Yamaha music program, and this is likely the root of her great love for teaching group music classes. She is very passionate about the MYC program, and having taught hundreds of children in the program to date, she sees the high level of music knowledge that the children finish with, and is proud to have played a role in their learning. An annual highlight for Carla is the Composition Festival, and Carla's students typically place well in this national competition. Carla brings a depth of music knowledge to her classes, and she is currently our main MYC teacher and teaches most of our classes.

Lexa Steinhof

Piano

Lexa is a recent graduate of Kings University College in Piano Performance where she studied with Joachim Segger. Besides teaching piano, Lexa is beginning an education degree at the U of A. This fall Lexa will start by teaching here on Fridays, because as a soccer athlete, she is committed to finishing the current season of regional and provincial competitions. Once that commitment is over, Lexa is planning to expand her teaching days. I recommend her for anyone who would enjoy a younger, energetic teacher. While being able to teach the traditional RCM exams type of students, she would also be open to working with students who wish to play contemporary music.

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Lois Green

Piano

Lois is a patient and encouraging piano teacher with decades of experience. She is the only original teacher who has been with the Leduc School of Music since it was founded in 1987!! As such, she sometimes finds herself teaching the children or grandchildren of her former piano students. Lois is also a substitute Education Assistant with the Black Gold School Division, and she is the accompanist for the Leduc Junior High School choir. She is also a church pianist for three different congregations in the Leduc area.

Kaija Meetsma

Piano

Kaija is a talented young pianist who is in her final year of a Piano Performance degree at King's University College. While she was a teenager, Kaija performed in the local music festival each year, and has occasionally represented Leduc in the Provincial Music Festival Senior Piano category. She was also a recipient of the Leduc Foundation Scholarship in 2015 as a pianist. Kaija has studied Piano Pedagogy with Carla Thompson, and has been teaching her own students at the Leduc School of Music since 2017. She is also employed as a Church pianist at Peace Lutheran Church.

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