Sylvia Atkinson began teaching Kindermusik in 1998 and was the Director/Owner of Kindermusik with Sylvia, a thriving studio in North Waterloo. On January 1st, 2007, her studio officially amalgamated with KW Kindermusik, of which she is co-owner with Michelle Jacques. We are delighted to welcome Sylvia and her families.

Sylvia has taught primary grades as well as French and Music with the York Region Board of Education. During this time she enjoyed being the choral director of many primary and junior choirs, and directed and managed stage musicals for school productions.

She loves teaching Kindermusik when she is not busy with her own 2 young children and is looking forward to a wonderful semester filled with music and laughter!

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Janet Beretta graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Musical Arts (Music Education). At the time, with the availability of jobs in teaching music being sparse, Mrs. Beretta ventured into the business world. She tripped into Human Resources where she enjoyed 15 years of HR Management and Training and Development. During that time she completed her Certificate in Human Resources Management and her Certificate in Adult Education.

Mrs. Beretta left her career in HR to dedicate more time to her first love: her family. Mrs. Beretta and her husband, Jim, have two musical daughters, Rachel and Megan. In fact, it was through being a Kindermusik parent, beginning in 1995 that Mrs. Beretta became convinced to return to one of her other loves: music.

Mrs. Beretta has been enjoying teaching at Kindermusik of Cambridge since 1998.

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Deborah Carbone graduated from The University of Western Ontario with an Honours Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education. Mrs. Carbone has taught winds, strings and vocal at both the elementary and secondary levels, as well as provided opportunities for her students to participate in choirs, bands, festivals and annual musicals. She has also been involved in curriculum development, teacher training workshops and presentations on the importance of music programs in the elementary schools.

Mrs. Carbone’s interest in teaching Kindermusik developed as a result of her daughter’s enrollment in the Kindermusik of Cambridge program. Stephanie’s love of listening to the CDs and the obvious musical development that was taking place convinced her to take the training in 1995. It also met her needs to be an ‘at home Mom’ and still pursue her love of teaching. Mrs. Carbone finds this age of child delightful to teach and firmly believes that children will thrive if given the opportunity to be successful in a positive and fun-filled learning environment. She views it is a special privilege to be a child’s first teacher.

Mrs. Carbone and her family reside in Cambridge. She keeps busy with two daughters in violin, piano and dance, as well as volunteering at her daughter’s school and serving as coordinator of summer camps for Kindermusik of Cambridge.

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Carol Donlon holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario as well as Bachelor degrees in Communications and Business from the University of Windsor and a certificate in Human Resources Management. For 15 years she worked as a Career Counsellor and Workshop Facilitator, helping people to uncover their career interests and potential and achieve their career goals.

Carol first dreamed of becoming a Kindermusik Educator four years ago when she started Village classes with her six month old daughter Rachel. Besides having fun she recognized how her daughter was gaining valuable cognitive, emotional, social, language and music skills. In an effort to have more quality family time and to pursue her passion for music, dance, teaching and providing the best possible start for children, Carol decided to turn her dream of becoming a Kindermusik Educator into a reality. Carol has 10 years of training in ballet, tap and jazz, as well as experience in acting, singing and dancing in a variety of musicals. She is a dedicated and enthusiastic person who is honoured to be a partner with parents in using the magic of music to nurture children’s development.

Carol lives with her husband Wayne and their daughter Rachel, who continues to be a Kindermusik student. She loves to work with children and currently provides literacy support as a volunteer in her daughter’s school. On weekends, they enjoy a wide variety of interests from skiing, swimming, canoeing, hiking, dancing and making music with their friends.

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Hannah Hastings-Fuhr has fostered her love of music since the early age of 7 when she sang and did solo work with the Inter Mennonite children's choir until the age of 16. She continued to study and perform throughout high school where she was involved in a performing arts program with special interest in drama, music and art. Mrs.“H” began studying vocal music privately at the age of 12.

She spent many years working at Silver Lake Mennonite Camp, near Sauble Beach ON, where she instructed various activities and eventually became the Program Director. Following this, she became the Nature Director at Camp Valaqua in Alberta, where she met her husband, Adrian. Mrs.“H” continued her studies at Canadian Mennonite Bible College in Winnipeg and majored in both Church Music and Theology. She has sung with various choirs including The Mennonite Mass Choir, The Mennonite Oratorio Choir, The Menno Singers, and a number of smaller chamber and jazz ensembles. She has also been heavily involved with musical stage productions including Jesus Christ Superstar in Winnipeg where she produced and choreographed the show.

Mrs.“H” has found a perfect fit as a Kindermusik teacher, where both her love of music and children can come together. She and her husband reside in Waterloo with their daughter, Naomi. Mrs. "H" has been a licensed Kindermusik educator since 2001.

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Jennifer Hickson-Palmer has been a Kindermusik educator since June 2001 and loves teaching at Kindermusik of Cambridge! Mrs. "H-P" has an Honours Bachelor of Music Therapy Degree from the University of Windsor.

Mrs. "H-P" enjoys working with people of all ages. She has worked with preschoolers as a Sunday School Music Leader, a teacher of the Kindermusik Music Box curriculum, she has developed and implemented a Music Therapy program for elementary-age children with special needs, worked in Music Therapy with conflicted adolescents, ages 11 to 17, lead adult education classes in Basic Sign Language and studyed Palliative Care through continuing education courses at Conestoga College.

Mrs. "H-P" has worked as a Music Therapist in various long-term care facilities in the GTA and sang with the World Youth Day Choir that performed for Pope John Paul II, in July 2002. Mrs. "H-P" resides in Kitchener with her husband and sons, Conner and Zachary.

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Mrs. Jacques

Michelle Jacques holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, a Bachelor of Education, and an Ontario Teacher’s Certificate. She has also completed Levels 1 to 3 Teacher’s Certification in Orff-Schulwerk. She became a Licensed Kindermusik Educator in 1985 when she was offered a position to teach the program under the direction of one of the original authors at the Toronto Montessori Schools.  In 1987, she founded Kindermusik of Cambridge teaching 27 children in her basement studio. Today, she is the director of two commercial studio locations and together with a faculty of 14 licensed educators, they serve almost 700 children weekly in the full range of Kindermusik curricula in Cambridge and Waterloo. Her program is recognized as one of the top 25 in the world.

Over the course of her career, Mrs. Jacques built Kindermusik from 6 to more than 500 educators across Canada in her role as Canadian Distributor, also responsible for marketing and teacher recruitment. She is a Mentor for Kindermusik University, as well as KI’s Key Communications Rep for Canada. She’s been a writer of both curricula and Professional Development Seminars. The favourite part of her work is being in the classroom with the children!

Mrs. Jacques and her husband, Tim, live in Cambridge, with sons, Tyler and Paul. The family’s interests include travel, skiing, boating, adventure and their little dog, Frodo.

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Mrs. Lepp

Kathy Lepp received her Kindermusik training from the Canadian Headquarters in Cambridge.  She holds an Honours Bachelor Degree in Music Therapy from Wilfrid Laurier University and has worked as a music therapist since 1991. 

In addition to teaching Kindermusik, Mrs. Lepp works with the Waterloo Regional Infant Development Program on a contractual basis, offering music therapy to developmentally delayed infants and toddlers and their caregivers. 

She resides in Waterloo with her husband, Youri, and children, Sofia and Aron.

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Afarin Mansouri began taking piano lessons at the age of 8. She received a BA in Applied Math in Computer Science in 1997. Although Mrs. Mansouri had been teaching piano to children along with other professions, she always had the passion to have academic training in music. In 2002, she started her second degree in music at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. After 2 years volunteering at K-W Kindermusik working with head teacher, Pat Murray, Afarin completed her Kindermusik training in the summer of 2005 and has been teaching with us ever since.

Mrs Mansouri also teaches piano privately and is continuing her education in music composition. In addition to her teaching and education, she is serving the musical community as a volunteer member of NUMUS board of directors and co-founder of Impetus Music Association. Mrs Mansouri resides in Waterloo with her husband Nima who is completing his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

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Mrs. Murray

Pat Murray is the former director/owner, and currently serves as Head Teacher, of KW Kindermusik, which she founded in 1990.  She received her Kindermusik teacher training from the Kindermusik Canadian Headquarters in Cambridge, Caldwell College, New Jersey, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois and from York University, Toronto.  In addition, Mrs. Murray holds an Early Childhood Education diploma from Sir Sandford Fleming College in Peterborough.  She taught preschoolers for close to 25 years in a variety of settings including the K-W and the Sunshine Montessori Schools, the Waterloo Separate School Board and in her own classes.  

Mrs. Murray brings a genuine warmth and love of all children to her teaching.  Mrs. Murray has been active in her church choir, the University of Waterloo Choir and the Mass Mennonite choir.  She resides in Kitchener with her husband, Clark, and twins, Blake and Jenessa, both Kindermusik and Recorder-Orff graduates.

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Mrs. Randall

Angela Randall (formerly Ms. King) is a sincere and compassionate person with a passion for music and its many benefits.  She grew up in a home filled with music and has geared her life towards providing musical learning and healing for others.  Mrs. Randall graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, with a Bachelor of Music Therapy Degree and General Psychology.  She completed her Fundamentals of Kindermusik training through  Kindermusik University in the spring of 2005.

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Stacey Vandermeer received her Kindermusik training from the Canadian Headquarters in Cambridge in 2001. She also holds a BA Honours Music, majoing in Church Music and Worship, from the University of Waterloo.

Stacey became an active chorister and soloist at a young age, and has spent many years singing in various choirs in the Waterloo Region, most recently with the Da Capo Chamber Choir. She also spent a number of years playing the oboe with the K-W Symphony Youth Orchestra. Stacey enjoys using her gifts at area churches as a soloist, as well as being a regular song leader in her home congregation. Her favourite place to be, however, is on stage at the Centre in the Square performing with K-W Musical Productions.

When she's not making music, Stacey enjoys playing baseball, skating, and spending time with her husband, Matt and son, Owen. Stacey brings a quiet enthusiasm to her Kindermusik teaching, as well as a desire to share the joy of music with children and parents.

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He currently teaches grade one at King Edward Public School with the Waterloo Region District School Board.  He was an instructor for the K-W Philharmonic Children’s Choir Music Literacy Program for two years, has taught saxophone privately and assisted with this year's Kodaly Festival at the Centre in the Square.

Ryan's exuberant personality, combined with an uncanny ability to relate on the child's level is ideally-suited to teaching Kindermusik and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Kindermusik of Cambridge faculty (our first male instructor)! Ryan is also on the faculty of Kindermusik Kids’ Co. in Kitchener.

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Winnifred Ykema-King received her Kindermusik training through Kindermusik University in the fall of 2002 after 20 years of working in the manufacturing industry in customer service, training and documentation. Her expressive and graceful manner comes from many years as a dance teacher, choreographer and director at a dance school. She competed in professional dance competitions and trained students for amateur competitions; in many cases placing very well. During this time, Mrs. "Y-K" was honoured to receive the "Top Teacher" Ontario Region Award.

Always interested in the arts and drawn to music, Kindermusik has allowed Mrs. "Y-K" to pursue a life-long dream and satisfy her love of children and teaching. She discovered Kindermusik after reading an article in the newspaper about the Village with Seniors program and immediately registered her daughter, Serina, for classes. Serina, adopted from China early in 2002, helped Mrs. "Y-K" to realize she had a deep desire to make a difference in children’s lives and feels Kindermusik enables that to happen.

Mrs. "Y-K" resides in Cambridge with her husband, Wayne, and their beautiful little Serina.

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