Meet Your R.H.M.A. Teachers
Michael McKenzie
Owner and Founder of Red House Music Academy
Guitar & Bass
Michael grew up in the small town of Medicine Hat, Alberta. He took guitar lessons from Tim Deis at “Tones and Tunes” music school and that changed his life forever. He thought, “wouldn’t it be amazing if I could some day play guitar for living?” This pursuit of all things guitars and rock ‘n roll, involved studying guitar briefly at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton, three years in Calgary teaching at Guitarworks, while playing in bands, and eventually ending up moving to Toronto in 1994. He landed a gig with Canadian band Universal Honey, and spent years touring North America as support for The Goo Goo Dolls, Wallflowers, The Tragically Hip, 54:40, Alanis Morissette, and various other touring acts stateside.
Though he still loved teaching, Michael always thought of having his own music school some day. This would involve a fresh new approach to teaching and inspiring students with the latest technology available. Incorporating recording, and a rehearsal space where students could play together as a band. Thus Red House was born in November of 2009.
In addition to teaching, and running Red House, Michael plays and records with Canadian music stalwarts, The Lowest of The Low, The New Mendicants featuring Joe Pernice (Scud Mountain Boys, Pernice Brothers), Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), and Mike Belitsky (The Sadies, Neko Case, The Good Brothers) as well as The Mick McKenzie Band, and Big Beat Corporation with Mark Holmes (Platinum Blonde) and session drummer Justin Kadis (Platinum Blonde, Yoko Casionos, The Mean).
Al Cross
Drums
Born in Montreal, 1953, Al has always loved the drums. He played in high school bands, inspired by local heroes The Rabble, and various bands of the day.
A life changing moment occurred as a result of a generous invitation from Art Blakey, one of the greatest drummers of all time. He and The Jazz Messengers were just about to start playing an outdoor concert when suddenly it began raining ‘cats and dogs’. The crowd went running for cover. Al and a small group of die hard music fans were left standing in the rain, staring up at the stage. Mr. Blakey motioned for this small pack to join him on stage, which was covered and dry.
Perched beside the drums, Al was treated to a life changing concert. After high school, equipped with a little Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell and a lot of Art Blakey in his heart, Al went on to study percussion with Pierre Beluse at McGill University while working with many of Quebec’s top performers such as Dianne Tell.
Devin Herbert
Voice and Piano
A versatile singer and pianist with experience in all styles of singing from pop/rock to musical theatre to classical, Devin is a dedicated teacher who believes that music can change lives.
Performing professionally since childhood, early credits include singing with Juno Award winning children’s entertainers Judy & David and making it to the Top 100 of Canadian Idol at the age of 17. In addition to teaching, Devin now works in both the theatre and classical music industries, singing regularly with the Mississauga Festival Choir, at Humber Valley United Church and performing in musicals (The Wedding Singer, La Cage Aux Folles, The Pansy Craze).
Devin has a Master’s Degree in Musical Theatre Performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, is a graduate of Randolph College for the Performing Arts, and trained in classical Piano and Theory with the RCM. With experience teaching all ages/skill levels, and a passion for making music lessons both fun and rewarding, Devin can help you meet your musical goals, whatever they may be!
Deanna Mann
Piano, Voice, Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Saxophone, Recording and Live Audio
Deanna grew up in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia where she followed in her family tradition of exploring music from a young age. Throughout her upbringing she had the opportunity to study and practice music in many forms, picking up a handful of different vocal styles and instruments in the process, including piano, bass, guitar, ukulele, tenor and alto saxophone, flute, and drums. Upon graduating high school, she attended St Francis Xavier University for jazz studies, majoring in voice. Soon after, she moved to Toronto and studied Musical Theatre at Randolph College for the Performing Arts, where she graduated in 2021. Deanna is proud to be a teacher, and grateful for the opportunity to grow and learn alongside her students.
Evan Sokolowski
Piano, Voice, Guitar & Ukulele
Evan is an actor and musician based in Toronto. He is a graduate of the Randolph College program, where he received a performing art diploma in musical theatre. He teaches voice, piano and ukulele. Evan was born in Toronto, and has always called the city home. Ever since he was young, he was involved in music. He has been involved in choirs, plays and musical performances all throughout school, and has continued with that in his professional career. He has performed at the Lower Ossington Theatre, Hart House, and has toured schools and theatres all across Ontario with Electric Moon and Big Kid Entertainment. Evan believes learning music is very important, and has enjoyed teaching with the Randolph Kids program, Electric Moon and at Rosedale Heights School of the Arts. He wants to find the areas of interest for his students, and help them grow to achieve the most of their potential!
Alie Babiak
Voice, Guitar, Ukulele, Songwriting and Piano
Alexandra Babiak is a singer and songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. She began studying music at three years old at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Mississauga, studying violin and voice, and was a member of the Mississauga Children’s Choir. In November 2017, she was an independent musician in residence at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, where she was mentored by Linda McRae, and subsequently attended a songwriting workshop in Nashville, Tennessee, June 2018 at her home. Alexandra has worked at Hazelton Place Retirement Residence as a musician in residence. She has worked with children and adults, including adults with Alzheimer’s disease. She has worked for Music Can Heal since 2018, a non-profit which provides music to those in need.
She has completed all of her Royal Academy of Dance Ballet exams. In 2011, she completed a diploma in dance and movement at École Superieure de Ballet Du Quebec. In 2011, she studied Theatre, voice and speech, and singing at American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. She received her Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of Toronto in June 2018. She has studied with teachers such as Beth Anne Cole, Brian Katz, and Stella Walker. She released her first EP “Luna”, on August 27th, 2017, which was recorded and produced by Calvin Love. Her first full length album was released January 18th, 2019, which was recorded and produced by James Gray. She has performed at festivals such as Canadian Music Week, Indie Week UK, and Northside Festival in Brooklyn, NY.
Aaron Knight
Drums and Percussion
Aaron has been studying and performing on drums, and other percussion instruments for over 35 years. Aaron has a depth of knowledge in many styles, from rock, pop, jazz, blues and beyond! His studies have included instruction at Drummers Collective in New York City, and with Jim Blackley, and Dave Weckl. Aaron’s performance experience is in diverse styles such as Musical Theatre (Mama Mia, Lion King) to Small Combo Jazz (Bob Mover, Glenn McDonald) to high volume Rock shows (Simply Saucer), and many others. He currently plays for 2017 Juno Award Winner, Paul Reddick.
Brendan Curry
Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Piano, Bass, Ukulele, Mandolin and Drums
Brendan’s accumulated over 12 years of teaching experience. In that time he’s consistently achieved great success helping people develop their natural talent and realize their musical goals.
As a versatile multi-instrumentalist (Piano, Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Drum Kit, Bass, Ukulele, Mandolin) Brendan is comfortable teaching a wide range of styles/genres and has experience working with all skill levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced).
For some, this could mean learning to strum the acoustic guitar with confidence so they can play their favourite songs at backyard barbecues, or for others, it might mean developing their skills and knowledge to the point where they can audition for admission to specialized post-secondary music programs such as McGill, U of T or Berkeley.
Whatever your musical motivation might be, Brendan has the skills and experience to help you meet and then exceed your expectations!
Studying RCM piano as a kid provided Brendan with a strong musical foundation and fostered a deep curiosity and appreciation for music. This inspired him to learn more about the great musicians of our time and also to expand his abilities by learning how to play a variety of different instruments.
From Beethoven to the Beatles, Sinatra to Snoop Dogg, Folk to Funk, he appreciates the many valuable lessons that can be learned by remaining open minded to a variety of musical styles.
In terms of a teaching approach, he believes in positivity and patience while keeping things energetic, supportive and fun. He also encourages creativity, collaboration and a healthy sense of humour.
While having fun is obviously important, Brendan also strives to emphasize the importance of strong fundamentals, theory and good technique.
Additionally, he believes in the value of establishing fair and manageable expectations. Agreeing and committing to reasonable goals can serve as a source of motivation as well as a means of tangibly measuring and celebrating progress! This can really be helpful in terms of a student developing confidence on their chosen instrument.
Because music is such a universal, human pursuit, it stands to reason that there truly is some musical ability residing inside all of us. It’s up to the individual how or whether they choose to develop it. As the saying goes, “Practice Makes Progress!”
Annie Wang
Piano and Voice
Annie is a Toronto based actor and musician. She started her musical training through studying RCM voice and piano. She then studied at Randolph College of the Performing Arts where she received a performing arts diploma in musical theatre.
Annie loves teaching all ages and all genres of music from classical repertoire to pop. She has worked at a number of music schools and enjoys music directing productions for both children and adults.
She believes music should be an opportunity for students to explore their creativity and have fun while also building a solid technique and musicianship.
Some of Annie favourite credits include Little Women and Ride the Cyclone.
Annie is also a founding member of a Toronto based indie theatre company called The Playhouse Collective.