Our Faculty

Joy Yin | Jason Yan | Jade Hails |Katherine Carteri
Adrianna La Chimea | Marco Walraven | Hugo Rigby
George Halpern | Karla Dionio | Letizia Pent | Chersea Laing
Sarah Jay Cawston | Kelsey Luo | Chris King

Joy Yin

Joy is a joyful musician who permeates her energy through every inch of the classroom. She is classically trained in RCM and ABRSM on piano. Her goal is to establish a friendship between the piano and students, while securing solid techniques on the way. Joy, just like her name, it is who she is, it is what she brings. She works with beginner to advanced piano students, and also happily welcomes beginner to intermediate clarinet students to take lessons with her.

She can teach in both English and Mandarin.

Jason Yan

Jason has taught Classical Voice and Pop Singing for over 8 years. He has his a unique teaching skillset which his students are sure to enjoy. Not only does he enjoy working with beginner to advanced vocalists, some of his students have actually gone on to become professional singers, under his guidance, and have been signed by local recording companies! Jason welcomes beginner, intermediate or advanced vocalists to his classroom. He can teach piano to a grade 8 RCM level, and guitar to an intermediate level.

He speaks and teaches in both Cantonese and English.

Jade Hails

Through determination and curiosity, Jade has came to Vancouver to generate more interest in percussion for students and audiences, providing them with further perspective on the craft of contemporary-classical music. Jade welcomes students ages 7 to adult to embark on, or continue, their rhythmic journey. He teaches drum kit, djembe, handpan, and vibraphones.

Katherine Carteri

Katherine (Kat) is very excited to join Pleasant Mountain Music as a Junior Instructor. She has been growing as a musician and instructor under the expert tutelage of teacher Chersea and is now ready to take on students of her own! She teaches voice lessons and beginner guitar to students aged 7 – 15.

Adrianna

Adrianna La Chimea is a Vancouver-based pianist with 15 years of experience playing classical piano including 4 years of jazz/pop piano. Adrianna is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Applied Music program at VCC studying classical piano with Emily Logan and jazz/pop piano with Sharon Minemoto. She welcomes beginner, intermediate, and advanced piano students in either Classical or Jazz piano into her classroom.

Adrianna is our travelling teacher, and makes weekly in-home visits on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Marco Walraven

Marco Walraven Diaz De Leon, is a multi instrumentalist currently finishing up a Bachelors of Applied Music at VCC majoring in Voice and minoring in piano and songwriting.

Marco teaches voice, piano, guitar, ukulele, and songwriting. Students of any age, from beginner to intermediate skill set are invited to join Marco to commence their music journey.

He can teach in both English and Spanish.

Hugo Rigby

Passionate from an early age for 6 strings, Hugo has been active in the music industry since 2013! Drawing on his touring and teaching experiences, Hugo inspires and encourages others to find their inner true-self voice and expression as an artist. He teaches acoustic and electric guitar, as well as beginner ukulele and beginner bass guitar.

George Halpern

George Halpern has forged his reputation as “Georgie Bones”, best known as a skilled blues guitarist, singer-songwriter and mean harmonica player. He’s performed all over Canada for audiences of one to one million! George teaches bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, ukulele, and harmonica. He is fluent in instructing most styles and genres and he welcomes students of any age or skill level to take lessons with him.

Karla Dionio

Karla is a big music enthusiast of all kinds, yet classical music has a special place in her heart. She is passionate about guiding her students on their journey with the violin and celebrating the little victories along the way. Karla welcomes students from kindergarten to seniors at all levels of study. She specializes in classical music, but also teaches beginner fiddle. She also leads PMM’s monthly Adult Violin Ensemble.

Letizia Pent

Letizia Pent, Italian pianist born in a musical family, has played as a soloist in several music festivals in Turin and Washington DC, where she was among the finalists during the Washington International Piano Competition and performed at the Kennedy Center. She is completing her doctorate in piano performance at the University of British Columbia. She welcomes students ages 5 to adult to take private lessons with her.

She teaches in both Italian and English.

Chersea Laing

Photo of Chersea

Chersea’s multilayered approach to music and the performing arts is unparalleled. She understands what it means to be an actor, a musician, a director, and a professional. Her real-life experience will provide a unique opportunity from which all her students can draw from. Chersea feels blessed to provide a creative learning space for young musicians and is committed to inspiring them to work hard to achieve their limitless aspirations.

She presently has a waitlist for vocal students, with preference given to those who are at an intermediate to advanced level of study, and/or those who are looking to go profession through our “Live to Play” stream.

Sarah Jay Cawston

Sarah is a great lover of music, and hopes to instill a sense of commitment and enjoyment to lessons as well as encourage self-expression in her students. She teaches piano to all ages and abilities, as well beginner to intermediate trumpet, French horn, Euphonium (brass instruments), theory, harmony, and history. She’s trained in Classical piano and trumpet (Royal Conservatory of Music), ABRSM), as well as rock and pop piano. For trumpet and brass, she welcomes concert band, jazz band, and RCM students.

She speaks and can teach in both English and French.

Photo of Sarah

Kelsey Luo

Kelsey Luo is a diverse musician who specializes in extreme vocals, as well as regular singing lessons and piano. She is passionate about seeing the growth within her students from when they start their first lesson, to the progress they make throughout their music journey. She works with beginner to advanced students of any age.

She can teach in both English and Mandarin.

Chris King

Mr. Chris King is a longtime musician with extensive performance experience both locally, and internationally. His bass guitar playing landed him several opportunities to tour BC, Canada, and South Africa. These days he is enjoying learning to play some more instruments, including piano, and has several new music projects in the works. Chris is our affable host of several studio events including Sing-a-Long night, Drop-In Karaoke nights, and Private parties.

Photo of Chris

Banksy

Photo of Banksy, the studio dog

Banksy is the studio puppers. He likes long walks, smelling things, and fetching. He doesn’t see very well, so on your first visit you may hear him bark from the top of the stairs: that’s him saying “hi! I heard you come in!”