Our wonderful volunteers!
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Connaught Public School
Cathy Doolan Georges Khalaf Vicki Kohse Morgan Mees Dmitri Ng Rosemary Scully Vincent Massey Public School Nicole Bergen Garrett Fairman Nina Hadžimustafić Libny Laele Promi Paul Manor Park Public School Juliahna Hill Jahnusha Shiraam Alison Wu |
York Street Public School
Katie Cardwell Nimi Durowaye Olivia Facchin Ashley Hagerman Monica Kim Emma McBride-Williams Alex McSween Clarissa Ngo Hannah Poisson Ava Rahimpour Antonia Romaninisn Sara Saba Emily Tran Bryan Marr Queen Elizabeth Public School Catherine Costain |
Our awesome executives!
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Co-Director
Tiffany Lau Computer Science How long have you been part of HCPP? This is my 3rd year with HCPP! Why did you want to join HCPP? In a nutshell, I wanted to join HCPP to help make music accessible to more children in our community. Music has been this amazing part of my life growing up, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to study music. I believe that every child should have this wonderful opportunity to discover music and to grow this potential passion. What do you want to accomplish in the position this year? My main objective this year is to build a stronger connection between our executive team, volunteers, and participating schools to keep providing the students with an unforgettable experience of discovering music through piano lessons and successfully expanding this program to reach more children in our community. What’s your favourite piano piece? I have many favourite piano pieces, but "River Flows in You" by Yiruma is one that means a lot to me. Your free time is usually spent… Hanging out with friends, crocheting small animals, playing the Chinese zither, and mostly daydreaming! |
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Co-Director
Laura Mardiros Biomedical Sciences How long have you been part of HCPP? This is my 3rd year! Why did you want to join HCPP? Music has been a huge part of my life. Growing up, I had the opportunity to take piano lessons. Through these lessons, I not only learned how to play an instrument but also important life skills such as patience, discipline and using constructive criticism as a way to better myself. Playing piano was also my favourite way to unwind and deal with stress. I joined HCPP because I would like to be able to offer this same luxury to other children, in a more accessible way. What do you want to accomplish in the position this year? My goal is to fully learn the ropes to be as good of a co-director as possible next year (as I'm currently in training). I hope to be able to ensure that the executive team members all feel comfortable in their roles and apart of a team. I also hope to be able to achieve whatever goals my students will want to take on, whether it be learning a longer piece or being able to read a few notes. What is a fun musical fact about yourself? My favourite composer is Ludovico Einaudi. Your free time is usually spent… Read or hike! |
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Fundraising Officer
Kayla Young Bachelor of Commerce How long have you been part of HCPP? This is my first year with HCPP. Why did you want to join HCPP? Music has always been a very strong outlet that has helped me to escape from the many anxieties of life. I joined HCPP so I can help bring that same joy of music and positive outlet into other children's lives. What do you look forward to most? I'm really looking forward to hosting engaging fundraising events that can get the whole community involved in this amazing initiative. What is a fun musical fact about yourself? I actually started playing clarinet as part of a joke about my Squidward obsession, but I ended up really enjoying it and now I've been playing in school bands and community orchestras for the past eight years. Your free time is usually spent... Over quarantine last year I got really into baking cheesecake and so I've spending a lot of my free time testing out new flavours. |
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Graphic Designer
Miranda Charles Masters in Spanish How long have you been part of HCPP? 7th year in HCPP Why did you want to join HCPP? I joined the HCPP in my first year to get back in touch with piano. Now, as I am in my Masters I'm proud to say that I have been with the club for 7 years as the graphic designer and this year will also be taking on the role of the director of communications. What do you want to accomplish in the position this year? I hope to continue designing for the HCPP and create new initiatives to help the program grow. What’s your favourite piano piece? Claude Debussy's Arabesque No.1 (Click here to listen) Your free time is usually spent… Painting and listening to music. Generally with a cup of tea in my hand! |
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School Coordinator - York Street Public School
Clarissa Ngo Biomedical Science How long have you been part of HCPP? This is my 2nd year with HCPP. Why did you want to join HCPP? My own exposure to music & piano as a child has given me a lifelong hobby that still has such a positive impact on my life now. I joined HCPP to help share the benefits of music education with children that may not otherwise have access to it! What do you want to accomplish in your position this year? I hope to plan more events to raise funds for the program, and use these events as an opportunity to promote the program to more university students! What is your favourite piano piece? Chopin - Waltz Op.69 No.2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOhr9DH0L3M) Your free time is usually spent... Hanging out with friends, studying, reading, or going to the gym! |
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School Coordinator - Vincent Massey & Manor Park Public Schools
Alison Wu Translational & Molecular Medicin How long have you been part of HCPP? This is my second year with HCPP! Why did you want to join HCPP? I joined HCPP to share my love for music with others! I started in the club as a piano teacher in 2019, and I am now coordinating piano programs at two schools. What do you want to accomplish in your position this year? This year, I hope to organize virtual piano lessons to give young students in our community an opportunity to engage in music education despite the ongoing pandemic. What is a fun musical fact about yourself? Aside from the piano, I also played the clarinet for seven years. Your free time is usually spent... I love reading, doing yoga, going on walks, and trying new foods! |
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Hospital Program Co-Director
Katie Cardwell Population Health PhD Candidate How long have you been part of HCPP? This will be my 6th year with HCPP. Why did you want to join HCPP? Piano was a huge part of growing up for me so I'm excited to share it with others. What do you look forward to most? I'm most looking forward to seeing students discover confidence and explore their curiosity in music! What is a fun musical fact about yourself? While I spend most of my time playing classical piano, I also love jazz and grew up playing trombone and piano in my schools' jazz bands! Your free time is usually spent... I spend my free time baking, reading and running the beautiful trails we have here in Ottawa. |
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Hospital Program Co-Director
Sandra Fang Translational & Molecular Medicine How long have you been part of HCPP? 2 years, going on 3! Why did you want to join HCPP? I joined HCPP because music has always been an instrumental part of my life. I believe that music is truly such a beautiful form of expression and can serve as therapy for many. Everyone deserves the opportunity to have access to musical education and HCPP offers just that! What do you look forward to most? I am most looking forward to starting in my new role, collaborating with the executive team, and seeing what the hospital program is able to accomplish this academic year given the circumstances presented by the pandemic. What is a fun musical fact about yourself? My favourite piano piece is Experience by Ludovico Einaudi (I listen to it all the time when I study)! Your free time is usually spent... I love to learn new piano pieces, watercolour paint, go on hikes, watch documentaries, spend time with family and friends, and volunteer in the community! |
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School Coordinator - Connaught Public School
Rosemary Scully Honours Biology How long have you been part of HCPP? Three years. Why did you want to join HCPP? When I came to university, I missed the music part of my life and HCPP gives me the opportunity to enjoy playing and teaching music/piano again. What do you look forward to most? What I look forward to most in the club is the chance to expose people to the joy of learning music/piano (as a piano teacher volunteer). I also look forward to helping organize the opportunity for other volunteers to pass along their enjoyment of music to others (as a school coordinator). What is a fun musical fact about yourself? In high school, I played the alto saxophone in a jazz and concert band. Your free time is usually spent... I enjoy reading books and going swimming in my free time. |
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Vocal Program Coordinator
Bryan Marr Biomedical Science How long have you been part of HCPP? 3 years. Why did you want to join HCPP? I joined because music lessons l had such a positive impact on my childhood and I love helping provide that experience for our students. What do you want to accomplish in your position this year? This year I want to do what is safest for the school community this year. What is a fun musical fact about yourself? I love performing exciting shows with different music, instruments and fashion. Your free time is usually spent... I enjoy listening to music and going for walks in park! |
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Communications Officer
Hannah Poisson Biomedical Science How long have you been part of HCPP? For 2 years! Why did you want to join HCPP? I joined HCPP initially to be a piano teacher volunteer, because I love teaching and I wanted to share my love of music with students :) What do you look forward to most? I am now excited to be taking a leadership role within the club this year and further promote this amazing program! What is a fun musical fact about yourself? My favourite piano piece is October by Tchaikovsky! Your free time is usually spent... I love writing, working out and hanging out with friends :) |
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Communications Officer
Nada Naser Honours Communication & Political Science How long have you been part of HCPP? This is my first year! Why did you want to join HCPP? Music has and continues to enjoy an important place in my life. It is a source of discipline, patience, and comfort. I wanted to play a part in providing a similar experience to other kids, while contributing to a like-minded group of people! What do you look forward to most? I look forward to enhancing HCPP's outreach on social media and improving the connection between the executive team members and volunteers. What is a fun musical fact about yourself? I play piano four hands and love to sing! Your free time is usually spent... I enjoy hiking, community volunteering, reading, and of course, playing or listening to music. |
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Senior Advisor
Valeria Dimitrova Masters of Arts in Music How long have you been part of HCPP? Ten years and counting! Why did you want to join HCPP? To educate and empower kids in underserved communities through music and mentorship What do you want to accomplish in the position this year? Help our program flourish. This year will be particularly challenging as we figure out the logistics of adapting our piano lessons to online format due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. What’s your favourite piano piece? "Idylle" by Emmanuel Chabrier (Click here to listen!) Your free time is usually spent… When I'm not studying or spending time with family, I love learning new things! Lately I've really enjoyed listening to expert reviews ranging from relationships to the quality of British accents in films. |
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Senior Advisor
Nina Hadžimustafić MD Program How long have you been part of HCPP? 7 years. Why did you want to join HCPP? I initially joined because I was passionate about the mission to break down financial barrier to accessing musical education, but now I hope to help the team look through an even more intersectional lens to help break down further barriers to accessing piano and voice lessons. What do you want to accomplish in the position this year? This year my goal is to successfully expand our program to tackle not only financial-based accessibility in music, but also health-related accessibility in order to increase the network of individuals that can experience playing piano. What is a fun musical fact about yourself? My favourite piano piece is June Barcarolle by Tchaikovsky, but Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C# Minor and Chopin's Scherzo No. 2 give it a run for its money! Your free time is usually spent… In my free time, I like to compose music (usually to procrastinate studying)! |
