| This is Who | ||
| It should be obvious by now that I am, among other things, a horn player. I picked up the horn in 1972 at the age of 12 in the eighth grade. Though this was not my first musical endeavour. With a good Ukrainian name like Kowalchuk, I started my musical education at an early age taking accordian lessons when I was in grade school. I never progressed to the polka band stage, but at least I learned to read music.
I haven't quit the horn since, playing in all the bands and orchestras through high school (Including the dance band). Also during high school I played in the local Militia band as well as the community pops orchestra. Add to this every musical theatre production in town and I was a very busy young horn player. | ||
| '74 '76 '76-'78 - '76 '76 '77-'79 '77-'81 '77 '78 '78 - '79 '79 - |
Oshawa Little Theatre, Camelot O'Neil Collegiate, Li'l Abner Canadian Armed Forces Reserve, Ontario Regiment. Band and squadron, Corporal, 1st horn. Militia Summer Music Course. Advanced standing. Oshawa Little Theatre, Sound of Music Oshawa Civic Band. Alto (Tenor) horn. Musikids/Musikats, 1st horn, concert and stage bands. Excellence in year five music award, Donevan C. I. Whitby Choral Society Production, Vagabond King Dr. F. J. Donevan C.I. , Oshawa, Ontario. Secondary School Honour Graduation Diploma Whitby Choral Society Production, Pirates of Penzance Henry Street High School, Whitby, Ontario. Upgrade and additional courses | |
| From 1979 to '82 I attended Humber College in Toronto, Ontario. It was at Humber that I began a 15 year association with my very close friend and mentor Mr. Bramwell Smith. Bram was a contemporary of Donald Hunsberger in the U.S. Marine Band where they were both soloists. Just prior to teaching at Humber, Bram led the RCMP band in Ottawa. I returned to Humber in 1985, studying with James MacDonald of the Boss Brass and graduated with honours in Music in 1986. | ||
| '80-'84 '82-'88 '82 '82-'83 '83-'85 '84-'85 '85 '86 |
Esprit de Cor Singers, Director Member of Toronto Musicians' Association Studio recording, Master's Workshop Piano tuner / technician, Telep Piano Works Metropolitan Toronto Concert Band, horn/drum major 411 Air Reserve Squadron Band, horn/drum major Brampton Choral Society, Mikado Brampton Choral Society, Pirates of Penzance | |
| Beginning in 1978, I played almost constantly with Bram in the Air Force Reserve and several professional, community and university concert bands until his death in 1993. | ||
| '79-'82 '84-'85 '84-'86 '85-'86 '85-'87 '87-'88 '91 '92 |
Humber College of Applied Arts and Technology 411 Air Reserve Squadron Band, horn/drum major Oakville Concert Band Humber College of Applied Arts and Technology National Concert Band of Canada Bram Smith Concert Band York University Concert Band York University Concert Band | |
| My "real job" has been as a self-employed piano tuner/technician since 1982. This leaves me a fair bit of free time to persue my amateur music interests and teach a few horn students.
I currently play horn with the Pickering Concert Band, a brass quintet which I helped found called the Quintic Brass, the Durham Chamber Orchestra, the Clarington Concert Band, the Toronto Teacher's Wind Ensemble and I sometimes help out at the Brampton Concert Band. | ||
| '90- '92- '96- '97-'99 |
Pickering Concert Band, 1st horn Pickering Concert Band, Assistant Conductor Ajax-Pickering Community Orchestra Toronto Teachers' Wind Ensemble | |
| Pickering Concert Band | |
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