Meet the
Teachers

Onnie Grissom, Piano

DMA, Piano Performance (University of Oklahoma)

Onnie is happy to be teaching all levels of piano to students at ABC Academy of Music. She is a graduate of St. John's College, Santa Fe, Baylor University, and earned her DMA in piano performance from the University of Oklahoma. She has played recitals, both collaborative and solo in numerous cities in the United States. Competitions include the J. S. Bach International Competition in Würzburg, Germany, as well as participation in music festivals in Beverly Hills, CA, Waco, TX, Seattle, WA and Vienna, Austria. She has served as an accompanist for Canterbury Youth Choruses of Oklahoma City, the Seattle Girl’s Choir, and as a faculty member at the Seattle Conservatory of Music as well as Bethel College, TN. She currently works as an accompanist for the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Northlea Middle School Choir, and also serves as a piano teacher at ABC Academy of Music.

Hobbies: Family, movies, books, exercise

Musical influences: J. S. Bach, Prince

Favourite food: Bavarian cream donuts

Least favourite food: Liver

Favourite music: Classical, pop, rock, electronic

Favourite song: The Beautiful Ones by Prince

Favourite movie: Children of Men

Favourite movie music: None!!!!!

Favourite theatre/opera: Don Giovanni

Favourite book: Marcel Proust, Remembrance of Things Past

Favourite quote: "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" ("This is not a pipe")

Best thing about teaching at ABC: The students.

Dr. Penny Johnson, Piano / Music Theory

DMA (Manhattan) , M.M. (Eastman), B.Mus (Eastman),
ARCT (RCM)

Penny is happy to be on the faculty at ABC and enjoys working with students of all ages and levels of abilities. In addition to having completed her studies in New York, Penny has performed on an international level both as a soloist and collaborative pianist. Her primary teachers include Constance Keene, Barry Snyder, and Jean Paul Sevilla. Penny is currently completing the Examiner Apprentice Program at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and is also a contributing author for The Glenn Gould Foundation in Toronto. In addition to ABC, she has taught at the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Long Island Conservatory, and the Amati Conservatory, and is in demand as an adjudicator and coach.

Favourite Pianists: Glenn Gould & Ignace Jan Paderewski

Favourite Song: Anything by the Carpenters

Favourite TV Shows: Mary Tyler Moore & I Love Lucy

Best thing about teaching at ABC: ABC respects, appreciates, and celebrates the achievements of both its students and teachers. This is an ideal environment in which to study music, and a great place to feel good about ones self.

Favourite thing a music teacher ever told you: "D-minor is the saddest of all keys." - Dr. Steve Laitz, Eastman School of Music

Arthur Kerekes, Piano/Saxophone

Arthur is a 2008 Juno Nominated saxophonist with the band God Made Me Funky which he created at the age of 17 with some school friends. 10 years later the band has received critical acclaim including a 2008 Juno Award nomination for Best Soul/R&B recording and Toronto Independent music Award for best Urban act. The band has also had their songs featured in several television commercials including Coors Light, and Parmalat Milk (using a song written by Arthur). God Made Me Funky under Arthur’s co-leadership has gone from a small time cover band to a well known Canadian, Juno Nominated Recording Artist. The band has a grueling domestic touring schedule including dates in the US and UK.

Arthur has also performed with and done recordings for many artists including Divine Brown, Hayden Neale (JackSoul), Bedouin Soundclash, Guru (Gangstarr/Jazzmatazz), Nick “Brownman” Ali, Andy Kim, Chops Horns (Sting/Chaka Kahn/Alicia Keys), Afrika Baambata, Elizabeth Shepard, Treasa Levasseur, Ciara Adams and many more. Arthur is also the in house saxophonist at the Hive Studios as well as Moonraker Studios in Toronto, Canada where he plays on many commercial jingles. Arthur recently did a recording for the prestigious Motown Records for a new artist they signed by the name of “LeeAnn Akers” to be released in 2009 as well as for an Artist under Jermaine Dupris’ SoSoDef Records for internet sensation “Dondria” . Arthur's next big gig will be an internationally televised performance with his band "God Made Me Funky" at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Arthur started his studies at the age of 9 with world renowned classical Saxophonist, Paul Brodie after being inspired to pick up the sax after seeing Clint Eastwood's biopic about Charlie Parker titled ‘Bird’. Arthur studied with Paul Brodie until the age of 15 at which point he became interested in improvising, jazz, and popular music. By the age of 17 Arthur was studying with Mike Murley and making an income playing gigs with local R&B bands. Arthur has shared his love of music, the Saxophone, the Akai EWI, and the music business with schools across Ontario. He has organized concerts for schools where bands he plays with perform and do master-classes for the students. This is a unique opportunity for students to speak to an inspiring young professional musician who is really involved not only in the making of music but the business of music.

Arthur’s most recent venture has been the start-up of talent booking agency Fusion Events. With the incredible musicians and bands Arthur has had the pleasure of working with over the years he has assembled an all-star cast of a roster that books strictly for high end private events.

Still under 30, Arthur has recorded on international recordings for major labels including Motown Records, travelled much of the world, and started his own successful talent agency.

Hobbies: Cooking, writing music, spending time with my family

Musical influences:Michael Brecker, Maceo, Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Parker, Lewis Taylor

Favourite food: Anything Mexican!!!

Least Favourite food: Seafood

Favourite music: It's gots to be funky!

Favourite song: God Made Me Funky

Favourite movie: Anything that has characters with super powers.

Favourite movie music: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Favourite musical theatre/opera: Carmen

Best quote from a teacher: "practice makes perfect"

Favourite quote: "When you assume you make and "ass" out of "you and me"

Favourite book: Sidhartha

Best thing about teaching at ABC: The students rock!

Mahsa Maddahian, Cello/Piano

M.Mus (U of T), ACP (U of T), B.Mus (Komitas Conservatory)

Mahsa Madahian was born in 1978 in Tehran - Iran. Her musical education started when she entered the Tehran Music School at the age of twelve. After 7 years of studying she received the music diploma majoring in Cello Performance. She moved to Yerevan - Armenia in 1996 and continued her education at The Komitas Music Conservatory and graduated with honors in cello performance. In 2000, Tehran Music University invited Mahsa to teach cello and chamber music. At around the same time, she took up the cellist position with the Tehran Trio. During this period she performed several recitals and chamber music concerts in Iran and Armenia. Mahsa performed as a soloist with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, Arasbaran String Orchestra, Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra and Armenian String Virtuosi Ensemble. In 2004 after migrating to Canada, Mahsa Madahian attended the University of Toronto and obtained an Advanced Certificate in Performance program. In 2005 she began University of Toronto's Master in Cello Performance program and is now preparing to start her Doctorate in Cello Performance at U of T. Since 2004 she has performed with many different orchestras and ensembels including Toronto Philharmonia, Koffler Chamber Orchestra, where she is the principal cellist. You may also find her playing at chamber music performances as well as various solo concerts in Toronto and beyond.

Hobbies: Video Games, Reading, Watching Movies

Musical influences: Shostakovitch!

Favourite food: Sushi, Pizza

Least favourite food: Eggplant

Favourite music: Classical, Baroque, Jazz

Favourite song: The way you look tonight

Favourite movie: Kill Bill

Favouirite movie music: Harry Potter, Kill Bill

Favourite musical theatre/opera: West Side Story, Avenue Q

Best quote from your teacher: Donʼt tell me about what you canʼt!

Favourite quote: To be or not to be!

Favourite book: Harry Potter!

Best thing about teaching at ABC: Working with great people :-)