B.Mus (McGill)

Emma Rowlandson-O’Hara is from Salt Spring Island, BC, where she began studying trumpet with Dawn Hage. She went on to obtain a Bachelor of Music from McGill University, where she studied with Russell DeVuyst and Edward Carroll. Now based in Toronto, Emma is a member of the Vox Aeris Brass Trio, The Achromatics (a Pop/Latin superband), Groove Marmalade, and freelances with several chamber, pop, and orchestral ensembles in the GTA. She arranges music (from Brian Eno to RJD2) in various instrumental combinations. Emma’s interests in literature, plainchant, personality, and history allow her to continuously enter into form and value to new depths.

Get to know Emma…Beyond the Bio!

Hobbies: Reading, singing, writing, cycling, podcasts

Musical influences: Maurice Andre, Alison Balsom, Sergei Nakariakov, Mark Gould

Favourite food: Vietnamese

Least favourite food: Raisins

Favourite music: Polyphony, chant, modal, electronica, folk

Favourite song: Parsifal (Claudio Chieffo), All the Diamonds in the World (Bruce Cockburn)

Favourite movie: Traffic (2000)

Favourite movie music: Her (2013)

Favourite musical theatre/opera: The Fiddler on the Roof

Best quote from your teacher: “Just tongue and blow! Why are you making this complicated?!” (Russell DeVuyst)

“Forte doesn’t mean loud; it means beautiful. Fortissimo is more beautiful.” (Edward Carroll)

Favourite quote: “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” (Alexandr Solzhenitsyn)

Favourite book: Laurus (Eugene Vodolozkin)

Best thing about teaching at ABC: The cohesive intent to bring music back into the family and our schools, and thus the vernacular of our existence in community.