Faculty Biographies

Rik Emmett - www.rikemmett.com
Rik Emmett has a fair share of gold and platinum hanging on the wall after surviving more than three decades in the music biz. International notoriety as the lead singer/songwriter/guitarist with hard rockers Triumphgained him entry into some Halls of Fame, and Rik also garnered a few Best Guitarist awards in various categories from ‘81 to '05.  Ever-evolving, he managed to snag the Canadian Best Smooth Jazz Duo and Album Of The Year awards in '06 for his role in Strung-Out Troubadours, then launched a new blistering hard rock band called Airtimeworldwide in November of ‘07. The singer/songwriter at the heart of it all has nothing to prove except a continuing commitment to the dignity and maturity of great music. Rik is also a music educator of long-standing with Humber College in Toronto. Holding true to his dreams of the magic power of the music, and sharing this with every audience and every classroom, Rik is the Artistic Director of the Humber Songwriting Workshop.

Blair Packham - www.blairpackham.com
Wanting to emulate the witty and emotional music of heroes John Prine and Steve Goodman, Blair Packham began writing songs as a teenager in the 1970s. He was also influenced by the punk and New Wave sounds of Elvis Costello, Jules and the Polar Bears and XTC and formed a rock band he called The Jitters in 1981. With that band, Blair wrote or co-wrote five Canadian hits between 1987 and 1991, including “Last of the Red Hot Fools” and “’Til the Fever Breaks”. The Toronto Star called Everything That’s Good, his solo 2001 debut, “superbly-crafted...tuneful, honest, sharp-witted, and performed with style and confidence”. The followup Blair Packham CD, “Could’ve Been King”, appeared in 2004, also to critical acclaim. Currently, Blair has a flourishing career creating music for TV and film. Global Television, Discovery Channel, TSN, MuchMusic and YTV are just a few of his past clients. A songwriting educator as well, Blair is the Program Director of the Humber Songwriting Summer Workshop.

Christopher Ward - www.songwriters.ca
Christopher Ward has written songs for Diana Ross, Hilary Duff, Wynonna Judd, Meredith Brooks, Tina Arena, Amanda Marshall, Colin James, Roch Voisine and many others. His best-known song is the worldwide # 1 hit for Alannah Myles, “Black Velvet”. Previously, Ward was a member of the Second City Touring Company, based in Toronto. In 1984, as Canada’s first ‘VJ’, he helped launch MuchMusic, where he interviewed artists as diverse as Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel and Tina Turner. In 2002, Ward was featured in ‘Austin Powers - Goldmember’ in the group Ming Tea, alongside Susanna Hoffs, Matthew Sweet and Mike Myers. For the first two seasons, Ward contributed songs to the soundtrack of the Epitome Pictures/ CTV hit series ‘Instant Star’. Recently, he’s been developing the career of new Montreal rock artist Lindsay Robins, whose debut CD was released on Aquarius Records in September ‘06 He’s still working on the great rock n’ roll novel.

Shari Ulrich - www.shariulrich.com
Shari was first heard in the early 70’s with the Pied Pumkin which was perhaps the first Canadian Independent – releasing two LP’s on their own Squash Records.   She then joined the Juno Award winning Hometown Band where she penned her first song “Feel Good” which became one of the group’s most successful singles.  After six solo albums of original songs (earning another Juno) as well as two with Ulrich/Henderson/Forbes (UHF), and several more with Pied Pumkin, Shari feels she’s only just getting started.  Composer and producer of numerous themes, songs and scores for television and film, she has been nominated for both a Genie and a Leo for her work.  Last year the reunited Pied Pumkin released “Pumkids” which won the Candian Folk Music Award for Best Children’s album.  She continues to tour regularly both solo and with the Pied Pumkin and is often accompanied by her 18 year-old daughter Julia Graff on violin. Shari has been a songwriting educator for the past 16 years, including teaching Lyric & Libretto at UBC for past two years.  She also produces the popular Bluebird North songwriter series in Vancouver.

Ember Swift - www.emberswift.com              
Ember Swift is a Canadian artist and activist who performs alongside the amazingly talented Lyndell Montgomery. Generally as a duo (and sometimes with additional players), they perform approximately 150 dates a year bringing their politically-charged music to stages across Canada, the U.S. and Australia. They have just launched their tenth release entitled "The Dirty Pulse" [Few'll Ignite Sound, 2006.] Their music (performed in both English & French) sounds like: "The bilingual love child of Paul Simon and Laurie Anderson who is being raised by Joan Jett." Ambitious, quirky, funny, passionate: these words also describe the music of Ember Swift.

Fergus Hambleton - www.fergushambleton.com
A fixture on the Canadian music scene for the last four decades, Fergus Hambleton is a versatile singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist. Fergus’ musical career began in the 1960s in Toronto’s famed Yorkville and then in the 70s, he went on to produce two solo albums for Capitol Canada. These folk-rock albums, All The Right Noises and Town of Fergus were instant successes, with a hit single, “Ice on the Road,” quickly climbing the Canadian radio charts. A third album, Fergusongs, was recorded for the independent label Axe Records. In the early 1980s, a chance meeting with legendary Jamaican musician Jo Jo Bennett began a lifelong musical partnership that has earned them a unique place in Canada’s rich musical tapestry. The unique Bennett/Hambleton partnership forms the core of their ever-popular reggae band the Sattalites, and they continue their journey peppered with numerous high-profile concert events, six albums, two Juno Awards and a host of national and international awards and accolades. Currently living in Toronto, Fergus has a busy teaching and performing schedule.

James Linderman - www.theharmonyhouse.ca
A songwriter, producer and music educator, James Linderman lives and works at theharmonyhouse, a music lesson, songwriting and recording preproduction facility in Newmarket, Ontario. In 2006 James was selected for a 20 member, international, off campus, academic advisory board for Berkleemusic known as Berkleemusic Ambassadors which advises Berklee administrators and professors on issues such as learning management systems, online course strategies, and curriculum based technologies. In the summer of 2007 James was named Berkleemusic’s Worship Music Advisor. In 2004, 2005, and 2006 EOSC Alumni Association determined that James was the most widely read academic music journalist in the world with columns and articles in over 300 national and international music association publications. James had two Top Ten singles on Canadian Christian radio in 2006 and 2007 and signed a single song publishing deal with Next Number One Music Publishing in Nashville. He pitches songs regularly to Warner Music Canada. James has a Canadian University and American College education in music theory, composition, and journalism and is also pretty good at playing the guitar and making up songs.

Terence Gowan
Terence is a master musician, skilled at the piano keyboard but also at bass and guitar. For years, he toiled as bass player/Stick player with his brother, Lawrence Gowan, performing across North America. A songwriter of many years’ standing, he is also a product of the York University (Toronto) Music program who uses that training to analyze and critique the songs of others. An unabashed Beatles fan, Terence can get to the heart of the “magic” of any song, and explain it in a way that you’ll understand.

Emm Gryner - www.emmgryner.com
A songwriter, singer and recording artist with several albums to her credit, Emm was awarded the Canadian Music Publishers’ Association songwriting scholarship early in her career and went on to win The Mix 99.9 National Songwriting Contest. Emm was nominated in the Best New Artist category at the Juno Awards, and later nominated twice for Best Pop Album. Emm was nominated for Best Toronto Musician (Eye Magazine) and most recently, for Best Songwriter at the Canadian Folk Music Awards for her album “The Summer of High Hopes”. In the 20th Anniversary edition of the British monthly Q Magazine, U2’s Bono included Gryner's 'Almighty Love' as one of the songs of the last 20 years that he wishes he had written. Emm has toured and collaborated with Jann Arden, Ron Sexsmith, The Cardigans, Josh Ritter, Rufus Wainwright, Kate McGarrigle and many others. She toured in David Bowie’s band and appears on the live disc “Bowie At The Beeb” recorded live at BBC in London. In addition, Emm has lent her voice and sometimes piano to recent albums by Def Leppard, Rob Zombie and Matt Nathanson.

Guests Biographies 

Dala – www.dalagirls.com
Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther formed DALA soon after their first meeting in their high school music class. In the summer of 2005 these best friends signed a major label deal with Universal Music Canada and their debut album 'Angels and Thieves' was released that same year. With vocal harmonies guaranteed to give you chills, the girls also make use of their talents on guitar and piano to create their unique brand of acoustic pop. Dala has won over audiences at festivals across the country, and their fun and energetic stage presence made them a hit on their recent tours opening for Tom Cochrane and Matthew Good. Dala’s second full-length album with Universal Music, entitled 'Who Do You Think You Are' was released in the summer of 2007.

Eddie Schwartz - www.myspace.com/eddieschwartz & www.songwriters.ca
Currently Acting President of the Songwriters Association of Canada, Eddie Schwartz is best known for writing such classic hit songs as "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" recorded by Pat Benatar, "Don't Shed A Tear" by Paul Carrack, "The Doctor" by the Doobie Brothers and “When There’s Time For Love” by Lawrence Gowan. As a songwriter, he has had over two hundred songs recorded and performed by artists such as Joe Cocker, Carly Simon, Peter Frampton, Robert Palmer, Jeffrey Osborne, Donna Summer, Rita Coolidge, Rascal Flatts, Amy Sky, April Wine, Matt Minglewood and Mountain among others. His worldwide sales are currently in excess of 30 million. A native of Toronto, Eddie has won numerous music industry awards including multiple Junos, BMI awards and SOCAN awards, and SOCAN's prestigious William Harold Moon award. He is also an artist in his own right and has released four albums which have garnered international acclaim and top 30 singles in the United States.

Alan Frew - www.alanfrew.com
A five-time Juno Award winner and Grammy nominee. Alan Frew is a twenty-year veteran of the Canadian music industry. He is a charismatic vocalist, with a truly captivating style and he is the voice of the internationally renowned recording group Glass Tiger. With them, he sold over 3 million albums worldwide. As a songwriter, Frew has written numerous Number One hits, including Someday, So Blind, I'm Still Searching and Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone. Alan is the recipient of four Canadian Classic Awards for songs each being played in excess of 100,000 airplays on Canadian radio.
Currently, his love of people and art has led him to writing a motivational book, mentoring young musicians--specifically a young solo artist called T (www.justtmusic.com)--painting, acting, writing a screenplay, launching a cartoon (www.fragg.com) and a clothing line (www.odwear.com). He remains strongly connected to charities for children.

Sam Reid - www.willowmusic.com
Willow Music was founded in 1994 by award-winning songwriter/artist, Sam Reid. As the keyboardist for the successful Canadian pop group Glass Tiger, Sam expanded his musical direction with the creation of his first instrumental series – Sanctuary – which was an unqualified success. Sam continues to create a unique selection of music exclusively for Willow Music, as well as performing with Glass Tiger on an on-going basis.

Arlene Bishop - www.arlenebishop.com
Funny, charming and highly respected in her hometown of Toronto, Arlene has opened for artists as diverse as Ani DiFranco, Barenaked Ladies, Bruce Cockburn, Dar Williams, Moxy Fruvous, Ron Sexsmith, Loudon Wainwright III, Barenaked Ladies, Jonatha Brooke, and the Beach Boys. She’s a singular songwriter, writing only for herself and to express her unique worldview. Her voice is also like no other, and she delights audiences everywhere she goes.

Mike Northcott - www.nelvana.com
A Music Supervisor with Nelvana Ltd, one of the world’s premier television animation producers, it is Mike’s job to find candidates to submit music and then shepherd those composers and songwriters through the process of making it “right” for a specific show. Themes, underscore, Mike does it all. He has a deep understanding of the place where television and music intersect, and this understanding is only enhanced by his being a musician and composer himself.

Paul Sanderson - www.sandersonlaw.ca
Paul Sanderson is a lawyer in private practice, specializing in arts and entertainment law. Sanderson Entertainment Law is an entertainment and arts law firm providing legal services concerning clients’ specific contractual matters, but also providing service and advice to clients concerning trade mark, copyright and corporate matters relevant to their business affairs. Paul is the country’s leading writer on legal aspects of Canadian music law and is the author and editor of Musicians and the Law in Canada, 3rd. Edition, a unique and practical text, providing a fully current overview of the law, contracts and the legal issues confronting musicians in Canada. The book also provides discussion of the various publishing and recording agreements and other contracts affecting musicians, and each is accompanied by a detailed checklist for negotiating and drafting the specific agreement. Paul is also a published poet, an accomplished photographer and a musician in the original blues band, Blue Room, of which he is the founder, lead guitarist and songwriter.

Dan Kershaw - www.socan.ca
Dan Kershaw brings a wealth of experience to his role as SOCAN Member Services Representative, including years in the concert business as a production coordinator at Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall, and a further period as music programming assistant at Harbourfront Centre. Member outreach and public speaking on behalf of SOCAN are special aspects of his job, aspects which keep him out and about at shows, seminars, and industry events. Dan is also on the board of the Songwriters Association of Canada. In addition, Dan writes and performs with the Juno-nominated alt-country group The Brothers Cosmoline.