School Ties - St. Michaels University School

Transcription

SPRING 2014 • ST. MICHAELS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL
School
The
Music
Issue
Emily Reid ’09, Brian Christensen ’11,
Ian Chen ’07 and Jayne Hammond ’08
on studying music at university
Never Had a Day Job
John Reid
It’s a Hard Rock Life
Three career musicians talk
about the challenges and
triumphs of life as a pro
Our band director on
25 years of music
memories at SMUS
Bryce Soderberg ’98 on
touring, his 15-year reunion
and mainstream success
Join us for the 2014 Alumni & Friends
Golf Invitational
September 8, 2014
Victoria Golf Course
Register Online: www.smus.ca/golf
Thanks to our 2013 golfers!
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1. Justin Stephenson ’80, Cathy Stephenson, Heidi Edgar and Blair Nelson ’97 2. Catherine Dorazio and Mickael Schmitt 3. John White,
Nick Grant ‘84, Beau Beauchamp and Gisèle Di Iorio 4. Jill Knudsen ‘04 5. Blair Hagkull, Tracey Hagkull, Vanessa Keeler Young ‘84 and Steve
Keeler 6. Danielle Topliss ‘91, Michelle Driscoll, Joan Snowden and Barbara Duncan 7. Susanna Crofton ’80 8. Mat Geddes ‘93 9. Tyler
Barkely, Faiz Ahmad, Michael Murgatroyd and Ted Balderson ‘82 10. Peter Johnston 11. Niko Mavrikos ‘07, Yianni Mavrikos ‘07, Jesse Kliman
‘07 and Craig Bryden 12. Lindsay Brooke
School Ties is distributed to more than
5,000 members of the St. Michaels
University School community, including
current families, friends, and current and
past staff and students. The goal
of the publication is to communicate
activities and initiatives and provide
articles and reports on the alumni
community. If you have any comments or
suggestions regarding this publication,
please email [email protected].
Published by the Advancement Office
St. Michaels University School
3400 Richmond Road
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada V8P 4P5
Telephone: 250-592-2411
Admissions: 1-800-661-5199
Email: [email protected]
School Ties magazine and archive
copies can be found in the publications
section of the school website:
www.smus.ca/pubs
If you are interested in attending alumni
events, visit the online Calendar of Events
at alumni.smus.ca.
Editors: Erin Anderson, Laura Authier,
Gillian Donald ’85, Peter Gardiner,
Darin Steinkey
Contributors: Erin Anderson,
Laura Authier, Gary Barber,
Gillian Donald ’85, Nicole Edgar ’07,
Peter Gardiner, Dorothy Hawes,
Ian Hyde-Lay, Bob Snowden,
Darin Steinkey, Brenda Waksel,
Rob Wilson and SMUS community
members. We apologize for any
omissions.
Photos: Erin Anderson, Stephanie
Anter, Mark Catto, Gordon Chan,
Gillian Donald ‘85, Mat Geddes ‘93,
Peter Gardiner, Alex Gillett, Harumi
Hart, Kent Leahy-Trill, Richard Primrose,
Josh Semrok, Darin Steinkey, Mark
Sudul, Dan Thompson, Mandy Wiltshire
Contents
2 The Nature of Music
Bob Snowden on music seen and heard.
3 Highlights from
the SMUS Review
News stories from all three campuses
published on the SMUS Review.
5 Athletics Highlights
Sports highlights from April to
December 2013.
7 Arts Highlights
Arts highlights from April to
December 2013.
9 A Lasting Legacy
The life of Christine Duke ’86.
10 John Reid: A Finale
The band director looks back
on 25 years of music at SMUS.
12 An Education in Music
Four music majors describe their postsecondary experiences and future plans.
On the cover: Emily Reid ’09
19 It’s a Hard Rock Life
Rock star Bryce Soderberg ’98 on
touring internationally and the evolution
of the music industry.
21 The Amazing
Ann Makosinski
Our Google Science Fair winner
met up with Andrew Lampard ’02
after her Tonight Show appearance.
22 The Class of 2013
Find out where our newest group of alumni
are spending their first year after SMUS.
24 Distinguished Alumnus
16 Never Had a Day Job
Douglas Freeman ’88 is recognized.
A jazz musician, classical violist and
trombonist on the realities of a career
in music.
25 Alumni Receptions
Connecting with alumni from Tokyo
to London.
26 Alumni Updates
News from our alumni around the world.
Design and Layout: Reber Creative
Printed in Canada W
by Hillside Printing Ltd., Victoria, BC
Cover photo: Erin Anderson
School Ties - Spring 2014 • 1
This issue of School Ties was printed on Opus Dull recycled paper made with 30%
post-consumer waste and bleached without the use of chlorine. By selecting this paper,
St. Michaels University School has saved 4 trees, 436 gal of water, 569 kilowatt hours of
electricity, 720 lbs of greenhouse gases, 3 lbs of HAPs, VOCs and AOX combined, one
cubic yard of landfill space, and 583 miles travelled in the average North American car.
HEAD of SCHOOL
The Nature of
by Bob Snowden
M
Music
ore than once I have stood alone in the Junior School
music room. Along one wall, the cellos and basses are lined up.
A piano sits off centre, ready for students to gather around it on
the floor. Violins, black cases and bows lean at less than careful
angles in their slots. The room is silent but it is far from empty:
the atmosphere strains like a swollen balloon.
Soon, students will pick these instruments up. If it is
September, and these students are in Grade 4, many of them will
pick up a violin for the first time. They will learn how to hold it
under their chins, how to curl their fingers over the neck. Every
single one of them will run his or her fingers over the smooth
wood whose physics they may one day
discover, when they are twice the size they
are now. However, understanding the
physics won’t explain their experience of
the violin.
We want them to love their music,
but some of their learning will be hard.
Their first concert will be a clinic in the
fundamentals. Although their teacher
Mrs. Smith might wish for better attention at this concert,
these nine-year-olds have probably never focused more intently
on anything in their lives. I have listened to more of their first
concerts than I can count. Some of their parents will have tears
in their eyes; they can hardly believe the sound their children
are making. It is music.
They have been singing for some time. The bell choir has
produced sounds with something other than their voices. Mrs.
Goodman and Mr. Frater have done their part to introduce
them to the beginnings of rigour – singing or playing notes
together, in time, even in harmony. The miracle of the Grade 5
opera will deepen the notion that hard work and repetition can
transform telling a story.
I have also stood, alone, in the quiet of the Middle School
strings room and band room. In Grade 6, Mr. Farish will bring
brass and woodwinds into the students’ musical world. Jazz
happens, and contemporary musical theatre will once again
take centre stage. The Middle School strings ensemble will be
quite polished and Mrs. Smith will have to do much less tuning
of violins. By Grade 9, some will have settled into a preference,
perhaps for concert band or choir, while others will continue to
play multiple instruments.
I don’t haunt empty music halls but
a few years ago I did stand in the band,
strings and choral rooms in Schaffter
Hall before it opened. The rooms
have lofty, beamed ceilings and grainy
panelled walls. This building voices the
scale and quality of our music program.
While Ms. Williams, Mr. Butterfield
and Mr. Clements (and, before him,
Mr. Reid) conduct much of the music here, Schaffter Hall is
very much a building that the students own, and where they
feel at home.
Orchestras, choirs, concert bands – more musicians than
you would think a school could muster – fill the place, but
it is also full of acoustic and electric sounds, many of the
student’s own making and composition. They perform all
over the place: in Chapel, at the McPherson Playhouse, in the
Copeland Lecture Theatre, in the quad – everywhere. They
make music as readily as they breathe, they enjoy it and they
love to share it. It takes so much effort to make it so natural.
2 • School Ties - Spring 2014
“We want them to
love their music, but
some of their learning
will be hard.”
Visit http://blogs.smus.ca/head/
The SMUS Review covers news from all three schools and publishes weekly on our website. The
following highlights are taken from stories published from April to December 2013. You can read
more about these stories at blogs.smus.ca/review.
April
SCHOOL NEWS
Highlights from the SMUS Review
Theresa Cho ’13 and
Jacky Han emcee a
trivia competition
as part of Brain
Awareness Week, a
school-wide initiative
to spread knowledge
about how human
minds work.
Kindergarten student Christopher HoydalPayne practices using an iPad with his
Grade 5 buddy Sebastian Huxley.
May
Lindon Carter ’13
drops by the Junior
School to talk poetry
with Grade 4 students,
including Tori Farkas,
Nadia Fracy and
Amalia Mairet.
Boarders Ted Ye and Diego Olivares race to fill their section of
pipe with water to win points at the annual House Olympics.
June
Valedictorian Ethel Kiggundu
speaks at the Closing
Ceremonies for the
Class of 2013.
Alumni Susie Wall ’91, Monica Rossa ’09 and
Chris Noel ’97 share their wisdom as part of the
communications and new media session of Career Week.
Mr. Duncan Frater and
Emma Coetze improvise a
scene in a drama-focused
Exploratory class.
SCHOOL NEWS
September
Mrs. Nancy Mollenhauer and the Grade 8 leaders kick off the school year with Where
Everyone Belongs, a program to help new students settle in to life at the Middle School.
November
To accommodate our growing
Junior School, a new Grade 1
classroom was created
with many features to help
students learn and play.
Jamie Boyle and
Matty McColl listen to
keynote speaker Shane
Koyczan at the Youth
Addressing Local
Poverty conference,
which drew nearly
150 participants from
almost 20 schools.
The Middle School
Ecowarriors helped
remove invasive
species on Middle
School Service Day,
an annual event
where all students in
Grades 6 to 8 spend
the day volunteering
in the community.
December
Grade 11 student Puroshini Pather (left)
plays her original composition “Hourglass”
with the Senior School orchestra at the
SMUS Remembrance Day ceremony.
Kindergarten students perform “Christmas Don’t
Be Late” at the all-school Christmas assembly.
The Grade 6 French classes performed an original play en français,
telling a revamped version of Goldilocks set on Mars.
Our athletics program focuses on team work, personal achievement and skill development. Here
are some of the standout moments from April to December 2013. You can read more about these
events by visiting the SMUS Review at blogs.smus.ca/review and choosing the Athletics category.
May
April
ATHLETICS
Athletics Highlights
Senior Girls Soccer
Shinai Sorensen defends the SMUS goal in the student
versus alumni soccer match-up on Alumni Weekend.
Star striker Marta Bakowska-Mathews ‘11 (left) scored
three goals, leading the alumni team to a 3-1 victory.
Senior Boys Rugby
First XV Captain Sam Reid clears the ball
from the scrum en route to a 10-5 comeback
victory in the annual Boot Game.
Grade 8 Rugby
The Grade 8 rugby team hoists
the newly christened “Kuklinski
Trophy,” named in honour of
their coach Bruce Kuklinski,
after they defeated Bayside at
the Lower Island Jamboree.
Track and Field
Saeed Shokoya beats the
pack by a few lengths to
win the BC Provincial
100m final in 11.08 seconds.
June
Cricket
Jamison Schulz-Franco
bowls at the T20 Cricket
competition. The SMUS
team won the Jack Kyle
trophy and players
Jamison and Trenton
Schulz-Franco won
awards for bowling and
leadership respectively.
ATHLETICS
September
October
Senior Girls Field Hockey
With only eight seconds to go in the
ISA final, Jenna Dhillon, Aveen Glen
and Rylee Boyle connect for the
winning goal and the championship, 1-0.
Junior Boys Soccer
Grade 10 player Loris Friedli surges past a
Brentwood defender in the final of the Junior
Boys ISA tournament, which SMUS won.
November
Grade 9 Rugby
Collingwood put pressure on SMUS in the final frantic minutes
of the Grade 9 rugby ISA final, but the boys hung on to win
34-22 and ended their season undefeated.
Senior Girls Volleyball
Beta Willeboordse was
a force on the court as
the Blue Jags defeated
Esquimalt, Spectrum
and Reynolds to claim
the City AAA title and
the #1 seed in the
Island Finals.
Senior Boys Basketball
SMUS rallied after Brentwood jumped out
to an 18-12 lead seven minutes into the ISA
Championships and went on to win 66-51
with 21 points from Jason Scully.
Cross-Country
Grade 5 athlete
Sienna Pike, one of
45 cross-country
runners at the
Junior School,
picks up speed at
the first Victoria
Independent Schools
Sports Association
race of the season.
Rowing
The SMUS rowing teams claimed five gold
medals and an overall 2nd place finish in the
Victoria City Rowing Championship Regatta.
December
Arts Highlights
April
Musicians from all three schools came together
for the Cross Campus Strings Concert, which
ended with the original composition “If I
Should Fall” by Brian Christensen ‘11.
May
Senior School artists
created these balloon
pieces as part of
a collaborative
art program from
London’s Tate Modern
gallery, which paired
up schools around
the world to work on
specific projects.
Claudia Murr and
her fellow Grade 4
choral students sing
from the pews at
the Cross-Campus
Choral Concert at
the Christ Church
Cathedral.
June
ARTS
Our singers, musicians, actors and artists continue to do our school proud on stage and canvas. Of
the many recent creative triumphs, here are a few of our favourites. You can read more about these
stories in the SMUS Review at blogs.smus.ca/review.
Grade 12 musician Shanna Fong plays a
piano concerto by Robert Schumann at the
Concerto Concert, where several soloists
perform alongside the SMUS orchestra.
September
Grade 5 students perform iSPY,
a fun musical that combines
detectives, fairy tales and fables.
Grade 11 actress
Ellen Law plays
Hermia alongside
Jack Hayes ’12
as Lysander in
a professional
production of
A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.
November
ARTS
October
The Vocal Jazz Ensemble
dazzles at the Small
Ensembles Concert.
Grade 8 student Jose Tostado selects pieces from
an old computer to repurpose into art as part of his
chosen Exploratory class, The Art of Recycling.
Grade 4 artist Ava Galloway
created this Picasso-inspired sun
out of clay.
The SMUS production of The Diary of Anne Frank opens at the Metro Studio Theatre.
December
Grade 2 students Alexander Hann
and Alejandro Trejo sing at the
Primary Christmas Concert.
Grade 7 student Amy Zhang performs a
violin sonata unaccompanied at the Grade 7
and 8 Strings concert, which featured a
range of pieces from ragtime to jazz.
While many of us are familiar with the Christine Duke Theatre,
two recent visitors reminded us about the student who inspired it.
by Dorothy Hawes
A
nyone at all familiar with our school will likely have spent
some time in the Christine Duke Theatre, a much-appreciated
venue that has hosted everything from the Keep the Beat music
marathon to Cops for Cancer fundraisers. What many of us
are probably not quite so familiar with is the story behind the
theatre, namely Christine Duke ’86 herself.
Christine arrived at SMUS in 1983 as one of three girls
joining boarding in Grade 10. She passed away on January 14,
1986, just shy of her Grade 12 graduation.
This past September, the SMUS Service Council invited
Christine’s parents to speak to Senior School students in chapel,
providing us with a glimpse of this talented young woman
whose exceptional faith truly defined her character. Below is
some of what Carrol Duke shared about her daughter and the
enthusiasm she had for life at SMUS:
Right from the beginning of her short life, Christine
was always in a hurry. She loved life and there was never
enough time in a day to fit in all that she wished to do.
Christine attacked everything with zest – she was a good
student, athlete and an exceptional musician. That ‘zest for
life’ and a great sense of humour made Christine a lot of
fun to be around. Overriding all her life was Christine’s
deep Christian faith. Due to her gregarious nature and
desire to be involved in so many things, SMUS was the
ideal place for her.
Christine loved the academic challenge and standards
it demanded. The teachers were exceptional. She was able
to fit it all in! In a letter home, Christine wrote, “I feel like
I just started to live!”
Considering this girl was life personified, it was
a shock to find in March of 1985 that Christine had
acute lymphoblastic
leukemia. In 1985,
the five-year survival
rate from this form
of leukemia was only
5% and it remains a disease with a very poor survival rate.
For 10 months, Christine fought against the disease –
a battle in which she displayed the courage and
determination with which she had lived her whole life.
True to form, she was always more concerned about the
rest of us and her friends. She had a ferocious desire to get
back to SMUS!
Along with the staff and students at SMUS, Carey
Denholm orchestrated a massive support program for
Christine when she was ill. There was not a single day that
Christine did not receive letters, cards, gifts, phone calls
or flowers. Even the Junior School students sent her art
projects. She felt so loved!
SCHOOL NEWS
A Lasting Legacy
Christine’s parents came to speak just before we held our
service day for cancer research. As students and staff heard
about Christine’s love of the school and the impact her life had
on our community, they were also reminded of the lives that
could be saved through our fundraising efforts.
Thirty years after she first arrived at SMUS, Christine’s
legacy can be found throughout the school – in the fundraising
we do for cancer, in our flourishing arts programs and in the
memories of her teachers and classmates, like fellow musician
Lorien Benet Hart ’86. The next time you find yourself in the
Christine Duke Theatre or listening to a strings performance by
our students, take a moment to remember the inspiring life and
deep faith of Christine Duke.
SCHOOL NEWS
A
Finale 25 Years in the Making
When John Reid retired last June, he left behind a quarter-century of music and memories. Here,
he shares some of his favourite moments and talks about his teaching philosophy.
by Darin Steinkey
“Have you ever walked around the block backwards?”
I’d just sat down to coffee with recently retired Senior
School band teacher John Reid. He looks relaxed, with an
easy smile. As you might expect, I answer in the
negative and he launches into a story about
how he would lose around 20 pounds every
spring when he worked in Taber, Alberta,
leading the marching band program.
“When you take 120 kids out on the street
to practice, it’s quite something,” he says. “I was
out every class with a different band. Your
legs are killing you, your muscles are killing
you. You’re out four to five times a day for
45 minutes, but it’s good for you.”
That close involvement with the
kids in rehearsal is a snapshot of John’s
philosophy of teaching: don’t be afraid
to get your hands dirty. That sort of
leadership was very important to him.
“I would sit with the kids and play
French horn every Tuesday morning when
Donna Williams was conducting for many
years,” he says. “The kids then see you in a
different light; you become one of them
watching another conductor.”
After his hectic SMUS life wound
down last June, John spent the
first several months of retirement
learning to relax.
“After 43 years of work,
you can’t just stop,” he says. “I
automatically began mentally preparing
for the new school year in August, but
had to keep reminding myself that there
was no reason to. September was strange
with all the kids returning, but I love
retirement. It’s been very good to me
so far.”
Though John has become almost
synonymous with SMUS music, his own
music journey began a long time ago
and a great distance away. The Scotland
native graduated from the Royal Scottish
Academy of Music and Jordanhill
College in Glasgow before rising to
head of music at nearby Hillhead
High School.
John’s formative years in music
were heavily influenced by Dr. George
McPhee MBE, a former professor and
choir director/organist of Paisley Abbey Choir (of which
John was a member), and jazz bassist Ricky Fernandez, a
well-known jazz man in the Glasgow scene of the time.
Since coming to Canada, John has been that influence for
countless students coming up through the Junior, Middle
and Senior School music programs, who have benefitted
from his ongoing love of all types of music as well as
his passion for teaching.
Challenging his students was his main
philosophy and one of the ways in which
he made them better musicians. He
accomplished this in part by taking students
out of the SMUS bubble and into the world
of professional performances.
John put his students on stage with
some of the world’s best musicians. His
Middle School choirs appeared with
pianist and composer Frank Mills at
the Royal Theatre twice. They also
shared the stage with David Foster
and his “friends” – Celine Dion, Paul
Anka and Kenny G – on a televised
special for CBC. There aren’t too
many students that could say they
have performed with that calibre
of talent on such a public stage.
“Performing gives students a real
sense of achievement, just like
when they are on the rugby field or
acting in the musical,” says John.
“It’s their time to shine.”
While his last 10 years at SMUS
were spent as the band director at
the Senior School, his career at the
school began with teaching both band
and choir at the Middle School. In fact,
one of the events he is most proud of was
the annual Christmas choral performance at
the Ocean Point Resort and Spa, which he
orchestrated for 12 years. This January, when
he filled in for Middle School choir teacher
Duncan Frater, he says he felt a bit of déjà vu in
his old classroom.
Though John never taught at the Junior
School, he took his Senior School students
there every year before the Small Ensembles
concert, giving his students a chance to play for
an audience and introducing the younger
students to the Middle and Senior School
band instruments.
John Reid at his final SMUS concert.
appears on page 12 of this issue, credits John with shaping
his musical journey.
“John gave me a couple of opportunities to sing solos and
practice my instruments in a safe but challenging atmosphere,”
said Brian, when he returned to SMUS last year. “This directly
influenced my first year at music school and subsequently my
vocal major. It completely changed what I was going to do.”
The 2008 performance of “Battle Hymn of the Republic,”
with solos by trumpeter Chris Fenje ’13 and vocalist Andy
Erasmus ’10, is also a favourite of John’s. Both performers
went on to study music (at Northwestern
University and the University of
Toronto, respectively) with considerable
experience in front of large audiences.
John believes that the key to being
able to mount some of those memorable
performances is the support the music
department receives from the school.
With seven full-time music instructors
from K-12, music is clearly a priority at SMUS.
“I don’t know any other school that has such a robust
program,” he says. “We start them early in the strings program
and challenge them all the way through to graduation.”
Given the reach of the music program, it isn’t surprising that
a few alumni decide to continue on that path when it comes
time to move on to university. After almost 45 years working in
music, John has some sage advice for students embarking on a
career in music.
“A career in music performance is very competitive,” he
says. “Leave your options open; be able to diversify.”
SCHOOL NEWS
At the Senior School, John focused on band and
continued to challenge both himself and his students, writing
arrangements and helping the department to mount ambitious
projects. He taught with professional scores and, again, made
sure his students spent lots of time on stage. He feels it helped
them earn a sense of satisfaction.
John’s belief in his students’ abilities and willingness to
put them to the test is never more evident than in the annual
Senior School musicals. If you’ve ever been to any, you know
that they resemble professional performances and the music is
no exception. As musical director of Les
Misérables and My Fair Lady, John says
some of the audience members were
astounded by the level of playing. They
were amazed to find out that they were
not listening to a professional orchestra,
but one composed of students.
“It’s important at this level that we
are working on the real music as opposed
to editions of it,” says Donna Williams, head of the Music
department. “It’s part of their education to see what is put in
front of professional musicians.”
John echoes those comments. “It’s a challenging program
and the kids respond to that,” he says. “They work harder to get
the music right.”
In the case of a few alumni, that challenge led to further
education and careers in music.
John considers the performance of “Mull of Kintyre” in
2010, featuring Brian Christensen ’11 as the vocal soloist,
to be one of his Senior School highlights. Brian, who also
“It’s a challenging
program and the
kids respond to that.”
John Reid with the Middle School choirs and Frank Mills on the CBC
FEATURE
An Education in
Music
Four recent alumni chose to take their passion for music all the way to university. Now at the
dawn of their careers, they talk about the challenges and value of a post-secondary degree in music.
by Erin Anderson
For all the tireless work of the SMUS
University Counselling department,
Emily Reid ’09 found her school of
choice, Belmont University, in the back
of Rolling Stone.
“I just said, ‘yes,’” she recalls. “Best
decision I ever made!”
Choosing to pursue a degree in
music presents some unique risks and
challenges. The tuition is the same as
for many other fields, but the career
prospects (and pay grade) can be less
than encouraging.
When Emily headed down to
Nashville, Tennessee to attend Belmont,
she had a very pragmatic view of her
education: she enrolled in the music
business program with a plan to
work behind the scenes in the music
industry. She didn’t see herself as a
future singer-songwriter. In fact, she
recorded her first EP at the urging of a
friend, mostly as a way to pass the time
in her new home.
“We’d just hole up in this little
cockroach-infested studio and make
music,” she says. “Once that EP was
done, I realized how much I enjoyed
the process.”
Not that Emily didn’t already have
a connection to music; it’s always been
a part of her life and it certainly was a
part of her time at SMUS. By Grade 12,
she was in chamber choir, the vocal jazz
ensemble, the leading lady in West Side
Story and on the Arts Council.
“SMUS really helped me learn
how to study and how to be involved
in as many things as I could possibly
be without keeling over,” she says. “It
Emily Reid ‘09 performs a medley of her songs at the Cross Campus Band Concert
was an amazing school and I owe a
lot of my creative development to the
music program.”
Belmont proved to be the right
fit for her as well. It was academically
stimulating, but very hands-on and
internship-oriented. It was collegiate but
also very personal.
“Belmont was everything I needed it
to be,” says Emily. “There was something
going on all the time.”
After graduating from Belmont,
Emily returned to SMUS for the final
concert of John Reid, performing a
medley of tracks off her first EP with
the SMUS bands. Like Emily, Brian
Christensen ’11 also returned to where
his music education began, having his
original composition “If I Should Fall”
performed by the school orchestra.
As a SMUS student, Brian was a
member of that orchestra, but his real
connection to music was formed in
his free time. From Grade 8, when he
first started playing guitar, to his Grade
12 year, his main interest was playing
with a handful of other students. Some
of Brian’s former bandmates include
Andrew Taylor ’12, Oliver Brooks ’10
and Rowan MacKenzie ’12, who went
on to form the band Leisure Suit.
“It was a really great environment
for learning and sharing – some of those
guys turned me on to a whole new side
of music,” he says. “Ms. Williams very
intelligently bought a bunch of guitars
and amps, so we could go and play
whenever we wanted to.”
With a lot of musicians around,
Brian says many students who grew
up playing classical music eventually
transferred those skills to pop music
through events like acoustic concerts
and Keep the Beat. Those experiences
also influenced his post-secondary
plans, as he wanted a different kind of
musical education.
“I love classical music, but I wanted
something a little more contemporary
and practical,” he says. “I find that the
university system really caters to classical
Brian Christensen ‘11
“I think that most
people underestimate
how difficult a music
degree can be.”
– Jayne
“Donna was my teacher for orchestra
and vocal jazz, and I learned so much
about interpretation and musicianship
from her,” says Jayne. One of her
favourite memories from SMUS was
singing in Cuba while on tour with Ms.
Williams and the vocal jazz ensemble.
“I always had it in the back of my
mind that I wanted to pursue music in
post-secondary, but I seriously began
considering it in Grade 10,” says Jayne.
“At a certain
point, all I wanted
to do was music.”
– Brian
“I became involved in as many groups
as I could,” says Jayne, who counts the
vocal jazz ensemble, the chamber choir,
the orchestra and the jazz band among
her ensembles. She even played one of her
own songs at the legendary Hermann’s
Jazz Club with teacher Hugh Fraser ’76
in her backing band.
She also has fond memories of choir
teacher Madeleine Humer (“the energy
and enthusiasm she brings to music
education still amazes me”) and Donna
Williams.
FEATURE
Jayne Hammond ’08 (centre) in The
Merry Wives of Windsor at the Victoria
Conservatory of Music
music, a field in which very few people
get the opportunity to work.”
It was Head of Music Donna
Williams who told him about MacEwan
University (then Grant MacEwan) which
offered a close-knit community and small
class sizes – much like SMUS – and had
a transfer program to the Berklee College
of Music in Boston.
At MacEwan, Brian spent over
12 hours a day at school. He took courses
in ear-training, song-writing, music
technology and vocal performance, which
covered everything from vocal technique
to how to present yourself on stage.
In second year, he took composition,
where he learned how to write for every
instrument, including an entire orchestra.
His experience was so positive, that
Lindon Carter ’13, one of the students
Brian used to jam with, went there on
Brian’s recommendation. As for Brian’s
decision to pursue music, it was a
natural fit.
“I was learning a lot in my writing
and literature and history classes,” he says
of his time at SMUS. “But, at a certain
point, all I wanted to do was music.”
For Jayne Hammond ’08, music
was a part of life from an early age. “I
was always the loudest kid in the choir
in elementary school,” she recalls. Piano,
violin and guitar lessons soon followed
and she came to SMUS specifically for
the music program.
FEATURE
“Once I accepted that my favourite
parts of my day were the parts that I
spent singing, it all fell into place.”
When it came time to choose a
school, Jayne was advised by her voice
teacher to focus on the teacher you want
to work with rather than the school. She
eventually settled on Wilfrid Laurier
University for the chance to study opera
with Kimberly Barber.
Jayne can even recall the exact
moment she decided on Laurier. A few
weeks after her audition, she went to
see Kimberly in Pacific Opera Victoria’s
production of Regina. As she walked
towards the theatre, she heard her name
yelled from across the street and turned
to see Kimberly.
“I realized right then and there that
Laurier would offer the kind of personal
working relationship with my professors
that I needed to grow as a singer,” she says.
Her prediction proved true. Laurier
exceeded her expectations, offering
numerous opportunities to perform as well
as student support every step of the way.
Support is important, because earning
a music degree is no easy feat. Not only
do students like Jayne have private lessons
and ensembles, they also have to complete
countless musicianship, theory and music
history classes. As a classical singer, Jayne
also had to study languages, drama,
audition techniques and body mechanics.
“The lack of
communication
through words
I made up for
in music.”
– Ian
“I think most people underestimate
how difficult a music degree can be,”
says Jayne. “It is a really well-rounded
education and teaches you countless skills
that are transferable to any job, music or
otherwise. You learn to present yourself
with confidence and to take constructive
criticism in stride.”
Ian Chen ’07 was also influenced by
the instructors and teachers he would be
able to work with when it came to settling
on a university at which to pursue music.
Ian Chen ’07
Cornell University offered a chance to
learn from some of the best musicians in
the world.
“I studied composition with Pulitzer
Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky,
took one-on-one conducting lessons
with Prof. Chris Kim, and studied in
many fields of music that I was previously
unfamiliar with,” says Ian.
His courses covered subjects as diverse
as jazz improvisation, music psychology,
electronic music, orchestration, music of
the African Diaspora, and digital audio
design and production. Outside of the
orchestra, wind ensemble, percussion
ensemble and a rock band he started with
some friends, Ian also founded Cornell’s
first and only Chinese Music Ensemble.
“Although it was never my priority,”
he says, “I always had music in mind
when applying to colleges, perhaps
because music had been such a large part
of my life at SMUS.”
Ian was involved in almost
everything music-related at SMUS.
A member of both the school band
and the orchestra as well as both a
percussionist and a violinist with the
Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra, Ian
still found time to play drums in a rock
band with friends. He and his brother
Eric were also invited to play on special
occasions from time to time, including
marimba solo pieces in Chapel and,
once, hammering dozens of wine glasses
filled with water in a performance
with the Victoria Children’s Choir
(under the direction of choir director
Madeleine Humer).
“When I joined SMUS in Grade 8,
I had only moved to Canada from
Taiwan the year before, and barely spoke
any English,” Ian recalls. “The lack of
communication through words I made
up for in music and I was good at it.”
Band director John Reid took a liking
to Ian and introduced him and Eric to
many musical groups inside and outside
of SMUS, including the Provincial
Honour Band, GVYO and the school
musicals. Ian cites the musicals as one of
his fondest memories from SMUS. He
participated every year.
“I loved the adrenaline rush of
putting up a great show and the familylike atmosphere with everyone involved,”
he says. “In a way, I think my love for
working on large-scale collaborative art
works such as films, video games, and
theatre productions must be rooted in
those experiences.”
Looking back, Ian admits it’s not
really surprising that even though he
had always planned to apply to medical
schools after college, when the time
finally came, music won out.
“The day after I took the Medical
College Admissions Test, I sat myself
down and really looked at my choices.
What kind of lifestyle do I prefer? What
kind of challenges and obstacles do I
want for myself?” says Ian. “In the end,
“Right now, my mantra is to keep
doing as many different things as I can
so I continue to grow as a musician in a
variety of directions,” he says. “Later in
life, something will stick out to me.”
Currently, Brian is recording an EP
as a solo artist and hopes to transfer to
Berklee for September of 2015 for their
contemporary writing and production
program.
“It’s possible to be a working
musician – and just work in music – and
have a steady income,” says Brian. “It’s
not as far-fetched as people think. It’s
getting tougher, but there’s always work.”
After graduating from Wilfred
Laurier, Jayne workshopped a new opera
in Toronto with Tapestry New Opera,
did an intensive opera program in
Edmonton and spent five weeks studying
Italian in Florence. Her education
continues: she’s been studying at the
Victoria Conservatory of Music since
September, trying to solidify her vocal
technique through voice lessons and the
advanced voice workshop.
“Whenever anyone asked me what I
wanted to do after I finished my degree,
I told them that I wanted to sing opera,
but I never quite believed it myself,” says
Jayne. Two years later, her outlook has
changed. “I am passionate about this
art form and, just like every artist, I am
hoping that one day my passion will be
what pays the bills.”
FEATURE
I went with music because I like the
unknown and the possibilities that I can
create within it.”
After Cornell, Ian went on to earn
his master of music degree in music
composition from NYU and has since
relocated to Los Angeles. He’s currently
pursuing a career in film scoring.
“I’ve been focusing on writing for
films, television and video games and
establishing myself mainly as a film
composer,” he says. “A few of the films
I’ve worked on have gotten great reviews,
winning awards in film festivals around
the globe.”
Brian Christensen also has found
work in composing music for film,
among other things. Currently living in
Edmonton, he works for a DJ company,
teaches both voice and guitar and plays
with local bands.
Brian has also stayed involved in
theatre, playing Gerry in the musical
The Full Monty and Justin Timberlake in
Spearsical: The Musical at the Edmonton
Fringe Festival.
“It took me a long
time to admit that
I really want to
be an artist and a
songwriter.”
– Emily
This coming fall, Jayne will begin
auditioning for workshops, competitions,
performances and opera programs across
Canada and possibly abroad. While she
still hopes to eventually do a master’s
degree and spend time studying in
Europe, for the moment she is diving
into the world of professional opera.
“Music is a scary thing to devote your
life to,” says Jayne. “I remember Donna
Williams saying that pursuing a career in
music is a bit like taking a leap of faith
into a black hole.”
In January 2014, Emily Reid released
her second EP, Drifter, after a crossCanada tour that included numerous
television appearances on CTV and
Shaw TV. Currently living in Toronto,
she divides her time between making
music and waiting tables.
“I’m working as hard as I can and we
will see how things unfold,” she says. “It
took me a long time to admit that I really
want to be an artist and a songwriter. I’m
just proud to stand on my own two feet
and know that this is what I want to do.”
Emily Reid ’09 released her
new EP, Drifter, in January
FEATURE
Never had a
Day Job
Three alumni – a jazz musician, classical violinist and a jack-of-all-trades trombonist – talk about the
joys and perils found in life as a professional musician.
by Laura Authier
L
orien Benet Hart ’86 is blunt when
students tell her they want to pursue a
career in music. “I consider it my duty to
talk them out of it – I tell them: ‘if you
can see yourself doing anything else, you
have to do that first because the odds are
against you making it as a musician.’”
Lorien plays in the second violin
section of the Pittsburgh Symphony
Orchestra, one of approximately 20
orchestras in the US that can provide
a musician with a salary and benefits
that can support a family. In Canada,
she estimates there are maybe three.
By her reckoning, that represents 2200
musicians at most, which is why she says
the cliché of the starving actor waiting
tables is equally applicable to musicians.
“You have to be willing to work two or
three jobs to support your art.”
For jazz musician Ashley Wey ’00,
that need to hustle to survive is why they
call it the music business.
“It’s like running your own business –
you’re never on salary so it’s necessary
to plan your life so that you always
have work,” she says. “Performing is
the easiest part.”
“Music is an
international
language that needs
to be shared.”
– Hugh
Normally working on several
projects at once, Ashley divides her
time between music-making and the
activities required to get her music out
there.
“I run my own website, book gigs,
and do my own promo,” she says.
“Juggling all the hats you have to wear
as a musician is definitely challenging.”
Hugh Fraser ’76
Hugh Fraser ’76 has supported
himself all his life with his music. As
a teenager, he bought a trombone with
wages from a bellhop job, and went on
to make an easy $40 by playing it at a
concert in Beacon Hill Park.
“From that moment on,” he says, “I
was hooked.”
Inspired by his father, who was a
percussionist in the 30s and 40s, Hugh
started playing the drums at age six,
later adding piano and trombone to
his repertoire. When he entered SMUS
in 1973, the school’s music program
was small, but Hugh expanded his
opportunities by leading a rock band
called Tuesday Night and organizing
school dances featuring the band. By
the time he graduated, Hugh found that
the combination of his own activities
and the music education he received at
SMUS from Norman Hurrle – a graduate
of the Royal College of Organists in
London and the choir master at Christ
Church Cathedral – had given him the
equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in music
theory and composition.
Like Hugh, Ashley’s dreams of a
career in music started at a young age.
“When I was four, I saw myself on big
stages – I knew I would play piano and
sing,” she says. “I think my mom always
knew I would never have a day job.”
Performing her first gig in Grade 8,
Ashley later joined the Island Big Band,
playing at small clubs like Swan’s,
Hermann’s and the Millennium Jazz
Club. “It was me and 15 men in their
60s – it was like I had a bunch of
grandfathers,” she remembers. By the age
of 16 she was working steadily, making a
couple hundred dollars a week. She was
also winning scholarships, including the
$2000 Fraser MacPherson scholarship,
of which she was the youngest recipient.
“Between scholarships and gigs,” she
says, “I realized I would do alright.”
Unlike Hugh, Ashley attended
SMUS at a time when the school had a
strong music program. “Jazz ensembles
really prepared me for performing,”
Ashley says. “I learned jazz standards
and how to improvise. Our teacher Don
McKay took our ensemble to nationals
and many festivals.”
Strings teacher Donna Williams also
encouraged Ashley to gain experience
in pit bands, which led her to play for
four but quit because she didn’t want
to practice. Her mother enticed her
back with concerts and Suzuki play-ins,
where groups of young musicians played
together.
In spite of rekindling her passion for
the violin, Lorien continued to distance
herself from the prospect of a becoming
a career musician. Just like Hugh and
Ashley, Lorien grew up familiar with
the life. Her mother was head music
librarian at the University of Victoria
and her home acted as a social hub for
Victoria’s music community.
“I grew up knowing musicians in
Victoria,” Lorien recalls. “I saw how
frustrated they were in a small market
with a small orchestra and a small salary.”
She continued to play but treated music
casually. “My mother and teachers called
me the ‘heart-attack kid’ because I never
seemed ready for concerts but I always
managed to pull it together for the
performance.”
At SMUS, Lorien was very involved in
music, particularly with the string quartet
she started with Gillian Donald ’85,
Betsy Donald ’86 and Christine Duke ’86,
whom Lorien remembers as “a ray of
sunshine” and to whom she dedicated
her Grade 12 recital.
When the time came to choose a
university and a major, Lorien chose to
major in mathematics at the University
of California, Berkeley. “In those days,
I called myself ‘anything but a music
major,’” Lorien says. “I bounced around
“If you can see
yourself doing
anything else,
you have to
do that first.”
– Lorien
After graduating from Berkeley,
Lorien won a fellowship to study in
London for six months, then earned
her master’s degree at the University of
Michigan. The day after she graduated,
she was hired to play with the Windsor
Symphony. After five years there, she
took a position as assistant concert
master for the Charlotte Symphony in
North Carolina. In 2001, she landed
her dream job, playing for the renowned
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Lorien’s steady march up the ladder
in her professional music career was
very different from Hugh’s post-SMUS
experiences.
After migrating to Vancouver to study
with trombone legend Dave Robbins,
he spent two years at what was then the
mecca of contemporary creative music:
the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock,
New York. He returned to Vancouver in
1980 and started the band Vancouver
Ensemble of Jazz Improvisation (VEJI).
He was working steadily when he was
offered a residency in the Banff Centre’s
acclaimed jazz program. He went to
Banff and found the experience to be
pivotal.
“I worked with four of the biggest
icons in jazz history,” he says, referring
to Slide Hampton, Frank Foster, Joe
Henderson and Dave Holland. “It
changed my life and put me on the
international jazz festival circuit.”
Lorien Benet Hart ’86 leads a Middle School Strings class
for a while, still playing the violin but
not taking music classes.”
Finally, one of her professors
encouraged her to take some courses, just
to see what it felt like; those few courses
eventually led to a degree in musicology.
Lorien may have failed to escape a career
as a musician but she felt relieved to have
a focus.
FEATURE
musicals like Blood Brothers. Ashley also
worked with Donna on several outside
gigs while she was in high school.
Ashley credits many of her teachers with
inspiring her and shaping her path in
important ways, citing Judy Tobacco,
Peter Tongue and Tony Cordle in
addition to Donna.
“I got my work ethic from SMUS,”
she says. The ability to focus for long
periods and work hard is something
Ashley has applied to her music. “Having
an education like that gives you a good
base for whatever you go on to do.”
After graduation, Ashley went to
Humber College in Toronto where she
earned a bachelor’s degree in music
performance and arranging. There, she
studied with Canadian jazz musician
Don Thompson (who has also worked
with Hugh Fraser) and Cuban jazz
pianist Hilario Duran.
“Humber provided me with a
network that I could build on in addition
to my SMUS network,” Ashley says.
Those connections helped her develop
a reputation as she continued to perform,
using Toronto as her home base. During
that period, she played Massey Hall with
famed 80s pop band the Parachute Club
and headlined a festival in Gatineau with
Canadian Idol winner Eva Avila, playing
for a crowd of 28,000 people.
While Ashley and Hugh found their
calling at a young age, Lorien was more
reluctant to follow the musician’s path.
She started playing violin at the age of
FEATURE
He ended up returning to the Banff
Centre, first with his VEJI band members
after they recorded their first record, and
then later as an instructor and program
director. By this point in time, Hugh
had established himself in several core
activities: performing, composing, recording,
teaching, producing and arranging.
Hugh practiced these defining
elements of his career as a professional
musician over 20 years, which he spent
commuting between Vancouver, New
York and London, where he designed the
jazz composition program at the Royal
Academy of Music.
Ashley Wey ’00 performs at Hermann’s Jazz Club
“Mark Twain once said that specialization is for insects,” muses Hugh. “My
life in music has been blessed because I can
do some many things.”
All three alumni agree that the biggest
perk of their chosen career is travel.
After Hugh won his first Juno award, he
was making upwards of 50 trips a year.
Although his pace has slowed considerably,
he still relishes the opportunity to tour
to other countries – the Havana Jazz
Festival is a particular favourite and he
tries to make it every other year. He finds
fellow musicians very welcoming and
the experiences he has abroad are much
richer than those he would have as a
tourist.
“Music is an international language
that needs to be shared,” insists Hugh,
“that’s why travel is so important.”
Lorien travels with the Pittsburgh
Symphony Orchestra to Europe every
year for three weeks and has toured
Japan, China, Australia, Malaysia and
almost every South American country.
The PSO is also looking at
the possibility of a tour to
Iran, where the orchestra
is hoping to practice some
cultural diplomacy. Not
only does she enjoy the
opportunity to explore new
cities and collect memorable
experiences of each, she
loves the excitement of the
shows and new audiences.
“We are rock stars when
we travel,” Lorien says. “If
we play the BBC Proms at
Royal Albert Hall, people
sometimes begin lining
up overnight for the front
rows of standing room at
the edge of the stage. We
affectionately call it ‘the
best-behaved mosh pit
you’ll ever see.’”
Ashley has experienced
that same gratification
through her work on cruise
ships. “I’m a bit of a star on
a cruise ship,” she admits.
“My Dad is really proud –
he loves coming on my
cruises and I dedicate shows
to him when he’s on board.”
She started working
on cruise ships when she was 26 as
Toronto jazz clubs started shutting
down and opportunities for paid work
became scarcer. Performing on cruises
has been a steady source of income and
travel opportunities – she once visited
45 countries in one year – but she most
appreciates the chance to play every
night with her trio, a rare opportunity
for a landlocked musician.
“You can grow so much, get really
tight, and improve so much faster when
you’re living in close quarters,” she says.
In spite of its many joys, the musician’s
life also creates lifestyle challenges.
Ashley’s cruise ship work takes her away
from her boyfriend for weeks at a time;
Lorien’s concert schedule with the PSO
keeps her busy on the weekends when
her husband and kids have down time;
Hugh’s travel schedule can get so intense
he wakes up not knowing where he is.
“Performing
is the easiest part.”
– Ashley
Despite the challenges, none of these
hard-working musicians have any regrets
about their ultimate career choice.
“You don’t want to die with that song
still inside you,” says Ashley. She believes
that whatever talent or goal you have,
you should do everything you can to
get it out into the world. “Masters have
always told me that people with a Plan B
never get to Plan A,” she cautions. “Don’t
invest in Plan B until Plan A has failed.”
For Hugh, the idea of picking music
as a career is a fallacy. “Music picks us;
we don’t pick it.” Successful musicians
are those who weren’t scared off by its
uncertainties and didn’t fall victim to
ego and entitlement. To be a professional
musician, he says you only need one
thing: “You have to be a maniac.”
Lorien echoes that thought: she says
you need incredibly tough skin, the
ability to focus and shut out everything
around you, and an insane work ethic.
“People who made it have generally spent
six to seven hours a day locked in a room
practicing,” she says.
In the end, she recognizes, people
who are truly called to the musician’s
life can no more avoid it than she did.
“There are sublime moments when you
get carried away in the music and are part
of something so much bigger than there
are words to describe,” she says. “That’s
when you understand that music is part
of you, not a job.”
It’s a
Hard Rock Life
by Darin Steinkey
W
hen you’re a member of a rock
band, you don’t always get to control your
own schedule. Bryce Soderberg ’98 really
wanted to attend his 10-year high school
reunion, but he was on tour and had a
show in North Carolina that weekend.
Over the last decade, Bryce figures he
has spent six to eight months a year on
the road with his band Lifehouse and the
rest of the time at home recording.
“I have a girlfriend I am close with
now, so sometimes it is difficult to leave
for longer periods of time,” he says. “Los
Angeles is my home base, but hotel rooms
and living out of a suitcase become the
norm when you are in travel mode.”
Living away from home isn’t new for
Bryce, who came to SMUS as a boarder
at the age of 14. Having grown up at
his parents’ Point-No-Point resort near
Sooke, he gravitated towards city life and
he remembers his time in Victoria fondly.
“I’m grateful my parents sent my two
brothers, my sister and myself to SMUS
because we had access to so much art and
culture,” he says. He took full advantage
of the music program, touring Cuba with
the jazz band and taking band, choir and
strings classes. “I had access to music
every day,” says Bryce.
When he first graduated from SMUS,
Bryce didn’t think he would pursue music
as a career. Most of his classmates were
going to university or getting jobs and
he felt he should too. He studied music
and psychology at Bishop’s University in
Quebec for two years before moving to
Los Angeles to give music a try. Once
again, it was his parents who encouraged
the move.
“It was my dad’s idea for me to move
to LA and do music,” he says. “They are
fully supportive and always have been.”
After graduating from the Musicians
Institute in Los Angeles, things became
stagnant. He was going to give up and
move back home when he received an
offer to join a band called AM Radio. He
Bryce Soderberg ‘98 (left) with Lifehouse bandmates Jason Wade, Ben Carey, Rick Woolstenhulme, Jr. Photo: Pamela Littky
FEATURE
Bass player Bryce Soderberg ’98 found success in mainstream music when he joined the band
Lifehouse in 2004. Here, he talks about shifts in the music industry and the challenges of touring.
FEATURE
toured with them under management by
Weezer lead singer Rivers Cuomo and the
group even recorded an album, but they
were dropped from their label shortly after
it was released. Soon after, Lifehouse –
already an established rock outfit thanks to
their hit single “Hanging by a Moment” –
invited him to join them.
Bryce has recorded four albums with
the band since 2004, selling millions of
copies and charting a single in the top 10
on the US Billboard Hot 100 (“You and
Me”). To get an idea of their popularity,
the video for “You and Me” has exceeded
35 million views on YouTube and 24 star
Kiefer Sutherland directed the video for
their song “Broken.”
With a shift in
how music is sold
and consumed over
the last decade,
Lifehouse has had
to adapt. Bryce
manages the social
media for the band
and regularly shares
band news and photos with their
3.5 million fans on Facebook.
“When I was growing up, the element
of mystery was what made a rock band
cool,” says Bryce. “Back then, the closest
you could get to your favourite band was
to look at their album cover. Today, we
tweet, update and interact almost on a
daily basis.”
While he has a lot of fun interacting
with the band’s fans, Bryce admits that
not all of the changes in music have
been positive. The industry has certainly
tightened their belts and many labels
have merged or closed down. New artists
without Lifehouse’s strong album sales
are more and more likely to get a deal
from a record label that requires the band
to give cuts of their touring, royalties,
merchandise and even YouTube channel
advertising.
“Although there
is less money in the
industry now from
album sales due to
digital downloading,
I am a believer that
there are still a lot of
loyal fans of music
out there,” says Bryce.
“Our fan support at
shows has increased quite a bit over the
years and online file sharing, YouTube,
iTunes, and even illegal downloading
have been the positive catalyst for that.”
Despite so many new platforms and
“Hotel rooms and
living out of a
suitcase become the
norm when you are
in travel mode.”
Bryce Soderberg ‘98 at Alumni Weekend 2013
ways to share music, Lifehouse still relies
a lot on radio to get their music heard.
However, one of the real launch pads for
the group has been television. Bryce says
many of the band’s new fans will have
heard their music on shows like Scrubs,
Grey’s Anatomy, ER and Smallville, in
which the band had an on-camera role.
“We headlined a show in a sold-out
arena in the Philippines last year and it
seemed that a ton of our fans came from
listening to us online or watching us
on the TV show Smallville,” says Bryce.
“We’ve come across quite a few surprises
in the business after 14 years and I’m sure
it will continue to surprise us.”
Even though Bryce also has a new
side project – indie-alternative band
Komox Kids – on his plate, he made it
to SMUS for his 15-year reunion last
year. In addition to catching up with his
classmates, he saw a few of his former
teachers and got to check out his old
dorm room in Barnacle House.
It was a visit he enjoyed immensely.
Afterwards, Bryce signed on to help
judge The Best School Year Ever
competition, which gave away its first
full-year boarding scholarship this May.
The contest will allow one student the
chance to experience the same kind of
education that influenced Bryce’s life so
much.
“I’ll do whatever I can to help give
back to the school,” he says. “Visiting
again, it was incredible to see how much
the school had blossomed – but it still
has the same charm I always loved.”
The Amazing Ann Makosinski
Andrew Lampard ‘02 films a segment on Ann for ABC
IT’S BEEN A BUSY YEAR FOR
Ann makosinskI,
the Grade 11 student who
invented a flashlight that
runs off the heat of the
human hand. After winning
the 2013 Google Science
Fair and being named one of
Time Magazine’s 30 Under
30, she made a surprise
appearance on The Tonight
Show with Jimmy Fallon.
Andrew Lampard ’02, a
producer for ABC News,
took Ann on a tour of ABC
(including a stop at Diane
Sawyer’s desk) while she
was in New York for her
appearance on Fallon, then
he came to the SMUS
campus to film a segment
on her for ABC News.
Ann Makosinski
GRAD 2013
Meet the Graduating
Canada
Matthew Ashton
Shayla Baumeler
Elisha Begg
Chris Bjola
William Brown
Alex Campbell
Russell Carleton
Lindon Carter
Natasha Caton
Mackenzie Catto
Shane Cheng
Billy Cheng
Christine Chiu
Theresa Cho
Clarence Choy
Isaac Chung
Rebecca Clayton
Chiara Clemente
Kathleen Cluley
Richard Cunningham
Meriah Drabkin
Sophia Ducharme
Prim Durongdej
Anastasia Efremova
Taylor Ellison
Ryley Erickson
Leanne Farmer
Shanna Fong
Sydney Fraser
Luke Friswell
Stefan Fuller
Sydney Green
Leah Hall
Ella Hayashi
Alexander Heidrick
Taylor Hibbert
Erin Hope
Meris Hopkins
Ashley Hoydal-Payne
Oliver Huang
Liam Hyatt
Georgios Ikonomou
Candice Ip
Christina Kang
Mark Kiggundu
Carlina Kim
Alex Kinahan
Lisa Kinoshita
Kara Langley
Ethan Lee
Marcus Lelewski
Anders Leung
Jamie Li
Ryan Lider
Wayne Lin
Jessy Lok
Gabriel Lunn
Victoria Lunn
Wyatt Lutes
Keenan Manhas
Adam Marsh
Hannah McElderry
Jacqueline McKay
Lexus Meng
Arden Mollenhauer
Conrad Moore
Celeste Nussbaumer
Min Hyuk Park
Erynn Pawluk
Abbey Piazza
David Pollen
Lauren Quong
Samuel Reid
Kali Salmas
Larissa Santiago
Pamela Schaefer
Mathew Sedgwick
Christian Sharp
John Shin
Rachel Sibbald
Colton Stockus
Josef Svorkdal
Cole Tamburri
Chloe Tsui
Whitney Tu
David Wang
Brody Watkins
Jacob Watkins
Adam Weech
Graeme Wheeler
Steven Whillans
Alpha Willeboordse
Marita Wyatt
Brian Yam
Jocelyne Yan
Mark Yorath
Tina Yu
Alice Zhang
Dylan Zheng
Julia Zheng
Camosun College
Carleton University
Concordia University
Dalhousie University
MacEwan University
McGill University
Mount Allison University
Queen’s University
Quest University Canada
Ryerson University
Simon Fraser University
St. Francis Xavier University
University of Alberta
University of British
Columbia
University of British
Columbia - Okanagan
University of Calgary
University of Guelph
University of King’s College
University of Ontario
Institute of Technology
University of Toronto
University of Victoria
University of Waterloo
Western University
York University
Candice Ip
(University of
British Columbia)
Chris Fenje
(Northwestern
University)
Note: Based on graduates’ plans as of June 2013.
Hannah McElderry
(Carleton University)
Ryley Erickson
(St. Francis Xavier University)
Lindon Carter
(MacEwan University)
GRAD 2013
Class of 2013
United States
Mackenzie Blaisdell
Victoria Chan
Stanley Du
Lihani Du Plessis
Benjamin Elliott
Christopher Fenje
Montgomery Fraser-Brown
Remy Furrer
Tom Kim
James Kim
Jinsu Park
Archana Pillay
Marvin Ren
Shannon Toogood
Dawit Workie
Barnard College
Carnegie Mellon University
Dartmouth College
Hampshire College
New York University
Northwestern University
Oregon State University
Pratt Institute
Santa Clara University
University of California at
Los Angeles
University of Oregon
University of Rochester
University of Southern
California
Western Texas College
Western Washington
University
International
GAP Year
Natrine Cheuk
Michelle Cruz
Prince Durongdej
Ethel Kiggundu
Mai Masuda
Marisol Mayagoitia
Rei Murakami
Eloise Patmore
Charlotte Queen
Sasha Ren
Trenton Schulz-Franco
Keiler Totz
Ana Wang
Shannon Wong
Jeffrey Wu
Vincent Wu
Architectural Association
School of Architecture
Chinese University of
Hong Kong
King’s College London
Oxford Brookes University
Royal College of Surgeons,
Ireland
Universidad La Salle Campus México
University in China
University in Japan
University of Cambridge
University of Edinburgh
University of Kent
University of Leicester
University of the Arts
London
Marvin Ren
(University of
Southern California)
Shayla Baumeler
(Mount Allison
University)
Mark Yorath
(University of Victoria)
Charles Gannon
Orla Glen
Jennifer Hughes
Cati Landry
Madalyn Laslett
Susanne Maier
Cormac O’Brien
Karena Olszewska
Elliot Pryce-Baff
Dawit Workie
(Dartmouth College)
Eloise Patmore
(King’s College
London)
Leah Hall
(University of Waterloo)
ALUMNI NEWS
The SMUS 2013
Distinguished Alumnus Award in Business:
Douglas Freeman ’88
D
ouglas Freeman ’88 was selected to receive the 2013
Distinguished Alumnus Award for his influential and
diverse career in the world of business.
After earning his BA at the University of California at
Berkeley, he went on to a master’s degree at Harvard’s John F.
Kennedy School of Government.
He has addressed world leaders, consulted for major
corporations and founded the inaugural World Diversity
Leadership Summit – a conference of Global 1000 business
leaders, government officials and community leaders – to address
global diversity management practices. Most recently, he founded
Virtcom, a consultancy focused on solving and facilitating global
diversity management issues.
“Douglas was a standout candidate because he’s an innovator
and he continues to work in his community and at the school,”
says Alumni Associate Gillian Donald. “Most importantly, he
has shown a real progression in his career. He started out in
banking and has now created a whole industry around diversity
management.”
With Virtcom, Douglas coaches business leaders to capitalize
on the demographic trends prevalent in the current and future
workforce. He believes there are six major demographic groups
that are intelligent, hardworking and grossly under-represented
in corporations. Douglas has said that diversity and gender
issues are core ones, not just for the success of one individual or
business, but of society as a whole.
In October, Doug spoke to dozens of students about his time
at SMUS, the path he took through university and his diverse
career. His advice was realistic and matter-of-fact: your career will
not be a straight line. He is living proof of this.
“Douglas has seen a need in a global context and he’s doing
what he can to make the lives of people better,” says Becky
Anderson, Director of Leadership at SMUS. “His career echoes
so strongly what we believe in at SMUS and his story is very
encouraging for our students.”
We were proud to officially recognize Douglas at the
Founders’ and Scholars’ Dinner in November 2013.
Seeking a Distinguished Alumnus
in the Field of Education
In 2014, we will recognize one of our alumni who has done remarkable work in the field of education. Nominees
should demonstrate vision and innovation, dedication, achievement and accomplishment, and community
involvement.
Submit your nominations through the Advancement office or on our alumni website (www.smus.ca/alumni).
For more information, please contact:
Gillian Donald ’85 ([email protected]) or Nicky Parkinson ’83 ([email protected])
Alumni RECEPTIONS
TOKYO: Natsumi Bamba ‘10,
Hiromi Ogawa ‘09, Mizuho Inai ‘09
TOKYO
LONDON (UK): Ken Yim ’07, Angie Hsieh ’07,
Michael Clark ’60, Daniel Karan, Brittney Martin ‘08
LONDON (UK): Alex Richie ‘81,
Eloise Patmore ‘13
MEXICO CITY: Ernesto Scharrer ’73, Gilberto Garcia ’12,
Lucas Comamala ‘12, Alex Carrion ‘15, Peter Gardiner,
Luis de Leon ‘78; Paloma Junco ‘14, Ana Abad ‘14,
Alberto Hammeken ‘79
VICTORIA: Mike Wilson ‘00, Eric Findlay ‘00, Tyson Johnson ‘00
Interested in attending an alumni reception? Take a look at the back cover
to see cities we hope to visit in the next year and contact Gillian Donald
([email protected]) to find out how you can arrange an alumni event in your city.
HONG KONG
TORONTO
Alumni Updates
The ’00s
Sascha Braunig ’01 currently lives and
works in Portland, Maine. She holds a
BFA from The Cooper Union and an
MFA in painting from Yale University.
Represented by Foxy Production in
New York, Sasha has mounted two
solo exhibitions and participated in
numerous group exhibitions. Shows
include: Rien Faire et Laisser Rire,
organised by Bob Nickas and Galerie
Rudolphe Janssen, Brussels (2013);
Surreal Selves, Baltimore Museum of Art,
Baltimore (2013); Alex Da Corte: Fun
Sponge, The Institute of Contemporary
Art/MECA, Portland (2013); A Top Hat,
A Monocle, and A Butterfly, curated by
Anthony Huberman, établissement d’en
face projects, Brussels (2013).
Liz Francis ’04 writes:
“After graduating from SMUS, I
went to UVic to complete my bachelor
of arts degree with a double major in
environmental studies and geography.
Liz Francis ‘04 and fiancé Terry Schmidt
After spending some time living and
working in Vancouver, unable to find a
job I was passionate about, I decided to
switch gears to a tourism management
diploma at Capilano University for more
specific training in an industry I love and
am a part of every day.
“I worked in market research
and communications for Tourism
Whistler for my co-op term and, upon
graduation, I received the Squamish
Achievement Award. I also met my
fiancée, Terry Schmidt, in the program –
we got engaged last summer while hiking
Whistler Mountain and will be married
in August 2015.
“I have recently launched my
own business, ActivelyWhistler.com,
a tour and activity booking site for
Whistler. It’s an entirely new frontier
for me entrepreneurially and from
a web perspective, so I am learning
something new every day! After learning
that another alumnus, Zoe Grams ’04,
started her own business as a
communications specialist in Vancouver,
I consulted her expertise and she has
done some amazing work creating a social
media plan for me. It’s great to be a part
of the SMUS alumni community and
I am happy to be contacted at
[email protected] anytime!”
of Toronto, and this past September I
took up a new academic position at the
University of Reading in the UK, where
I teach English and creative writing.
My husband Cillian and I now live
in London, where he recently began
a new job as the curator of Classical
and Byzantine studies at the British
Library. This April, my first book, Circus
(a collection of short stories) will be
published by McClelland & Stewart, an
imprint of Random House Canada.”
Claire Battershill ’04 writes:
“In 2012, I completed my PhD
in English literature at the University
Lucas Lee ’97 released his second solo
album Normalcy Bias in 2013. The
music on this concept album is mostly
The ’90s
Chris Hutchinson ’90 has pursued
various livelihoods and made his home
in such places as Dawson City, YK;
Kelowna, BC; New York City, NY; and,
most recently, Houston, TX where he is
a PhD student in poetry and literature
at the University of Houston. He is
the author of three books of poetry, all
published in Canada. His most recent
book is A Brief History of the Short-lived
(Nightwood Editions, 2012).
Eric Kerr ’95 moved back to Victoria to
join Johns Southward Glazier Walton
& Margetts as a partner in early 2014.
He has resumed his practice in the areas
of real estate, lending, commercial and
corporate law.
Stay Connected
Did you know that the alumni updates section is one of the most popular
sections of School Ties? Even with Facebook, Twitter and other social media,
the alumni updates section is an important part of our magazine.
Update us today!
Telling us your news helps keep you connected to alumni outside of your
own network, whether it’s a recent graduate looking for some career advice
or a former classmate who recently moved to your city. We also want to hear
more about your life and work as it helps us find candidates for the feature
section of School Ties and makes sure you find out about alumni events in
your area.
Email:
It’s never been easier to share what’s new in your life.
Online:www.smus.ca/update
[email protected]
Phone:250-519-7508
rock instrumental (featuring guitars and
keys), with hints of experimental and
progressive elements. Featured on the
album is the legendary Pat Mastelotto
(known for his work with King Crimson,
Mr. Mister and Stick Men) on acoustic
and electric drums. Lucas produced,
composed, arranged, recorded and
mixed the album, as well as played
all instruments except for the drums
(guitars, bass, keys, violins).
Normalcy Bias is now available on
CD Baby, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon
and Spotify. More details are available at
www.lucasleemusic.com.
The ’80s
Alex Richie ’81 published her newest
book, Warsaw 1944: Hitler, Himmler,
and the Warsaw Uprising, which she
launched at the SMUS alumni reception
in London, UK.
Mauricio Rodriguez ’86 writes:
“For the last three years, I have been
developing a low-cost, electronic Braille
reader. This device has already won praise
The ’60s
Gary Wilson ’68 writes:
“I have long thought of writing an
open letter to the school, the students
and perhaps the alumni, though I’m
confident much of what I say would ring
hollow and fall on deaf ears. I am an alum
and proud of it, a member of the class of
’68 (yes, those rebellious rascals) that the
school seldom hears from, it seems.
“I have such grand memories of
my three years as a boarder in Bolton
House: the ups and downs, the trials and
tears, the misgivings and the uplifting.
I participated in all that was available
at the time, sparse compared to what’s
available today, but still. ‘U’ School was
growing, and had a good reputation.
Rugby, tennis, basketball, cadets, track,
rolling the cricket pitch (though I never
played the game), and yes – along with
everyone else – detention. (Do the kids
still experience detention, being ‘soaked’
when caught in the wrong, Saturday
mornings filled with the menial jobs
assigned as penance? I digress.)
“Of course studies, which I am so
thankful for, formed a solid base for this
not-too-interested soul. I was neither
number one in the class nor at the end of
the line. I was gratified upon returning for
my first visit many years after my senior
year. I searched for and found my name
on the plaque in the chapel, along with
others. I had indeed made it! On that
same visit, I played in an Old Boys versus
First XV rugby game (I don’t believe they
have those anymore). After my first tackle,
I wondered what on earth I was doing out
there; I was old. And though Mr. Smith
(our rugby coach back then) indicated my
tackling was perhaps suspect, I even saw
Brinkley miss one or two.
“I just read over the latest edition
of School Ties. I truly am amazed and
thrilled and encouraged to read of
the ‘vision, innovation, dedication,
achievement, accomplishment, and
Alex Richie ‘81 signs copies of her
latest book
Taun (Miller) Wright ’84 writes:
“This last year brought our second
grandchild, trips to England and France
to see friends and relatives, our 10-year
wedding anniversary and a temporary
adieu to Sarah Kerr ’84, who moved back
to Calgary after having been our neighbor
for the last decade. We went trick-ortreating at Daralyn Durie’s ’84 house
(just a few doors down) where her lovely
family – all dressed as pirates – offered
us treats for children and adults alike.
While maintaining an active practice as
a consultant to non-profit organizations,
this year I founded my own NPO to
address the need for more gender and
racial balance in children’s literature. Our
company, Wireless Industrial Technologies
(WIT), continues to apply wireless
technology to improve the productivity,
energy efficiency and environmental
footprint of heavy industries.”
and, recently, it came in second place
in an international competition from
the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow,
Scotland.”
Mauricio plans to redesign his
prototype based on feedback from users
using funds raised on Kickstarter, a
crowdfunding platform.
ALUMNI UPDATES
Normalcy Bias by Lucas Lee ‘97
Congratulations to Dr. Evan T.
Adams ’83, one of the 14 outstanding
Indigenous Canadians who has been
selected as a recipient of the 2014
Indspire Awards!
Dr. Evan Tlesla II Adams is currently
the Deputy Provincial Health Officer
with responsibility for Indigenous health
for the province of British Columbia.
Since 2012, Evan has worked to support
the development and operations of the
First Nations Health Authority as well
as reported on the health of Indigenous
people in the province. He is the past
President of the Indigenous Physicians’
Association of Canada and former
Director of the Division of Aboriginal
Peoples’ Health, UBC Department of
Family Practice. Evan was the recipient
of the 2005 Family Medicine Resident
Leadership Award from the College of
Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)
and the 2005 national winner of the
Murray Stalker Award from the CFPC
Research and Education Foundation.
Also an established actor, Adams has
received multiple awards for acting and
has been a part of numerous television
shows and movies, including the Emmywinning TV-movie Lost in the Barrens.
ALUMNI UPDATES
community involvement’ of past and
present students. I thoroughly enjoy
seeing pictures of the likes of Nutting
and
Featherstone,
remembering
challenging times and that we were all
knuckleheads... vision, accomplishment,
etc. came later!
“Over the years, reading of the
innovation and achievements has been a
real treat. The school has grown up. My
real reason in writing is for the rest of the
alumni, those like myself that were just
regular Joes. I am privileged and happy
to put those who have truly made a
contribution in any area on a pedestal for
a time, as enticement and encouragement
for students to lean toward. But what of
the ‘undistinguished’ group – I dare say
the larger number of kids that attended
the school – those that went on to make
ends meet and accomplish life, if you will?
“The ‘vision’ I shared with many
in my class, from the American point
of view, was the clamor of war in
southeast Asia, the prospect of the draft
and being shipped out. Even then,
Headmaster Timmis allowed us to
complain, we thought it reasonable to
make it an option to attend cadets in
the Canadian Scottish tradition, rather
than a mandatory function, considering
we were looking forward to a real war
experience. I don’t think he wanted to,
but he relented; however, I continued to
wear the kilt. ‘Innovation’ meant finding
a job after school was over. Community
college was okay, but I wasn’t over eager.
The rest, the ‘dedication, achievement,
community involvement, etc.’ came in
the life process as the years rolled by.
“I was married to a wonderful gal
within my first year of leaving school.
After almost 45 years, she remains my
sweetheart and my pal... I put that in one
of those ‘distinguished’ categories myself!
We have two great kids, who are quite
accomplished, and two grandchildren
(waiting to accomplish) in the wings. I
had a career in law enforcement (26 years
and 11 days, not that I was counting),
but younger criminals and a broken body
convinced me it was time to move on.
I spent another 16 years working in the
federal court system. I had positions in
the church from janitor to trustee, from
elder to chairman and even survived a
building project! During that time, I
decided I wanted to go back to school
and I did: Bible college. It was something
I wanted to do and was thoroughly
encouraged with the experience.
“I got my pilot’s licence, bought a
plane, flew back and forth to work for
several years (we lived on an island). I put
my kids through private schools (not “U”
school, beyond my budget) and university.
My wife and I enjoyed short-term
missions work in Uganda and travelled
on four continents. We crisscrossed
North America over the years, driving
the ALCAN Highway in ’78, Alaska to
Florida, California to the coast of Nova
Scotia and many points in between.
“We have experienced births and
deaths. At this point, I am retired. My
wife occupied a number of jobs part-time
over the years, preferring to be at home
for the kids growing up. We made that
and education a priority. We don’t have
a bill to our names. We live comfortably.
“‘Wow, what a boring tale,’ you might
say and you’re correct. But that’s the
point, more or less: the unremarkable,
but peaceable and content life had by
the ‘undistinguished,’ those that just
got an education in life as a boarder
and good classes. I had a health class
from Mr. Wenman, the ‘Bird’ as he was
affectionately called (behind his back!).
He reminded us to use soap when we
took a shower. Compare that to what the
youngsters in health classes learn today!
“Alas, my rant comes to a close. I have
written only to encourage those that may
not see the vision and accomplishment
of others or of the world for that matter
as something to strive for, but maybe
they ‘just’ want a life full of family and
laughter, willing to sacrifice the limelight
for lemon juice on the porch after a day at
the factory. We, the ‘undistinguished’ –
without resentment – doff our hats and
cheer as the parade goes by with the
successful. A funny parade it would be if
there wasn’t some to sit on the curb and
clap. Participants and observers, heads
held high!”
There were bells...
Danielle Topliss ’91 married Melissa
Caton on July 13, 2013. The ceremony
was officiated by Reverend Keven
Fletcher and attended by SMUS alumni
Gillie Easdon ’91 (bridesmaid), Rachel
Phillips ’91 (bridesmaid) and Anna
Kemp ’91.
Stephan Chapheau ’99 married Samantha
Welscheid on October 5, 2013 in
Montreal. Present were many fellow
alumni, including Jason Owen ’99,
Felicia Chapheau ’06, Dan Jost ’84,
Cameron Clark ’99, Alex Austin ’96,
Jon Preston ’99, John McGillivray ’99,
Kevin
Morin ’99,
Christopher
Chapheau ’02, Reid Chambers ’99,
Susan (Morris) Ben-Oliel ’82, John
Kwari ’99, Tim Street ’99 and Nicholas
Isaac ’99.
Yori Hagi ’02 married Craig Handley on
September 7, 2013 at Emerald Lake in
Jasper, AB.
David Angus ’94 married Jennifer Baur
at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
in Vancouver on September 14, 2013.
Present were Trevor Hoskins ’94,
Andrew Barry ’94, Alec Johnston ’98
Jason Owen ‘99, Felicia Chapheau ‘06, Dan Jost ‘84, Cameron Clark ‘99, Alex Austin
‘96, Jon Preston ‘99, Stephan Chapheau ‘99 (groom), Samantha Welscheid (bride),
John McGillivray ‘99, Kevin Morin ‘99, Christopher Chapheau ‘02, Reid Chambers ‘99,
Susan (Morris) Ben-Oliel ‘82, John Kwari ‘99, Tim Street ‘99, Nicholas Isaac ‘99
Paulina Lipska ’05 married David
Cameron on August 24, 2013 in Langley,
BC. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding.
Laura Faryna ’06 and Christine
Ottmar ’06 attended.
ALUMNI UPDATES
and Jenny (Angus) Johnston ’98 (with
their children Jamie and Shelby), Jaye
Russell ’94, Sasha Angus ’90, Samantha
(Frey) Karlos ’94, Eric Angus ’82, David
Angus ’62, Andrew Rippington ’93 and
his son Evan.
Nick Issac ‘99, Reid Chambers ‘99,
Jason Owen ‘99 and Kevin Morin ‘99 in
Montreal for Stephan Chapheau’s ‘99
wedding
Yori Hagi ‘02 and Craig Handley
Trevor Hoskins ’94, Andrew Barry ’94, Alec Johnston ’98 and Jenny (Angus)
Johnston ’98 (with their children Jamie and Shelby), David Angus ’94 (groom),
Jennifer Baur (bride) Jaye Russell ’94, Sasha Angus ’90, Samantha (Frey) Karlos ’94,
Eric Angus ’82, David Angus ’62, Andrew Rippington ’93 and his son Evan.
David Cameron, Christina Ottmar ‘06 and
Paulina Lipska ‘05
Mitchell Selly, Melanie Vogels, Gillie Easdon ’91, Rachel Phillips ’91, Danielle Topliss ‘91 (bride), Melissa Caton (bride), Kara
Wutzke, Angella Caton-Campos, Vanessa Caton, Joe Liimatta and flowergirls Olivia and Ariana.
ALUMNI UPDATES
New on the scene
Steve Tate ’98 and Debra Tate welcomed
daughter Della Claire Tate on April 30,
2013.
Rory Forbes ’90 and Kathi Forbes
welcomed Kaia Christine Forbes on
June 25, 2013 in Hong Kong.
Helen (Turner) Werbicki ’93 and her
husband Aaron welcomed a daughter,
Margaret Eleanor Otieno Werbicki, on
May 14, 2012.
SMUS Lifer Helen (Lamla) Gosniak ’96
and her husband Peter welcomed their
daughter Estella Maria into the world on
July 1, 2013 in Vancouver, BC
Steve Romanchuk ’98 writes:
“My wife Jennifer and I are proud
to announce the arrival of James Allan
Romanchuk on Saturday, February 1,
2014 at 8:39 pm. Weighing in at 7lbs
14oz and standing 21 inches tall, this
little guy, who is named after both of his
grandfathers, arrived four days early and
with a full head of hair. We are all doing
well and can’t wait for everyone to meet
Baby James.”
Martin Edward Stipp was born in Beijing
on September 12, 2014 to Nicholas
Stipp ’99 and Vivian Wang.
Alec Southern Hollingworth, first son of
Jean (Daniel) Hollingworth ’98 and Tom
Hollingworth (SMUS Middle School
French Teacher) was born March 15,
2013.
Margaret Eleanor Otieno Werbicki, was
born on May 14, 2012
Alec Southern Hollingworth with parents
Jean (Daniel) Hollingworth ’98 and Tom
Hollingworth
Estella Maria Gosniak
Martin Edward Stipp
Della Claire Tate, daugher of Steve Tate ‘98
and Debra Tate
James Allan Romanchuk
Rory Forbes ‘90 with daughter Kaia
William McIntosh ’30 passed away
in July of 2013, one month before
his 100th birthday. William attended
University School from 1926-1930.
He completed his Grade 13 Senior
Matriculation in 1930, before his
17th birthday. He graduated from the
University of Manitoba with a BSc in
electrical engineering and later became
a mechanical engineer. From 1966 to
1981, he was a teacher in the Engineering
Department at Royal Roads Military
College. He led a long and healthy life
and his obituary notes that his devotion
to sailing was such that he raced 12 minisailboats when he was in his 90s. Also, at
the age of 96, he attended the Victoria
Alumni Reception in 2009.
Theo Hudec ’40
Martin Hudec ’39
thanks to Sylvia Moser for setting the
record straight.
Theo’s grandchildren did attend the
school and logged an impressive amount
of years between them: Stephan Moser
(Kindergarten to Grade 2), Richard
Moser ’08 (Grade 5 to 12) and Christina
Moser ’06 (a lifer who attended from
Kindergarten to Grade 12).
The following obituary is reprinted with
corrections from our Summer 2013 issue.
CORRECTION: THEO HUDEC ’40
An error in the obituary of Theo Hudec
in the last issue of School Ties incorrectly
stated that Christian and Claudia
Knoglinger were Theo’s grandchildren.
Our apologies for this error and our
Larry Devlin ’59, a family friend of
the Hudecs, wrote this tribute to two
fine men:
“Brothers Martin Hudec ’39 and
Theo Hudec ’40, both alumni with
long and deep connections to the school
community, died in April and August
of 2012. Martin and Theo (Ted) Hudec
came to University School from Shanghai
in 1937, in part, because their uncle,
Gerald Tisdall, had earlier retired to the
Cowichan Valley from China and his
youngest son, A.G.H. (Binkie) Tisdall had
attended University School in 1924-1929,
where he was an outstanding athlete.
“Martin graduated from University
School in 1939 and Theo in 1940. Both
brothers returned to Shanghai where
their father was a prominent architect.
Despite wartime occupation of the
Shanghai International Settlement, they
continued their studies in languages and
science. As adults, their linguistic skills
were remarkable and included Japanese,
Mandarin, German, French, Spanish
and Portuguese.
“In 1948, the family emigrated to
California. Martin and Theo enrolled
at UBC where they studied business,
economics and engineering.
“Both brothers maintained contact
with the school during their long and
successful international careers. Theo’s
grandchildren attended the school and
logged an impressive amount of years
between them: Christina Moser ’06 (a
lifer who attended from Kindergarten to
Grade 12) Richard Moser ’08 (Grade 5 to
12), and Stephan Moser (Kindergarten
to Grade 2). Martin came to several recent
alumni reunions including his 70th in
2009, at which the statue of Reg Wenman
was unveiled.
“Martin often spoke of the positive
effect that G.H. Scarrett (Headmaster,
1935-1948) had on his life, and he
regularly wore his black and red University
School tie with great pride.
“Both brothers died within four
months of each other, peacefully
surrounded by family members, friends
and others who had been witness to
the Hudec energy for life, wisdom and
civility.”
PASSAGES
Doug Friesen ’82 died peacefully on
July 30, 2013 in Vancouver after a long
struggle with a brain tumour and multiple
sclerosis. Doug attended school first in
Vancouver at Trafalgar Elementary and
Prince of Wales Secondary, and completed
his high school years at St. Michaels
University School in Victoria. He attended
the University of British Columbia and
Queen’s University in Kingston, earning
bachelor of arts and masters of public
administration degrees. After working
for a number of years in Toronto for the
government of Ontario, Doug’s career
took him back to Vancouver, where he
worked for Cornerstone Planning and
Context Research.
A world traveller, Doug visited
over 30 countries, gaining deep respect
and understanding of other cultures.
This experience, combined with his
natural compassion, modesty and tireless
courtesy, made him loved and respected
by many friends from all walks of life. As
his disease progressed over the last few
years, Doug focused his attention on his
beloved wife Ruth Casey and daughter
Lily, enjoying their loving family life,
their neighbourhood and their many
close and wonderful friends.
The family accepted donations to the
BC Cancer Agency in lieu of flowers.
PASSAGES
Passages
Scott Stone ’02
by Ian Hyde-Lay and Gary Barber
A
plaque on a bench in the Senior School quad reads “I’m
not telling you it is going to be easy. I’m telling you it is going
to be worth it.” The words are a fitting memorial to Scott Stone,
a student at the school from Grades 1-9 and a young man who
achieved so much before his untimely death at the age of 24.
Scott started his time at SMUS in the Junior School, where
he was recognized as a kind student with an insatiable love of
sports. His joyful attitude on the sports field was infectious
and he quickly became a leader and role model. The wonderful
memories we have of Scott at the Junior School were honoured
on Saturday March 8, 2014, when SMUS hosted the Scott
Stone Memorial Basketball Jamboree at the Senior School.
Scott continued to enjoy sports at the Middle and Senior
Schools, becoming a dominant athlete who excelled in
particular at lacrosse and rugby. Scott’s sense of adventure also
made him keen to travel the world. This wanderlust saw him
move to New South Wales in Australia for Grade 10, where,
in addition to sport and academics, he learned to surf and
spear fish. He also volunteered at the Koala hospital, tending
to sick animals.
Back on Vancouver Island, he moved to Oak Bay High
School and enjoyed a 1st XV tour to Britain as well as
competing in the annual Boot Game against his old SMUS
friends. He remained on the national rugby radar, but focused
mainly on lacrosse, moving quickly through the junior ranks
before representing both the Nanaimo Timbermen and
Victoria Shamrocks.
The travel bug hit again after graduation, as he left for
South Africa and stints as a field guide at game reserves in
Pongola, Thabazimbi and Kruger National Park. While,
over the years, he had some close encounters with rhinos,
elephants, lions and crocodiles, African wildlife remained a
great fascination and joy for him.
Upon returning home to Canada, Scott then worked as a
lineman in Alberta, but still found time to travel Down Under
and to Asia.
Finally back in Victoria, Scott obtained his commercial
helicopter pilot licence early in 2013. He was in the process of
adding a US licence when he tragically passed away.
Scott’s memorial service was held at Shawnigan Lake,
one of his favourite places on earth and the site of so many
happy times with family and friends. That hundreds of people
attended, from all over the world, spoke volumes about the
lives he had touched. He is missed immensely by those who
loved him and had the pleasure of knowing him.
Scott Stone ’02, Camille Stone ’11 and Mac Stone ’09
Scott Stone ‘02
dream big
Join Renee Dugan ‘90 and other SMUS alumni in our
annual fundraising effort to help others have a SMUS
education and also to support special projects
that benefit the school. Renee says her time at
St. Michaels University School prepared her for her
dream job and that she contributes because “I want
anyone to have the same chance I was so lucky to get”.
Let’s make dreams a reality, together.
For information call:
+1 250 370 6197 or visit
smus.ca/dreambig
Publications
Mail Agreement
#40063624
Upcoming Alumni Gatherings
Canada
Victoria, BC
Vancouver, BC
Calgary, AB
Edmonton, AB
Montreal, QC
Toronto, ON
Ottawa, ON
Kingston, ON
London, ON
United States
San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles, CA
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Boston, MA
St. Michaels University School
3400 Richmond Road
Victoria, BC, CANADA V8P 4P5
If undeliverable, return to
International
London, UK
Edinburgh, UK
Paris, FR
Tokyo, JP
Beijing, CH
Hong Kong, CH
Melbourne, AUS
Seoul, KR
We want to visit you!
Tell us which cities we should visit or
let us help you plan or host an event.
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: www.fb.com/smusalumni
Twitter: @smusalumni
www.smus.ca/alumni

School Ties - St. Michaels University School

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