Cynthia Friesen
Instructor - Virtually Together in Song
I grew up in a musical family, inspired by my Opa who traveled across Holland in a barbershop quartet. My mother often led music in church and by the time I was 9, I found myself accompanying her on the piano and singing harmony…a great way to grow up. Following the RCM curriculum, I passed the Grade 10 piano exam towards the end of high school and went on to pursue my ARCT in performance as a student at the conservatory in Toronto, studying both piano and voice. I was mobilized to return to teaching and am delighted to balance a coaching practice of voice students in my home studio with the directing of choral programs at St. James Music Academy. The children and youth I sing with inspire as I witness both growth and transformation. By engaging musically, they are enhancing their emotional wellbeing in the digital world we all find ourselves in. Pathways have also opened up to support creative aging and life enrichment for adults through choral singing at the BC Brain Wellness Program.