2010 Performer Biographies

	Helen Davis-Herdman 2nd Year Medicine Helen Davis-Herdman is a self-taught guitarist (with much help from family!) with over a decade of vocal training. In addition to playing covers of some classic folk tunes, she enjoys composing her own music and performing when she can find the time. She is in her second year of medical school, having completed a degree in Ancient History at Trent University, and enjoys making time for her various creative outlets as life continues at an ever-increasing pace.
	The Deloraines Social Work, adjunct faculty Members of the band have performed as The Deloraines for almost 30 years. Beth, Malcolm, Steve and Warner are all graduates of the Faculty of Social Work at the U of T and Malcolm and Steve are affiliated faculty members of the School of Social Work.   Most of the band's performances over the past 30 years have been in support of various social or health causes. The band regularly appears to kick off events like the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario's annual "Walk of Hope", the Creative on Queen event as part of the annual Queen West Arts Crawl and throughout the year in support of many local social and recreational programs in support of socially disadvantaged individuals and persons living in the community with mental illness.   The band prides itself in it’s ability to perform a variety of musical styles, incorporating elements of classic 60’s British rock ‘n roll (Steve), 70’s folk rock (Bill), western swing (Warner), finger style guitar (Malcolm), all anchored by Richard’s impeccable bass licks and supplemented with Beth’s vocal harmonies.   www.myspace.com/deloraines
	The Pro-Teens U of T Biochemistry Department The Pro-Teens - three professors from the U of T Department of Biochemistry who have a fondness for the fabulous rock ‘n’ roll and doo-wop music of the 1950’s - are delighted to return to Earthtones in 2010.  The three profs – Roy Baker, Charles Deber, and Reinhart Reithmeier – are a team that has been teaching 2nd year “Introductory Biochemistry” (BCH210) to over 1000 students each Fall in Convocation Hall.  At Earthtones, The Pro-Teens will once again display their musical talents and perform some ‘50s-style tunes - with possibly a few modern twists on the lyrics.
	Vicki Wang 1st Year Medicine Vicki Wang is a first-year medical student. Vicki graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, with a BA in Honors Biology and a BM in Piano Performance, where she studied with Angela Cheng.  From 1998-2005 Vicki was also a student at the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Young Artists Performance Academy, studying with Marietta Orlov. Vicki has participated in various competitions including the Kiwanis Music Festival and the Canadian Music Competitions. She has also been a top prize-winner at the Canadian Chopin Competition, the OSM Standard Life Competition, the Shean Piano Competition, and the TD National Piano Concerto Competition. Vicki has also taken part in numerous master classes and festivals including the Banff Centre Piano Master Class and the Aspen Music Festival and School.
	Ahmed Taher 1st Year Medicine Ahmed graduated UofT Scarborough in 2009 with a joint degree in Paramedicine. He now works as a part time primary care paramedic for York Region EMS and is in first year of medical studies at UofT. Ahmed plays the cello, guitar, and has played the Tabla for over nine years. What started as a hobby of lining up and banging on his mom¡¦s pots and pans when he was two turned into playing the Tabla. Ahmed also enjoys cooking, listening to Tiesto ƒº, traveling and spending time with family, his wonderful girlfriend Jenn and friends.  Tonight¡¦s performance is a mix of popular Egyptian and other Middle Eastern beats, Hope you Enjoy!
	Maladies of Adam Stokes The Maladies is a bunch of friends having a good time. Originally started as a change in genre for Mikey and Kohji, the band took on a new form after picking up Ted, Emily, Brett and Josh. It's become an outlet for us to spread our musical wings. Playing instruments we haven't played before and writing folk/rock/country songs is all very new to us. That being said, we're just writing the songs that make us happy. And hopefully they make you happy too! Read more: http://www.myspace.com/themaladiesofadamstokes
	Richard Weisdorf 1st year M.Sw. Factor-Inwentash social work student at U of T      Toronto born pianist Richard Weisdorf has been playing music since a very young age starting off with a love for classical music. As he's gotten older, he began to create his own pop compositions which he performs at open mics around Toronto. His self-composed songs sound like musicals mixed in with a bit of klezmer. He has also used his piano skills as a member of a variety of bands and has been a part of session music recordings for other independent artists. Currently, he is a graduate student in the Master's of Social Work program at U of T which is representative of his passion for helping people.
	Penny Yin 2nd Year Medicine Penny was first introduced to classical piano at the age of 6, and holds an ARCT Performer’s diploma with the Royal Conservatory of Music.  As a second year medical student, she finds both excitement and respite in playing the repertoire of Romantic and Impressionist composers such as Chopin, Debussy.  She is also thankful for her family’s continued support throughout her musical and academic training.   During her free time, Penny enjoys running, and trying out new chocolate recipes for baking.
	Rae Graham and Jenny Lam 1st Year Medicine Jenny and Rae bonded over a mutual tendency to leave things to the last minute. At first it was just nice to see a familiar face arriving late and out-of-breath to important events during orientation week.  But soon, they realized that they shared more than a lack of punctuality.  Both had also set aside their musical and artistic sides to pursue the long road of medicine. So when they heard about Earthtones they both decided it was time to dust off their song books and stretch out the old music muscles.  Together, they sweated and worked to combine Jenny's classical piano skills with Rae's jazz vocals in order to create a style all their own
	Onoscatopoeia Since the group’s inception in 1999, The University of Toronto's Hart House Jazz Choir, otherwise known as Onoscatopoeia, has continued to defy expectations. Its long list of successes range form an award-winning album, From the Hart (2006), to performing alongside JUNO Award nominees. In 2008, the University of Toronto group released its sophomore album, The EH List, showcasing the tremendous vocal talent of the group’s dedicated and accomplished musicians. The album’s content is entirely Canadian and features songs arranged by ensemble members. A group of 20, Onoscatopoeia is made up of undergrads, grads, professional students, and alumni that sing jazz, pop, and R&B music. Most importantly, we sing a cappella! Harmonies blend to form all the necessary lines to a piece of music. Our only instruments are our voices, and what may sound like a wailing trumpet may just be one of our sopranos. We actively perform at private and public function across Ontario and have previously been one a handful of Canadian semi-finalists in the International Competition of Collegiate A cappella. We strive to develop our musical skills while balancing an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie, ultimately making every effort to make great music!
	ROCSAUT Allegro Choir Radiation Therapy Established in 2007 by Angel Chen, ROCSAUT Allegro Choir is a choir with repertoire focusing on Taiwanese, Chinese and English songs from all genre, many of which arranged by its members. Our passion and our share of love for music are what make make us unique. Allegro Choir rehearses once a week and perform at various venues and events. It has its very own concert annually.
	Orbital Groove 1st+2nd year Medicine Orbital Groove is the official band of the University of Toronto Medical School.  It originally formed as the band for Daffydil, the annual Faculty of Medicine cancer charity show. Over time Orbital Groove became its own entity and now headlines multiple charity shows every year.  The band thrills audiences with its energy and mix of musical styles including rock, pop, alternative, rap, funk, and more. The group changes hands each year and is currently made up of students from the medical school classes of 2013 and 2014. Vocals: Katrina Piggott & Erin Sadler Guitars: Ashish Deshwar & Jason Rajchgot, Keys: Carol Lam, Bass: Chris Doiron, Drums: Daniel Ennis.
	Katrina Piggott 2nd year medicine Kat Piggott is a 2nd year medical student who adores music. She is much indebted to a handful of loving influences, including her talented mother Julia, and father Ben for always encouraging, her sisters for joining in, and Mike Chamberlain for making it beautiful.

2009 Performer Biographies

Onoscatopoeia
Onoscatopoeia otherwise known as O-Scat, is the University of Toronto’s Hart House Jazz Choir; a mixed, 28-voice a cappella vocal ensemble. Founded in 1999, the group has earned a reputation in the Toronto area for its polished and spirited performances. O-Scat features a diverse repertoire, with arrangements covering a wide variety of genres, including jazz, pop, R&B, and world music. Since the group’s inception, Onoscatopoeia has continued to defy expectations with its long list of successes, ranging from an award-winning album, "From the Hart" (2006) to performances alongside Juno-award nominees. In November of 2008, Onoscatopoeia released its sophomore album: “The Eh List”. Showcasing the tremendous vocal talent of the group’s dedicated and accomplished musicians, the album’s content is entirely Canadian, and features songs arranged by ensemble members.  

Katrina Piggot
Kat Piggott was born in half-asia and earned enough money to move to Canada by appearing in several commercials for products like Saturn and the city of Vegas.  She is an avid and horrible frisbee player and spars with her fighter fish, Sylvester.   She now lives in Toronto working as an expert layman, and on her free time, she participates in a myriad of theoretical extreme sports (zero-gravity bungee jumping, desert kayaking, and “no impact” mountaineering). She would like to thank her family for coming to the show to… omg hamsters are so cute <3

Calvin Ke
Calvin Ke is a second-year medical student. Born and raised in Toronto, he began studying piano at the age of four. At the Royal Conservatory of Music, he studied under Spiro Kizas and Andrew Markow, and earned his Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto (ARCT) Piano Performer’s Diploma at the age of eighteen. He has performed at many venues, including Roy Thomson Hall at the Steinway Pianos “Hear the Stars of Tomorrow” concert. In 2004, Calvin was awarded the Founder’s Trophy and Scholarship for finishing second overall at the Rotary Music Festival, and went on to compete at the Provincial Music Festival organized by the Ontario Music Festivals Association.  In addition to his solo activities, Calvin is also an accompanist for the medical student choir Healing Tonics, and a member of the Orbital Groove band (keyboard and synthesizer).

David Frost
David Frost is the Chief Medical Resident in the Internal Medicine Program at Toronto Western Hospital.  He is an award-winning classical guitarist, having studied under Jeffrey McFadden at the Royal Conservatory of Music for 11 years.  His preferred style is classical, but he also enjoys playing in the flamenco style.  He will be playing 2 examples of well-loved Spanish guitar repertoire on his Ramirez guitar.

Wenshan Li
Wenshan Li began playing the piano at five in China. While studying with Professor Xiao Ping Luo, she has received many awards including 3rd place of TOYAMA Cup Piano Competition in 2001, 2nd in China Regional (nine provinces) of the 65th Steinway International Children & Youths Piano Competition in 2001 and Excellence Award in its national final. She held her first recital, at twelve, sponsored by Steinway & Sons. Since immigrating to Canada in 2003, she has studied with Andrew Burashko at the Young Artists Performance Academy of RCM for 5 years. Having passed the Performer’s ARCT, she has won the YAPA Concerto Competition in 2006 and performed with the Academy Symphony Orchestra in 2007. Wenshan has also won 1st place in the National Finals of the Canadian Music Competition (Piano 18), and her major performances include at the Barrie’s Color of Music Festival, with the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, and playing live for 96.3 radio. In February 2010, she will be playing the Chopin Concerto no.2 with the Toronto Sinfonietta.  Aside from being a pianist, Wenshan is a student in the Life Sciences program at the University of Toronto St. George Campus. She is also a certified lifeguard and swim/lifesaving instructor.

Pro-teens
This is the debut of The Pro-Teens, a group of three professors from the U of T Department of Biochemistry who have a fondness for the fabulous rock ‘n’ roll and doo-wop music of the 1950’s.  The three profs – Roy Baker, Charles Deber, and Reinhart Reithmeier – are a team that has been teaching 2nd year “Introductory Biochemistry” (BCH210) to over 1000 students each Fall in Convocation Hall.  At Earthtones, The Pro-Teens will come to Con Hall this time to display their musical talents and perform some ‘50s-style tunes with possibly a few modern twists on the lyrics. 

Allegro Choir
Established in 2007 by Angel Chen, ROCSAUT Allegro Choir is known for its young spirit and passion in singing. The repertoire focus on Chinese pop and folk songs arranged by its own members, but also include a variety of choral musics from different genres. Members share a common love for music and enjoy time spent together.

Kerr Duo
Shannon Kerr is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto jazz program, majoring in voice, and is currently working on her Master's of Speech-Language Pathology at U of T.  Shannon works as a voice teacher and choir director, as well as performing around Toronto. 

Tyson Kerr is also a recent graduate of the U of T jazz program, majoring in piano.  Tyson is a very active teacher, composer and performer on multiple instruments.

Dan Petrescu
Born in Bucharest Romania, Dan began playing the piano at the age of 6. Upon coming to Canada at the age of 9 he continued to get piano lessons and eventually branched out into music composition at the age of 14. He is currently in his 4th year of medical school here at the University of Toronto, but somehow finds time to continue his musical activities not only composing and performing piano music, but also conducting a chamber choir in his spare time. The piece he composed and will be performing is entitled “Les Adieux” which incorporates some Romanian folk music themes.

Amy Bourns
Not your traditional acoustic songstress, Amy draws on a wide array of musical influences from blues to folk and punk to pop.  Prior to attending medical school, Amy was a member of the indie-rock collective Corduroy Leda in Guelph, Ont., where she developed her hard-hitting guitar style.  Currently a Family Medicine resident at Sunnybrook Hospital, she continues to embrace music as an avenue for self-expression.  Tonight she is delighted to be performing one of her own compositions entitled "C'mon In".

Dr. Don Melady and Caesar Lim
Dr. Don Melady, like many physicians, is an enthusiastic amateur musician. When not practicing and teaching Emergency Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, he performs chamber music, piano solo, and sings in a community choir. He continues lessons and classes with Dorothy Glick and Lawrence Pitchko.  Don also shares a commitment to improving medical care in the developing world. During medical school he co-founded MedOutreach at UWO. 25 years later, MedOutreach is still bringing medical students to African communities to help and learn.
Caesar Lim is currently a second year student in the Faculty of Medicine.  He began his music studies on the piano.  Since age 10 he has developed his enjoyment for the cello with his teacher Paul McCulloch.  Caesar has participated in orchestras and chamber groups throughout his academic career at University of Toronto including the Hart House Chamber Orchestra and continues his passion for playing the cello in small ensembles.  

Orbital Groove
Orbital Groove is the official band of the University of Toronto Medical School.  It originally formed as the band for Daffydil, the annual Faculty of Medicine cancer charity show. Over time Orbital Groove became its own entity and now headlines multiple charity shows every year.  The band thrills audiences with its energy and mix of musical styles including rock, pop, alternative, rap, funk, and more. The group changes hands each year and is currently made up of students from the medical school classes of 2012 and 2013.

Onoscatopoeia (also known as the Hart House Jazz Choir) is the premiere a cappella vocal ensemble at the University of Toronto. Founded in 1999, the group has had a diverse membership, including students, faculty, and alumni. Since the group?s inception, Onoscatopoeia has continued to defy expectation with its long list of successes, ranging from an award-winning album, "From The Hart" to performances alongside Juno-award nominees. Onoscatopoeia will be
returning to the studio in 2008 to record its much anticipated sophomore album.


2) The Duetting Deans
"Slavonic Dance in G minor, Opus 46/8 Piano Duet" by Dvorak
"Petite Suite, #1 En Bateau Piano Duet" by Debussy
Jay Rosenfield and Maureen Shandling

Inspired by the success of the show "Two Pianos, Four Hands", the Duetting Deans, a one piano, four hands group, is thrilled to debut at the Earthtones Concert. Maureen and Jay enjoy taking time away from their day jobs as Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medicine Admissions, and Vice-Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education respectively, to rehearse and play together, having each performed solo at concert venues in the past.


3) Lee Fidler
“Clap?by Steve Howe
Lee Fidler (Guitar)

Lee Fidler, playing jazz, blues and rock & roll has been performing since the age of 8 years old. Currently playing with the Orbital Groove, UofT Medical School band, Lee continues to enjoy a life enriched by music.

4) Dan Petruscu
"Two Romanian Folk Dances" by Dan Petrescu
Dan Petrescu (Piano)

A student in the second year medical class, Dan Petrescu learned to play the piano when he was six years old, at the Dinu Lipatti Music School in Bucharest, Romania. Upon coming to Canada, he continued taking lessons and eventually began composing at the age of fourteen. While he enjoys music of many different genres, Dan mainly draws his inspiration from classical works. The two pieces he performs this evening are among the earliest he ever wrote, a short tribute to the lively folk music of his heritage.
 

5) Ian Nillas
"Knocks Me Off My Feet" by Stevie Wonder
Ian Nillas (Vocals)

Ian Nillas is a 3rd year Arts and Science Student, who works as a PGME assistant at Post Graduate Medical Education Office. He likes soul, R&B and blues music. He is an executive for the Filipino Students Association of U of T. He is also active in his community through the Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance, an organization that addresses the issues of Filipino
youth, migrant workers, as well as issues in the Phillipines. He auditioned for Canadian Idol, and sang at various fundraising events to help the poor and needy in the Phillipines.

6) Joanna Tang and Carolyn Jane Shiau
"Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35"
"III. Finale: Allegro vivacissmo" by Tchaikovsky
Joanna Tang (Violin) and Carolyn Jane Shiau (Piano)

Joanna is a third-year UofT medical student who began playing the violin at age three. She has completed her Royal Conservatory of Music Performer's and Teacher's ARCT Diplomas, as well as a Music Performance Diploma from McMaster. She has played in various orchestras including Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra (concertmaster),
Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival Orchestra in Germany, and currently Hart House Orchestra (co-concertmaster).

Carolyn is a second-year pathology resident who began playing the piano at age three.  She has completed her Royal Conservatory of Music Performers ARCT Diploma as well as a Piano Performer's Diploma from the Vancouver Academy of Music.  She has travelled to Holland, Italy, and USA to give solo and chamber music concerts.  She is currently the assistant conductor for the Hart House Jazz Choir and arranges the choral and instrumental music for various campus groups. 


7) Orbital Groove
'What's Going On?' by Marvin Gaye
"One Love" by U2
"Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer
Simon Baxter (trumpet), John Difabio (guitar), Mark Difabio (drums), Lee Fidler (guitar), Ben Fine (vocals), Sonilla Gupta (vocals), Sarah Hugh (vocals), Keeley Johnston (trumpet), James Kennedy (alto sax), Sunny Khanna (bass guitar), Sarah Mahmoud (vocals), Sarah Moore (keyboards), Daniel Rosenfield (alto sax)

Orbital Groove is the official band of the University of Toronto Medical School. It originally formed as the band for the Faculty of Medicine cancer charity show, Daffydil. However, over the years Orbital Groove has become its own entity, thrilling medical students with each concert and performing several styles of music including, rock, pop, funk, r&b, folk, and many more. The band changes hands each year and is currently made up of students from the medical school classes of 2010 and 2011.


8) Peter Wu
Rhapsody in B minor Op. 79 No.1 by Brahms
Peter Wu (Piano)

Peter Wu is a 2nd year medical student and is an A.R.C.T. piano performance
candidate with the Royal Conservatory of Music. He attended St. Michael's
Choir School where he toured nationally and internationally as both a
chorister and piano accompanist. Currently he is a member of the Cantabile
Chamber Singers and the Victoria Scholar's Men's Ensemble.


9) Erik Mandawe
Song for Ekaterina" by Erik Mandawe
Erik Mandawe (Guitar)

Erik Mandawe is a 2nd-year student at the University of Toronto, studying a Specialist Degree in Medical Anthropology.  Within the Faculty, he is best recognized as the Coordinator of the Summer Mentorship Program in Medicine.  Erik has been composing and performing his own music at EarthTones for the past 2 years and is sure to astound our audience with his own unique style of Flamenco-Blues Fusion Guitar.

10) Tyler Done
"Walked Away" by Tyler Done and Kid Klassic Productions
Tyler Done (Vocals), Eric Mandawe (Guitar), and Hannah Park (Cellist)

A recent graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Tyler Done is a singer/songwriter pursuing graduate studies in Comparative Physiology.  Tyler is joined by Kashif Majeed, an optician and talented music producer who has his own production label called Kid Klassic Productions, and Hannah Park, an experienced Cellist and 1T0 class member.


11) Mississauga Youth Choir
"I'll Praise the Lord" by Robert Bennix
"More Like Him" by Robert Bennix
Head Director: Melissa Prescott, Assistant Director: Alrica Jones

MYC is an energetic Gospel chorale based out of the Mississauga Seventh-day Adventist Church.  MYC was formed by a group of dynamic singers in August 2001 who united their voices to deliver a powerful yet youthful ministry.  MYC has been featured at the John Tory Leadership Dinner where they sang for the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper and more than 1,800 of his guests and most recently was the first choir to be featured live at FLOW 93.5 FM studios on "The Word", an inspirational and joyful Gospel music program airing Sunday mornings.

        

Venue: University of Toronto, Convocation Hall,
St George Campus, 31 King's College Circle

Date: Saturday, November 20, 2010.
Time: 7:00pm (doors open 6:30 pm)

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online at U of T Tix and from University of Toronto Central Box office
$10 advance/ $15 at the door

Hart House
7 Hart House Circle
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 3H3