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A&D Music originally started as A&D Productions back around 1992 as a production company for live musical festivals and concerts. Back then, A&D was involved with various events such as the Chilliwack Jazz Festival. Over the years, some of our clientele has included Dal Richards, Michael Buble, Canadian Idol Productions, 1066 Annual Variety Show plus many many more.
In 2007 we decided to take the company, which operated out of our home office at the time, to the next level. As we were both leaving our positions with our respective employers, we decided to look into moving the business into a commercial location and include a music school to be the dominant part of the operation. We scouted various locations with our desire to be located in downtown Abbotsford since it is in the midst of a major revitalization. We have also had a long-standing relationship with the Abbotsford Downtown Business Association through Tom Lee Music and Berry Festival.
Over the summer, we found a location and constructed the studios with the help of family and friends. By September we were ready to open our doors. In addition to the construction, we spent a lot of time advertising and took an active part in promoting A&D Music, and as a result we enrolled quite a number of students for fall’s lessons.
Before the start of fall’s lessons, we had a majority of our teachers in place and held a teaching seminar lead by Merv Mauthe, creator of Tri-tone Music Academy (TMA). TMA is an alternative and practical approach to learning music that is endorsed by leading universities and used world-wide.
The opening of A&D Music created quite a buzz in the community as we launched our advertising campaign. As a result, we had a very successful first year. That December we held the Christmas recital, which turned out to be a huge success with many happy parents and students. The following spring we held our year-end festival, which turned out to be even more of a success. To this day we are still amazed at the rate that children can learn music.
We believe that the biggest asset is not with the building, equipment or inventory, but rather it is with the quality of the staff. We are very fortunate and proud to have some of the best teachers in the community on staff. Some of them have literally grown up with our programs as former students while others come highly recommended through friends and associates.
A&D Music is now under A&D Sound & Stage Productions Ltd.
Now in 2023, we are focusing our energies on teaching. We want to extend thanks to you and all those involved with A&D Music and for supporting the growth of music education in children and adults.
Asger & Deb Hansen
DEB HANSEN: Owner; piano & keyboard teacher – Deb has been teaching music for over 40 years, with this being her 31st year as a Tritone Music Academy teacher. She has an honors degree from Western Board in Electronic Organ and Theory. She is an Examiner for the TMA (Tritone Music Academy) Course and has been a Clinician with TMA at various Western Regional Teacher’s Seminars. She was instrumental in writing the TMA Intro Teacher’s Guide and, because of the great success of the Intro Guide, Deb was commissioned to write the Level 1 Teacher’s Guide for TMA Canada. Both guides are published by Hal Leonard and used by teachers world wide. She has also worked as the B.C. coordinator for the TMA Regional Festival. Deb has extensive training with TMA Canada & holds numerous teaching diplomas from TMA Canada.
ASGER HANSEN: Owner, guitar & piano teacher – Asger has been involved with music for most of his life. As a student, he was mostly self-taught on guitar, accordion, (yes, really!) harmonica, and mostly anything he could get his hands on. His formal training included trumpet and, believe it or not…bagpipes. However, Asger soon realized the coolness factor was not there as a 16 year old when he realized that he would have to wear a kilt in order to continue to play in the pipe band. So, that was the end of his piping career, plus he didn’t feel any patriotic ties to Scotland being a full blooded Dane.
After graduation Asger soon ended up on the road with various rock bands. During his touring years they played many, many bars and clubs throughout Western Canada. They played in some the largest urban clubs in Vancouver, Calgary, Prince George, and Winnipeg to just about every small pub.
They did have the opportunity to share the stage with a number of then and now famous musicians including the Guess Who, David Foster’s group Skylark, The Collectors (now Chilliwack), The Vancouvers (Tommy Chong’s band) plus more groups than Asger can remember.
Once Asger decided to leave the road, he ended up with years of regular day jobs but he always had a weekend band of some sort.
Eventually, Asger ended up in radio broadcasting by starting out as an operations manager of a small town radio station in Burns Lake, B.C. A few years after that, Asger became an accounts manager (advertising sales) at CFVR/850 in Abbotsford and later joined JR-FM in Vancouver doing “On Locations”.
During his broadcasting years, Asger gained a ton of knowledge in radio commercial production, recording, and all aspects of the broadcast industry.
For over 25 years, Asger was involved with the Chilliwack Jazz Festival both as an entertainer and in sound production. It was there that Asger had the privilege to perform with the late great Linden Garner and also with an upcoming rising performer, Michael Buble.
One of the bands that Asger performs with is 1066, a local celtic band that has performed both sides of the border for the past 35 years. Some of their guest performers include Susie Francis, Michael Kaishammer and Will Millar, former front man of the Irish Rovers. His most recent band was Horizon, comprised of some A&D teachers as well as Crystal Hicks on vocals.
He has been very involved in music education for many years along with his best half, Deb.
ASHLEY STECIUK : Keyboard & piano teacher – This is Ashley’s 22nd year as a music teacher with the A&D team. She is just one of our TMA teachers who came up through the Technics (Tritone) Course herself. She has completed the TMA course, completing the exams with honours while obtaining some of the highest marks for various levels. Ashley won numerous awards at both local and Regional Festivals in the years she was a student. Ashley has trained with Deanna Tice, owner of Take Note Music Studio in Edmonton and a TMA clinician & educational specialist who has trained music teachers across North America, Australia and the UK. Ashley holds numerous teaching diplomas from TMA Canada.
CHERYLE DAHIROC: piano teacher – Cheryle has been into music mainly piano and voice since the age of 4. She completed Level 8 certification from the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM). She has been teaching piano privately for several years. She has a passion to teach students beginning their musical journeys. Her hobbies include arts, cycling, and doing volunteer school supervisions. She is excited to be celebrating her 2nd year with the A&D Music family.
KESLEY SCYNER: Piano, Clarinet & Vocal – Kelsey has been playing piano & singing for as long as she can remember. At age 4 years old, she began piano with the TMA program (the course we use here) and is currently working on her ARCT Performance in Piano and Elementary Piano Pedagogy. Currently she is the accompanist and assistant conductor for Philomusica Chorus in Chilliwack and was accompanist and assistant conductor for Tayosei Children’s Choir and ToniX Teen choir. She is also a regular accompanist for voice students in Chilliwack Lions Music Festival and plays for church services. Kelsey loves to sing in her spare time. She is excited to be teaching piano in her 7th year with A&D Music.
NOVA GUO: Piano – Nova is an experienced piano teacher with a passion for music and piano since age 4. Having completed Level 10 of The Royal Conservatory of Music, she is currently aiming to finish her ARCT exams. Nova has a lot of experience teaching music, musical theory, and has worked with many children in both music and art. Nova’s teaching philosophy is that students should not only play the music, but should enjoy and understand it.
This is her 3rd year with A&D Music.
TAMMY BROWN:Piano/Keyboard/Organ and Preschool Music Classes
Tammy began her teaching career back in 1985 when she became the youngest Organ instructor in Canada for the Yamaha Music Education foundation. She later completed certificates in the Yamaha Piano and Keyboard course as well as the Yamaha Junior music course. After having her own children she obtained various teaching certificates with TMA Canada and with many fun-filled productive years teaching with several music schools in the lower mainland, Tammy decided to open her own studio in 2005. Tammy became a fully certified Music for young children© teacher and the Abbotsford Director of the ‘Music pups’ course for infants, toddlers and preschool aged children. Along with her numerous teaching certificates, Tammy also holds an ECEA license with the province of BC and is a fully certified Royal Conservatory of Music Elementary Piano Specialist. With over 30 years of teaching experience in group and private lessons, Tammy is excited to bring her wealth of knowledge, passion for music and love of students of all ages to A&D Music for her 7th consecutive year. When Tammy is not teaching, she can be found playing ‘keys’ for local vocalists, bands, worship bands as well as writing music as a published songwriter with Daybreak Music.
ROD SWANSON: Piano, keyboard, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, bass and guitar teacher – Rod brings with him over 40 years of teaching experience within Manitoba and BC and has worked with the A&D teachers for the past 22 years. He has performed throughout Canada & the U.S. in various venues including TV appearances. Rod has used his unique musical gifts to create arrangements of popular songs for guitar, keyboard and midi instruments. He has a diploma in Electronic Music Technology from the National Radio Institute in Washington, D.C. and completed Grade 10 classical guitar with the Conservatory of Toronto. He has taken additional classical guitar training master classes with well known musicians including Leona Boyd and Norbert Kraft. His Grade 9 Conservatory Organ training was with Richard Grieg and Larry Weckwerth. He has trained with Deanna Tice, owner of Take Note Music Studio in Edmonton and a TMA clinician & educational specialist who trained music teachers across North America, Australia and the UK. Rod rounds out his education with diplomas from TMA Canada.
TATIANNA TINITIGAN: Piano & Vocal teacher – Tatianna is starting her 2nd year with A&D Music this coming 2024-2025 school year. She has experience in teaching vocal and piano lessons to children of preschool age. At four years old, she began her musical journey here, at A&D Music, in group lessons. She took levels 1-8 in the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Repertoire and Music Theory. Currently, she is taking level 9 of the Royal Conservatory and continues to improve her skills. She started taking vocal lessons at eleven years old and began competing shortly after. Competing in international and regional competitions, Tatianna has won many awards for singing, performing, and piano, including four scholarships to intensive musical training in Vancouver. Specializing in musical theatre, Tatianna has trained with the Arts Club of Vancouver, the Kay Meek Conservatory, and Creative Edge in Abbotsford. Tatianna performs at events, festivals, and as opening acts for Filipino celebrities. In her spare time, you can find her in her room, writing songs with a guitar in-hand. This is Tatianna’s second year teaching with A&D Music.
