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MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Midland Y’s Men’s Music Festival encourages the study and advancement of music from the Renaissance to the 21st Century, while providing youth of all ages and backgrounds an opportunity to perform, to be ajudicated by music professionals and to be rewarded.

The goals of the Y’s Men’s Music Festival are to:

provide students motivation to develop a high level of performance;
provide students opportunity to hear other students perform, thus stimulating their desire for growth;
provide students opportunity to compare their own standard of achievement with those of other students;
provide students an environment where the quality of material performed is stressed;
provide students an event in which they can receive objective and constructive criticisms of their performance;
provide music teachers with a setting in which they may appraise their own standard of accomplishment; and
to provide the community with a source of enjoyment for both performers and listeners.

2023 Adjudicators

This year, we are thrilled to announce an amazing team of industry professionals as our 2023 adjudicators.

Mark Caswell - Instrumental/Strings

Rob Tardik - Guitar

Michael Faulkner - Piano

Stéphanie McKay-Turgeon - French Vocals

Michael Faulkner - English Vocals

FESTIVAL OF THE STARS - MAY 25, 7:00 PM

ST THERESA'S SECONDARY SCHOOL

347 GALLOWAY BLVD, MIDLAND

Michael Faulkner - Piano and English Vocals

An active member of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ORMTA) Kingston Branch and National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Michael Faulkner studied at Queen’s University, Kingston and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Piano/Voice performance and pedagogy as well as in music theory and history. Known for his musical insight, beautiful tone and technical command, Michael began his music studies at age four, participating in numerous music festivals and competitions and receiving many top awards and distinctions. Michael enjoys a rewarding career as teacher of more than 60 weekly students of all ages and levels in piano, voice, pedagogy and theory. As an examiner and clinician for Conservatory Canada, Michael has had the opportunity to work with music teachers and students across this wonderful country. For many years, Michael led a large community choir in the Quinte region with great passion. Michael is an avid animal lover, helping in the training future of future guide dogs for the Lion’s Foundation of Canada, with his family. As well, Michael loves to attend concerts, support the theatre and explore nature.

Stéphanie McKay-Turgeon - French Vocals
Canadian soprano Stéphanie McKay-Turgeon enjoys a multi-faceted career as a recitalist, pedagogue, and researcher. Known for her expressive warm timbre, she holds a master’s degree in performance and vocal pedagogy from the University of Toronto with soprano Wendy Nielsen. Currently a doctoral candidate at the U of T, her research interests include the role of vocal timbre in performance, with a focus on Henri Dutilleux’s vocal repertoire. The refinement of her interpretation of the mélodie repertoire made her the recipient of grants from organizations such as the Académie Francis Poulenc in Tours (France), and of the Art Song Foundation of Canada. At the U of T, she was awarded many scholarships, such as the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Award, and the Richard Bradshaw Graduate Fellowship in Opera. In recent years, Stéphanie has had the pleasure of learning from great masters such as the late Jessye Norman, François Le Roux, Margo Garrett, and Steven Blier. For over a decade, Stéphanie has also enjoyed a fulfilling teaching career, accompanying students in their discovery of singing and French lyric diction.

Rob Tardik - Guitar
Canadian-born, Toronto-native Rob Tardik is a multi award-winning guitarist and contemporary pop/jazz/world/fusion instrumental music artist, who has performed at venues all across North America. Rob's last 10 album recordings have spawned 6 U.S Billboard charting singles, two of which went to the Top 10 on U.S contemporary jazz radio. His recent awards include being a finalist and honorary mention in the 2019 International Songwriting Competition, winning the 2018 & 2007 Established Solo Music Instrumental Mississauga (MARTY) Arts Award, and also placing 1st overall in the prestigious 2017 IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards), and being named the 2010 Canadian Smooth Jazz Guitarist of the Year. His latest multi-album release DIVERSITY is a 4-volume compilation in his various musical styles featuring all new material and re-mastered songs from all his past six recordings. He is an active music/guitar professor at the Metal Works Institute, Centennial College, Long-McQuade, and the Merriam School of Music and a Godin Guitars and D ‘Addario endorsed artist for over 25 years.

Mark Caswell - Instrumental/Strings
Mark recently retired after a lifetime career of teaching music at Markham District High School, his home school for more than thirty years. He was blessed to spend these many years teaching with his wife and choral director, Dawn, as well as their daughters Faith and Madison who were also actively involved in program. The MDHS music department was home to several concert bands, jazz ensembles, choirs and chamber ensembles, consistently earning Gold awards when attending Nationals at Musicfest Canada. Through his years as Head of Music at MDHS, their senior tour bands have traveled to more than twelve countries across North America and Europe, and in 2016, the MDHS music staff were collectively presented with the YRDSB Teaching Award of Excellence.

Mark is a founding member of the Ontario Band Association, serving as President as well as his continuing role as Festival coordinator for the Provincial Band Festival for more than 20 years. He has also been an active adjudicator, conductor and clinician across the province for many years, and continues to be a member of Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Association, the OMEA and the Canadian Band Associations. Mark has also been the recipient of an Honorary Lifetime Membership Award by the Ontario Band Association. Most recently, Mark has taken on a new role with Yamaha Music Canada as an Artist Educator.

Mark has always had a strong commitment to the development of student leaders within high school music programs and has been a teacher facilitator at the Ontario Education Leadership Centre, published articles, and presented workshops on student leadership at OMEA conferences. As recognition for his years of leadership and volunteer activities, Mark was recently privileged to be presented with the Canadian Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers by The Chancellery of Honours, Rideau Hall, Ottawa.