Music Academy
Bronwyn Harvey
Head of Arts And Culture
I hail from Cape Town, but moved around quite a bit, starting my teaching career in 2002 at Kingswood College in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, before returning to the Western Cape in 2015. I am committed to excellence in the Arts and believe in the holistic value of an arts education for every child. I have a background in music, specifically singing, theatre, and all things performance-related, and while teaching in those disciplines is at my core, I still enjoy performing given the chance, most recently at the Masque in Muizenberg in “The Murder of the Murder” of Roger Ackroyd. My vision for the Arts and Culture at Cannons Creek is for every child to find their joy through and in the Arts, and to leave the world a little better than how I found it.
Gail Levitt
Gail teaches class music, piano, recorder in the junior school. She is also responsible for the junior choir and ORFF ensemble. Gail graduated from the University of The Western Cape with a bachelor of arts majoring in music and psychology. She completed a higher diploma in education at UWC and the advanced certificate in education (arts & culture) at Stellenbosch University. a multi-talented instrumentalist who plays the organ, piano, saxophone and violin, she also sings in the new apostolic church choir. Gail is passionate about music education, in particular, the ORFF Schulwerk and has taught instrumental and class music. She loves to work with children, who keep her grounded. Gail is a member of the Orff Schulwerk society of South Africa and has travelled locally and abroad to train in this holistic approach to music education.
Galen Davids
Recorder, Flute and Saxophone
Galen was born into a musical family. Although none had pursued the career professionally, she was constantly surrounded by Music which ignited her passion. Having started Music lessons at the age of five, she continued throughout her schooling career. She graduated with BMus in 2021 and PGCE, specializing in Music in 2022. It is a passion of hers to assist and teach individuals who share a similar passion, to achieve their goals. She believes it is important to understand how to express oneself and be confident in one's abilities. Galen joined Cannons Creek in 2023.
Vincent Varrie
Guitar
Vincent Varrie graduated from Stellenbosch University with the advanced diploma in classical guitar performance and is currently busy with his BMusic honours specialising in advanced guitar teaching method. Vincent started music lessons in high school and always had a passion for the guitar. He comes from a family of teachers and naturally followed in their footsteps. Vincent attended Simcha Academy for a few months and thereafter he spent two years in the certificate programme at Stellenbosch University, where he won the karen maritz trophy for the most promising student. Vincent teaches classical guitar to primary and high school pupils at Cannons Creek. Vincent Varrie joined Cannons Creek in 2019.
Judith Stiller
Judith Stiller joined the Cannons Creek music academy in August 2021. She grew up in KwaZulu-Natal, but went to study at UFS in Bloemfontein to obtain a BA Mus and her B Mus(ed) degree. She worked in the music field for many years, being a member of the SAPD band, and teaching at a couple of schools. Her last position was at Treverton College and prep, where she taught for many years. There she taught piano, recorder, entry level guitar, class music, and was in charge of the marimba band, bell choir and the school choir at prep and college level. She also assisted the drama department with the musical side of stage productions. Judith says that the real joy of music teaching is to reach the heart of the child, and to build confidence, and to foster a lifelong love of music.
Lia Hall
Singing
Lia graduated from the University of Cape Town with her Bachelor of Music in classical singing in 2018, and her Post Graduate Certificate of Education in 2019. She has been teaching singing, beginners piano, and class music at various schools since graduating and loves her work. Lia started taking singing lessons at the age of 8 due to her love of musical theatre songs, she knew since then that she wanted to become a professional singer. Throughout her school journey, she was lucky to be educated by very passionate music teachers and was inspired to be able to do for other young musicians what they did for her. Lia enjoys the challenge of teaching and is always finding new ways to explain techniques to her students so that they can musically express themselves through the art of song.
Angus Warden
Drums
Angus Warden began his music career at SACS and Beau Soleil, performing in many ensembles, winning a Timpani competition, selected to represent the South Africa Big Band (in Grahamstown in 2002), completed a BA in Psycholoy and Law and a BMus degree in Jazz Studies at UCT. A founding member of The Nomadik Orchestra, recording on a SAMA winning album "Ontwaak", by Arno Carstens, and sessioning for two decades, Angus now directs his own music studio offering teaching and production tuition in the Southern Suburbs. Angus is a composer, and a qualified Life Orientation teacher having completed his PGCE during lockdown, and is currently completing his MMus at Stellenbosch University.
Grant Adams
Marimbas
Grant has been teaching the Marimba bands at Cannons Creek since the commencement of the programme started in 2015. In addition to teaching, he has also manufactured the instruments for the school. He has been involved in music throughout his life and has been passionately teaching Marimbas and training teachers at various schools and institutions all around the country since 2008, teaching everybody from scholars and students to nuns, even teaching a Marimba band at Pollsmoor Prison. In addition to teaching he also actively performs with his professional band, even having had an occasional team-up with our Drum Teacher, Angus Warden, years ago in an Afro-fusion band called Siyeza. Grant has had the opportunity to perform for many celebrities as well, including Nelson Mandela, Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Tebow, Mariah Carey, Cuba Gooding Jnr, Madcon, Sir Richard Branson, and Barack Obama. Having done studies in applied psychology at UNISA, Grant is passionate about combining his psychology studies with his passion for teaching by having it help shape his teaching methods and enrich connections between him and his students.
Lee Smith
Violin
Lee started violin at the age of 10, and by age 15 joined the East Rand Youth Orchestra. It was during this time that she decided to study music. She was then accepted to study for a BMus degree at the University of Pretoria (2010). After finishing her BMus in 2013, she enrolled for the MMus in Education degree. Lee is a passionate chamber and orchestral musician who enjoys all kinds and genres of music including jazz, baroque, folk, and contemporary. She has played under esteemed conductors such as Eric Rycroft, Graham Scott, Gerben Grooten, Eddie Clayton, Evgeny Bushkov, Daniel Raiskin, Daniel Boico, and Matheu Kieswetter. Lee is also the secretary of the South African Viola Society, head librarian and ensemble manager of the Sempre Opera company, as well as the President of the South African String Society.
Lee has received master classes from internationally renowned string players such as violinists Piet Koornhof (2009), Antoinette Lohman (2012), and Suzanne Martens (2013), and violists Elmarie van der Vyver (2014), Jeanne-Louise Moolman (2015), Louise Lansdown (2015/2016), Vladimir Ivanov (2015), and Gareth Lubbe (2016). Lee is a founding member of the Sempre Opera Instrumental Ensemble, established in 2013. This ensemble has played concerts all around the country including cities such as Wakkerstroom, Pietersburg, Nelspruit, Pretoria, and Johannesburg, and internationally at the Windhoek Arts Festival in 2014.
Lee is a career musician, arts,-and private violin & viola teacher. Despite her schedule, she still engages in higher music-making activities such as chamber music courses (SICMF, UFS Chamber music workshops), master classes, and musicianship enrichment courses (Orff Schulwerk, Colourstrings kindergarten). She is also a permanent member of the English and Irish folk music trio Bonny at Morn, which makes live music for an array of occasions.
Chiara Wheatley
Violin
Chiara Wheatley began her music journey at a young age, starting with piano lessons and eventually transitioning to violin lessons. Her interest in the violin grew as she joined youth ensembles, developing a love for ensemble playing. This passion led her to the University of Pretoria, where she completed a Bachelor of Music degree while actively participating in the University's orchestra as a tutti violinist and serving as part of the student management team.
Throughout her musical career, Chiara has performed in various and diverse musical events. From performing with the Golden Gate Classics orchestra, to performing as a background musician on shows such as "Idols" and "The Voice," and even dancing on stage with an electric string quartet group, to name a few. Chiara began teaching individual violin lessons in 2018 in Pretoria and Johannesburg and has since brought her expertise to Cape Town in 2024. She is now teaching at various schools in the Southern Suburbs, continuing to share her passion for music with her students.