2013 Tempo Festival Adjudicators

Piano - Mary Jo Carrabré

Mary Jo Carrabré is known for her quiet demeanor and dedication to work as a musician, performer, teacher and administrator. As an educator, Ms Carrabré has a distinct approach in her teaching style that is both engaging and empowering.

As the Brandon Centre Representative for the Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations, Mary Jo has become a recognizable and calming influence for the young exam candidates. She is also sought after as an adjudicator at music festivals throughout Canada, most recently for the Southeastern Manitoba Festival. These roles bring Mary Jo into contact with thousands of young musicians each year. “Music can play a vital role in how they mature and develop.”

Mary Jo is in her 13^th year as the Director of the Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory of Music at Brandon University. “I feel very privileged to serve in this position and I’m thankful to my colleagues for their encouragement and expertise. We are all proud of the quality of music instruction we provide”.

Mary Jo holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Manitoba where she studied with the late Marek Jablonski and a Master of Music degree from the University of Western Ontario.

Mary Jo is also active on a number of boards, including the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition. “This great organization brings our young Canadian artists to the national stage.”    

Ms Carrabré enjoys her active musical life, loves entertaining her friends and colleagues and looks forward to meeting new challenges that lie ahead.       

Dance 

Sam is a dancer, yogi, TRX trainer, adventurer, inspirer, butt kicker and lover of life.  As a professional dancer she has toured and performed in musicals such as West Side Story, Chicago and Guys and Dolls, and appeared in films including Shall We Dance and One Last Dance. She was drawn to yoga and

Pilates as supplements to her dance training and fell in love with their blend of breath, movement and meditation.

Sam’s playful, open approach to life comes across in her classes. She has extensive training and performance experience in jazz, ballet, tap, hip hop and musical theatre. She completed her 500-hour Moksha Yoga teacher training in Kerala, India, then went on to train with the “dancer’s yogi” Shiva Rea in LA completing her Fluid Vinyasa, Chakra Vinyasa and Trance Dance trainings. She also completed Part Two of the Ashtanga-inspired One Yoga Teacher training, the Anusara Immersion trainings and restorative yoga training with Michelle Kronenberg.  Sam is a certified Stott Pilates Mat instructor and Reformer trainer.  She has also completed her TRX and Zumba teacher trainings, is currently studying meditation and is passionate about learning more, and more….

Sam is the creator of the Lifestyle Pass, a passport which encourages and supports healthy living in Winnipeg. In 2011, the Lifestyle Pass raised $15,000 for Free the Children’s Adopt a Village program in Kenya.

Her interest in supporting human development inspired her to pursue life coach training with CoachU, enneagram studies with the Enneagram Institute in NY and Healing Touch courses  Sam loves traveling and learning from different cultures. She recently spent time in Africa, teaching yoga in Morocco and volunteering in Ghana. She is passionate about living life to it’s fullest with a joyful heart and inspiring others to do the same.