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 - Stephanie (Sam) Manchulenko   

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.

Band/Instrumental - Paul Moen

Paul Moen is active as a clinician and adjudicator in Manitoba.  He retired full-time teaching at Garden Valley Collegiate in Winkler, Manitoba in 2010.  Paul came to Canada in 1982 from the United States, where he taught band in public schools in both South Dakota and Minnesota.  Paul’s teaching career has spanned all age levels from grade 5 through 12.  His undergraduate degree in music education is from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota and his Master of Music degree in clarinet performance is from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

Paul has served on the board of the Manitoba Band Association and was president of the Southern Manitoba Concert Series.  He started and conducted the Southern Manitoba Community Band as an outlet for people who are through high school, but continue to enjoy playing their band instrument.

Paul greatly appreciates working with young people as they strive to grow musically and stretch themselves to pursue excellence.  His favorite motto for life and for inspiring students is “Success is not something to wait for; it is something to work for.”  Paul strongly believes that quality music programs can greatly help young people down the pathway of success.

Paul is married and has two children in university.

Speech Arts - Al Thorleifson

Al Thorleifson taught senior English, Math, and Choral Music at Nellie McClung Collegiate in Manitou, Manitoba for thirty-eight years. He has since gone back to university a fourth time.He has taught public speaking and dramatic arts at many levels both in the schools and in the community. Mr Thorleifson is, as well, a published poet and story teller. He has acted and performed in festivals and concerts for decades and still enjoys doing so. He integrated these storytelling skills into the classroom as a teacher and worked to develop the same skills in his students.

Mr Thorleifson performs with the vocal group On the Edge, which performs everything from Celtic music to Jazz and blue grass.  As well, he sings with the Borderline Singers and is a member of the Manitou Coffee House Musicians.He is a dedicated member of the board which maintains and promotes the Manitou Opera House, southern Manitoba’s oldest performing arts theatre.

Mr Thorleifson and his wife, Loretta, are the proud parents of two wonderful young adults, Erin Rose and Skye – both of whom love performing, as well.

Vocal/Choral - Loretta Thorleifson

Loretta Thorleifson attained a B. Ed. In Music at the University of Manitoba under the mentorship of Henry Engbrecht, and has been privileged to be involved in choral music ever since.  She has taught choral music extensively at the Junior High and High School Levels, and her choral experience has spanned everything from directing a blind children’s choir in Botswana, to a vocal jazz ensemble on Parliament Hill.  She directed the choral program at Garden Valley Collegiate in Winkler for many years where she grew the program to three concert choirs and two vocal jazz ensembles and was the founding director of the “Inversions”. 

Loretta has enjoyed acting as a guest conductor/adjudicator at numerous choral events throughout Manitoba, and was pleased to have conducted the Intermediate Provincial Honour Choir several years ago.  She is also currently privileged to be conducting the adult chamber choir “Prairie Singers”.  Loretta has studied voice with Henriette Schellenberg of Winnipeg, and continues to enjoy singing in choirs herself, including the Mennonite Festival chorus which regularly performs together with the Winnipeg Symphony orchestra.  She also pursues her passion of building choral community by serving as president of the Manitoba Choral Association, through her work with the Central Manitoba Choral Association, and with her local festival committee. 

She and her husband Al perform with a Celtic/folk quartet called “on the Edge” as well with “Grace Notes”, a group dedicated to singing sacred music.