Shauna DeGruchy is a freelance trombonist and music educator based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her performance career spans a wide range of genres and performance settings including orchestras, wind ensembles, big bands, musical theatre productions, and pop music groups. She is a founding member and co-artistic director of Alkali Collective, a contemporary chamber group based in Halifax. As an avid supporter of contemporary music she has commissioned and premiered several new solo and chamber music compositions for her instrument.
Shauna has performed in many festivals and conferences across Canada, including the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Sonic Boom New Music Festival, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Acadia University’s Shattering the Silence New Music Festival, Upstream Music Association’s Open Waters Festival, and the Halifax Jazz Festival, as well as events such as the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. She has toured internationally with several ensembles, including a performance in Tokyo, Japan as a soloist with the Vancouver Pops Symphony Orchestra.
Shauna is a dedicated music educator with more than fifteen years of teaching experience. Her approach prioritizes well-rounded musicianship and practical skill-building, including strong technique, diverse repertoire, and a sound-driven approach to self-analysis. She offers lessons through her private teaching studio and the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts. She also teaches at the postsecondary level at the Fountain School of Performing Arts at Dalhousie University. As a clinician, she has coached and led workshops for the Dalhousie University Wind Ensemble, the Nova Scotia Youth Wind Ensemble, the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, as well as many school band programs and community groups.
Shauna holds an undergraduate degree in music education and performance from Acadia University and a master’s degree in trombone performance from Université de Montréal.