Teaching Philosophy

Music is full of decisions. How we listen, interpret, respond, collaborate, and communicate all shape the artistic experience. My teaching focuses on helping students develop the skills, understanding, and confidence needed to make those decisions thoughtfully and independently.

I view musicianship as more than technical proficiency. Strong musicians are not only capable performers, but also thoughtful listeners, creative problem-solvers, effective collaborators, and lifelong learners. My goal is to help learners build connections between hearing and understanding, technique and expression, analysis and performance, and individual practice and collaborative music-making.

My teaching emphasizes practical engagement with music. Singing, playing, listening, creating, analyzing, rehearsing, and performing are not separate activities; they are different ways of exploring and understanding artistic ideas. I encourage students to approach music from multiple perspectives, developing flexibility, curiosity, and the ability to transfer skills across different musical contexts.

A central goal of my teaching is to help students become their own teachers. Rather than simply providing answers, I aim to equip students with the tools needed to listen critically, identify challenges, evaluate options, and make informed artistic decisions. Whether working on instrumental technique, musicianship, interpretation, or creative projects, I encourage students to take an active role in their own development and to cultivate the habits of reflection and problem-solving that support long-term growth.

I also believe that learning is strengthened through collaboration. Rehearsals, lessons, workshops, and classrooms are not only places where information is transmitted; they are spaces where ideas can be tested, refined, and explored collectively. Creating supportive environments in which students feel challenged, respected, and encouraged to contribute is an important part of my work as an educator.

My teaching is informed by my experiences as a performer, university instructor, arts leader, and collaborator. Across these roles, I am interested in helping people develop confidence, cultivate curiosity, and build the skills needed to contribute meaningfully to creative work and artistic communities. Ultimately, my goal is to help students become thoughtful, capable, and independent artists.

Areas of Teaching

University Instruction

Undergraduate musicianship instruction at Dalhousie University’s Fountain School of Performing Arts, including aural skills, sight singing, keyboard skills, dictation, ear training, and integrated musicianship.

Private Instruction

Trombone and low brass instruction through the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, with an emphasis on sustainable technique, sound development, efficient practice strategies, and diversified repertoire in lessons tailored to the goals of each learner.

Ensemble Coaching

Coaching and sectional leadership for ensembles ranging from youth and community groups to university ensembles, with particular interests in collaborative rehearsal processes and contemporary performance practices.

Workshops & Clinics

Guest workshops and clinics in musicianship, contemporary music, rehearsal process, creative music-making, and brass performance.

Community Music-Making

Facilitation of accessible and participant-centred creative music experiences for community groups, libraries, schools, and organizations.

Experience

Shauna DeGruchy is a musician, educator, and arts leader based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Nova Scotia. She teaches undergraduate musicianship at Dalhousie University’s Fountain School of Performing Arts and trombone and low brass at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts. Her teaching work spans university instruction, private lessons, ensemble coaching, workshops, and community-based music education.

With more than fifteen years of teaching experience, Shauna has worked with students of all ages and experience levels, from young beginners to post-secondary musicians and emerging professionals. Her teaching emphasizes strong musicianship, critical listening, creative problem-solving, and the development of practical skills that support long-term artistic growth. Across all settings, she encourages students to become thoughtful, independent musicians capable of making informed artistic decisions and taking ownership of their own learning.

At Dalhousie University, Shauna teaches core musicianship courses that integrate ear training, sight singing, keyboard skills, dictation, listening, analysis, and collaborative music-making. Her work includes course planning, assessment design, curriculum development, and the creation of learning experiences that connect theoretical understanding with real-time musical practice. She is particularly interested in helping students build connections between hearing, understanding, and performance, and in developing approaches to teaching that are engaging, practical, and accessible.

Alongside her university teaching, Shauna maintains an active private studio and regularly coaches ensembles, sectionals, and workshops. Her approach to instrumental instruction emphasizes sustainable technique, sound development, efficient practice strategies, stylistic flexibility, and the cultivation of strong independent learning habits. She has led clinics and workshops for organizations including the Nova Scotia Youth Wind Ensemble, Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, Dalhousie University Wind Ensemble, Atlantic Festivals of Music, school band programs, and community music organizations.

Shauna’s educational work is informed by her active career as a performer and arts leader. As Co-Artistic Director of Alkali Collective, she regularly develops educational initiatives that connect students, emerging artists, composers, and audiences through workshops, mentorship opportunities, rehearsals, and performances. These activities include Alkali’s annual Call for Scores initiative, collaborations with student ensembles, library programs, and community-engaged creative projects.

Shauna views professional development as an essential part of her work as an educator. By continuing to learn, perform, collaborate, and engage with new ideas, she strives to ensure that her teaching remains current, relevant, and responsive to the evolving needs of students and artistic communities. Recent professional development includes Kodály Level I Musicianship Training, participation in the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Cultural Leadership program, and a Performance Fellowship at the Nief-Norf Summer Festival.

Shauna holds a Bachelor of Music in Education and Performance from Acadia University and a Master of Music in Trombone Performance from Université de Montréal.