Cosmo School of Music Guitar Teachers

Justin Poon is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where he studied guitar performance and electronic production and design. He also holds a master’s degree from the University of Toronto in music technology and digital media.

His musical background spans rock ‘n’ roll, pop, jazz, blues, electronic music, and everything in between, having performed across Canada and the United States. His artistic endeavours include DJing, producing, audio engineering, working as a sound designer for video games and film, and running a record label.

Justin’s approach to teaching involves tapping into what the student is most passionate about musically and what inspires and motivates them in learning their instrument. From there, he explores the most relevant fundamentals—whether it be technical ability, reading, ear training, composition, or musical theory—to help students achieve their goals and improve as efficiently as possible.

Matthew Quirke has been teaching guitar and music theory since graduating in 2019. He is punctual and dedicated to his students. He teaches a variety of popular music genres, including rock, pop, country, funk, and folk. Matthew enjoys helping students reach their full potential while also preparing them for various musical endeavours, such as recitals, auditions, and other live performance scenarios. He believes in teaching technique and musical comprehension through material that students enjoy and recognize, making practice as engaging as possible.

Matthew studied jazz guitar and music performance at Carleton University, where he explored a range of subjects, including jazz theory, ear training, and popular music history courses. When he is not busy teaching, he performs with bands around the Greater Toronto Area and records guitar for his own projects as well as for others.

Mike Smith has been teaching music to all age groups for over 30 years. He is fluent in a wide variety of styles, including rock, blues, jazz, country, and bluegrass. He strives to present well-rounded lessons that link music theory and performance. Mike has helped many secondary school graduates prepare for and transition into postsecondary music education. He has also assisted many adults who struggle to “break out of the box” on guitar.

Mike has earned a BFA in music from York University and a master’s degree in jazz performance from the University of Toronto. He has performed across Canada, as well as in the United States and the United Kingdom, with a wide array of musical acts.

You want to participate in the musical experience from the very beginning of your studies. Give yourself permission not to let what you can’t do get in the way of what you can do. See yourself as a musician from the very start. Explore, discover, and enjoy your unique musical personality with a “make the most of what you’ve got” attitude. Randy Finney believes that his job as your teacher is to understand, respect, and embrace your unique musical personality while guiding you on your journey of discovering how physical technique, ear training, theory, sight reading, and rhythmic articulation can best serve you as a musician.

As a young child, Randy grew up with classic country (Porter Wagoner, Kitty Wells, Faron Young, et al.). In his teens, he embraced classic rock (The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, et al.). Later, he became enamoured with the big band era, which led him to study music at Humber College. Randy graduated from Humber with honours in 1991 and was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award for Guitar. While at Humber, he discovered guitarist Lenny Breau, which introduced him to Chet Atkins and many great guitar players inspired by Chet. In 2004, he founded the Toronto Fingerstyle Guitar Association, which has brought many of these players to Toronto for concerts and clinics.

Randy’s teaching career began in his second year at Humber when one of his teachers recommended him to Humber College Continuing Education to teach a guitar course. This inspired him to take a pedagogy course in his final year, leading to a lifelong love of teaching and exploring teaching methodologies. His dedication to learning how to teach allows him to adapt to and accommodate a wide variety of student learning personalities.

Elliott Chung has been playing guitar for over 15 years. He currently holds a Level 8 certification in classical guitar with the Royal Conservatory of Music, having passed all his playing and theory exams, including Level 9 history and harmony, with first-class honours or higher. Elliott has been teaching in various settings for over five years and has experience working with students of all ages.

With his dedication to the art of guitar instruction and his Bachelor of Education, Elliott strives to instill a solid command of the instrument in his students while also building their artistic confidence. He has studied with various teachers in Toronto, including Michael Kolk of the Henderson-Kolk guitar duo. When not teaching, Elliott performs live and has experience at weddings, dinner parties, and other special events. In addition to classical guitar, he also enjoys and teaches rock and pop styles.

Having taught guitar since 1975 and been involved in many aspects of the music business for over 25 years, Paul Wickham brings a wealth of experience to his teaching. He has taught classes, clinics, and seminars in various guitar styles and singing at Guitar Workshop Plus and the York Board of Education. Paul has also performed with John Allan Cameron, David Sinclair, John Knowles, and Matt Smith, among others. His unique program is designed for students aged nine and older, regardless of their level of ability, to provide an enjoyable learning experience.

Andrea Casciato has been teaching guitar, music theory, and musicianship at Cosmo School of Music since 2005. He never misses a lesson and has an excellent student retention rate. He teaches popular music and classical music, effectively preparing students for Cosmo School of Music recitals, Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) exams, and university auditions. Andrea believes in comprehensive music education, and his lessons include technical work, rhythmic training, and music theory. Above all, he strives to teach students how to practice so they can work independently from a teacher during the week between lessons.

He studied classical guitar at the Royal Conservatory of Music, where he completed exams in guitar performance, music history, and music theory. He is an RCM Silver Medal recipient in classical guitar performance (2009, Level 10 guitar) and a three-time recipient of the Royal Conservatory's Teacher Certificate of Recognition for student achievement in Level 6, Level 7, and Level 8 guitar exams. When he is not busy teaching, he writes music for solo guitar. His music has been published in the 2011 Royal Conservatory of Music guitar series and is listed in the 2011 and 2018 RCM guitar syllabus. Over the years, Andrea has been involved in many genres of music and has performed in various venues across the Greater Toronto Area. He was a guest performer with the Vesuvius Ensemble in 2022.

Andrea Casciato is an RCM-certified teacher.

Teaching has always been an important part of Dan Sargeant's life, as he has been a music teacher for 35 years. Since 1981, Dan has taught in various music schools throughout Toronto and in public and private schools, including Bayview Glen Private School, Toronto District School Board, Dixon Hall School, and Royal Orchard Public School. He also has experience in music therapy.

Steve Gotlib's lesson focus is on theory, technique, and ear training to provide students with a strong foundational understanding of their instrument. At the same time, he emphasizes the importance of learning simple songs, melodies, and pieces that help inspire and motivate students to practice.

Steve is a busy sideman in the Toronto area and often plays with his own Brazilian jazz trio, Que Isso.