Derrick Lewis is an active composer, accompanist, arranger, performer, and teacher of music for nearly 40 years. He is almost equally at home with classical and jazz, specializing in music of the ragtime era, from the late 1800s to the 1920s. He holds two ARCT (Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto) in piano and composition, as well as a B. Ed. from the University of Toronto and an M. Mus. degree from the University of California, Riverside. He has held positions as the head of music in several TDSB (Toronto District School Board) schools and two private schools. He has also won awards for choral directing, and is known for his excellent musical leadership of both vocal and instrumental ensembles of children and adults.
Besides music, he enjoys playing Scrabble, spending time with the cats we live with, watching classic movies, computer simulations, and reading.
Meri Dolevski-Lewis
Meri Dolevski-Lewis is an active teacher, performer, composer, arranger, and a published writer on music. She was former Associate Principal Clarinet of the Scarborough Schools Symphony Orchestra, and played second clarinet in the Malcolm McGarth Orchestra. She has played in numerous chamber ensembles, including a wind quintet with piano. She made her debut as a professional performer on clarinet and E-flat clarinet in a production of Cabaret at the New Yorker Theatre in downtown Toronto. Since 2004, she has been a woodwind instructor and conductor at a free summer children’s music camp in Scarborough. In May 2012 she appeared as a guest soloist at a church in Yucaipa, California, USA, which was extremely well received. She appears as a soloist at various churches for services, and performs solo and chamber music at a variety of functions from benefit concerts to weddings. She holds certificates in clarinet, piano, and theory from the Royal Conservatory of Music, and is working towards her ARCT in clarinet performance. Some of her compositions and arrangements are available for sale as part of Sheetmusicplus.com's digital print service. One of her photos won a prize in a pet photo contest and published in a book of pet photos.
Besides music, she loves writing, photography, playing Scrabble, watching the cats we live with, crafting music related items, computer games, The Simpsons, and reading non-fiction on a variety of topics.