Our Team
At JamLab, we believe music is a lifelong pursuit and encourage our students to embrace a musical mentorship relationship with their teachers. Our instructors are passionate about music and actively pursue musical dreams, bringing that performance energy into your homes.
With our experienced and enthusiastic instructors, evidence-based teaching philosophy, and genuine respect for musical artists, JamLab is committed to helping our students pursue their unique and collective musical dreams. Join us on this journey and discover the power of music.
Meet Shira Farber, JamLab Founder
At JamLab, our passion for music education is embodied in our founder, Shira Farber. With almost three decades of experience in community engagement and programming for children and adults, Shira has combined her love for music and a desire to inspire and engage students of all ages and abilities.
A strong supporter of the live music scene, Shira profoundly understands that learning music from professional musicians can have a transformational impact on helping students tap into their creative potential. Her professional background in mental health and attention disorders has reinforced her philosophy that students learn best when they are having fun!
Meet Jaime Koivuranta, Administrative Director
Jaime is the Administrative Director for The JamLab, managing the booking and scheduling of music lessons for all of our families and Musical Mentors.
Jaime has over two decades of experience as an innovative elementary classroom teacher with the Toronto District School Board. Her passion for teaching young children keeps her motivated to continue to find unique methods to engage her students in a variety of learning opportunities.
Duncan Symonds, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Duncan brings over twenty years of professional experience as a musician to his JamLab role and helped develop the curriculum we use to assess our students’ individualized progress and educational goals.
Duncan is currently completing his certificate of teaching from Vancouver Island University where he has been placed with students of all chronological and developmental stages and abilities, holds a TEFL certification from OISE, Private Instruction Certification in Composition with Dr. Alan Belkin and Dr. Mara Gibson, a Masters of Music in Jazz Performance from Louisiana State University and a Bachelors of Arts in Jazz Studies from Vancouver Island University, in addition to completing Master Classes under the tutelage of Branford Marsalis, Brad Turner, Ernie Watts, Ingrid Jenson, Christine Jenson and Corey Christiansen.
