Olivia Whiddon is passionate about nurturing the artistic voice of every student. As the founder of the Olivia Whiddon Academy of Music, established in 2011, she offers private lessons in voice, theatre, piano, and music theory to students of all ages and abilities in Kenora, Ontario.

Her students have achieved numerous awards, including the Tudor Bowl, the Janet Ramchandar Memorial Award, and the Vocal Rose Bowl, reflecting her dedication to excellence and personalized instruction.

However, it is not these achievements that inspired Olivia to teach, although she is certainly proud of them. Olivia wants to help her students build a lifelong music practice at any age—one that is not dependent on performing. Music is so much more than the stage. She loves the quote attributed to Plato:

“Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the Universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good and just and beautiful.”

As she sees it, performance is a by-product of practice. It is a way of sharing yourself and sharing a gift with an audience. Music has a way of opening people up, giving them comfort, and establishing connection. If you love your lessons, you are so much more likely to love your at-home practice.

Lessons are available both in person at First Baptist Church and online, running weekly from September through June.

In addition to private instruction, Olivia frequently conducts workshops and special guest teaching sessions, sharing her joy of music and theatre with the wider community.

To enquire about lessons, please contact Olivia at olivia_whiddon@yahoo.ca. Please note, Olivia generally has a one to two year waitlist for lessons.