I’m a Canadian composer-trombonist, originally from PEI, and currently based here in Halifax. I started working with the Symphony as a Marketing Assistant back in the summer of 2018 and have been back every summer since! This past fall, I’ve had the pleasure of joining the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra team as an assistant, and I am so thrilled to now be working for the very group that I received some of my earliest orchestral performing experiences from.

I got my start in music in middle school, playing flute in my school’s band in seventh grade and switching to trombone the next year. While I adore trombone and still play regularly, it wasn’t until I started my undergraduate degree that I realized where my true passion lay: composition!

In 2020, I completed my Bachelor of Music in Composition at Dalhousie University, and in 2021 I graduated from Sheridan College with a Graduate Certificate in Music Scoring for Screen and Stage. I’ve had the pleasure of writing works for ensembles such as the Maritime Brass Quintet and the Dalhousie Wind Ensemble. I’ve also written music for several media projects, including the short films Romario and Dancing in the Cold, and the indie games Summit and Uprooted.

Q&A with Rebecca

Do you play an instrument?
I do! Mainly, I play the trombone, but in true composer fashion, I love to fiddle around with any instruments I can get my hands on. I own a flute, two guitars, and a number of other instruments I’ve collected over the years.

What are your outside interests?
Aside from all things music, I love reading, yoga, photography, drawing, and playing video games (I spent an egregious amount of time on Hades and Animal Crossing this past year).

What’s the best Symphony Nova Scotia concert you’ve seen?
I would have to say the best concert I’ve been to was Symphony Nova Scotia with the Canadian Brass back in 2020. My mom has been a huge fan of the Canadian Brass since I was a kid and would always play their CDs around Christmas time – I think it’s part of the reason why I ended up loving brass instruments so much. My mom travelled over from PEI, and me, her and my sister all went to see the show together. It was my first time hearing them live and is such a fond memory for me!

What’s your favourite food(s)?
Easy! Meat-lovers pizza, Miss Vickie’s jalapeno chips, and my childhood favourite: my Grammie’s mouth-watering frog cookies.