Get to Know Us
At Making Music Academy, we are passionate about introducing music to children. Our team of enthusiastic and professional instructors are all united by their love of music, and their commitment to helping our musicians grow!
We strive to create a stimulating, creative and fun learning environment so our music makers can get the most out of our sessions. Scroll to learn more about our instructors.
Terrilyn Pickett
Owner & Music Director
Terrilyn Pickett is a full time classroom music teacher who is originally from Pouch Cove, and is currently living in Portugal Cove-St. Phillips.
She has completed a Bachelor of Music Degree with a major in voice, and a Bachelor of Music Education with a minor in English Literature at Memorial University.
Terrilyn has performed in countless weddings, funerals, functions, concerts and fundraisers throughout the years.
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With 15 years of teaching music in various areas such as voice, piano, ukulele and classroom music, Terrilyn noticed a dire need for an early childhood music and movement program in the area. After becoming a mom of two small girls, the need was even more apparent.
Terrilyn cannot wait to share her love of music in her new program Making Music.
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Nichole Kirkland
Music Teacher
Nichole Kirkland is a full-time Executive Office Management Instructor of 8 years at College of the North Atlantic.
She has completed a Bachelor of Post-Secondary Education degree and multiple Office Administration Diplomas. She is currently taking Royal Conservatory of Music exams in piano and has completed multiple musical theory courses.
Nichole has participated in multiple Kiwanis Music Festivals and music recitals during her years in voice and piano. Nichole has also performed in multiple weddings, funerals, concerts, local events, and fundraisers. She has experience playing piano, guitar, and recently ukulele.
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With over 20 years of experience performing and producing concert events along with her education experience, Nichole is very passionate about teaching music to young children and sharing the joy that music can bring to all families.
Samantha Cohen Real
Music Teacher
Samantha Cohen Real is truly passionate about early childhood music education. Her main passion as a music teacher is to transmit peace and happiness to children through music and to help them learn to express their emotions in a free and healthy way.
With over ten years of experience, Samantha has taught music in schools, churches, community centers, academies and private classes.
She has attended different music education workshops and festivals and teaches different instruments such as trombone, trumpet, tuba, piano and ukulele. She has also directed musical ensembles including children's choirs and instrumental ensembles.
She is currently studying a masters in music pedagogy with an emphasis in performance/pedagogy at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Takeytha Legge-Power
Music Teacher
Takeytha Legge-Power has a love for music which started at a very young age. She participated in music lessons, including voice, piano, violin, and flute. She was an active member in many choirs, including Shallaway Youth Choir and Holy Heart Chamber Choir.
Her childhood was filled with many concerts and musical theatre performances. Along with her love of music, Takeytha has a passion for working with children. She has been a team lead for an afterschool enrichment program and, for the last 10 years, she has worked alongside children with emotional, intellectual, and physical exceptionalities, which led her to her current role as Student Assistant at NLSchools.
She is planning to continue pursuing her Education Degree in the Fall. Since becoming a mom to her daughter, she has eagerly incorporated music into her daily life, as she knows the benefits music brings to new babies and children of all ages.
She spends her extracurricular time learning and practicing American Sign Language as well as helping out at Cutie Mommies Club events.
Takeytha is excited to be joining Making Music Academy and looking forward to this new adventure.
Matt Goldsworthy
Music Teacher
Matt Goldsworthy has had a guitar in his hands since he was six years old. His father left his guitars around the house, and he taught himself how to play the most challenging music he could find. Nearly 30 years later, he's still just as passionate about music and guitar!
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Matt attended Memorial University, studying with the Classical Guitarist Sylvie Proulx. Over the years, Matt studied with world-renowned guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari and became influenced by Jazz fusion player Allan Holdsworth.
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Matt has many years of teaching experience and is well-versed in diverse styles of music. He is committed to furthering his knowledge through independent study and is currently working on recording and producing his own music.
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He is passionate about passing on his knowledge to people of all ages and musical interests. He likes to make learning music fun to recreate how he felt about music growing up. He loves diving into complex music with serious students, helping them tackle new songs and learn independently outside the classroom.
Becca Bartlett
Music Teacher
Becca Bartlett is a prolific musician and songwriter from St. Johns, NL.
She is a voice performance student with Berklee College of Music and has original songs available on streaming platforms and radio.
Her passion for music has gained her awards such as the City of Mount Pearl “Performing arts Individual of the year” award and an Arts and Letters award in Youth music.
Becca believes that music is magic and loves to foster creativity, fun and connection for people of all ages and abilities through her teaching!
Alejandra Escobedo
Music Teacher
Alejandra Escobedo has been involved in music education for more than 10 years, she has taught piano, cello, general music and choir classes to students from all ages. After being a teacher at different international schools, her experiences with different cultures makes her appreciative and always looking for ways to have an inclusive music classroom.
She believes that every child has the capacity to explore, learn and enjoy music, and on the importance to develop sensitivity towards diversity through music at an early age. One important aspect of her teaching is the developmental stages of each child to provide a positive musical experience.
Alejandra has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and a MA on Choir Conducting, she has also obtained the Kodaly Today’s Certification, and currently is on her path to obtain a masters in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Peter Benson
Music Teacher
Peter Benson is a full-time instructor of Adult Basic Education at Keyin College.
He has completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in chemistry, and a Bachelor of Education majoring in intermediate/secondary. While working in Labrador as a young teacher, Peter ran a Music Club for the high school students, with several of whom going on to pursue higher education in music and recording media.
Peter is a self-taught musician with 16 years’ experience in guitar, voice and percussion, and one year’s experience in audio recording and production. Over the years he has earned experience performing live on stage, as well as in studio recording sessions.
Peter’s philosophy is that there is always something new to learn, and he is always looking for opportunities to grow and to help others grow, both in music and in life!
Stephanie Keating-Him
Manager & Sensory Play Guide
Stephanie Keating-Him is an enthusiastic experience-seeker, passionate about teaching and empowering children to delight in the discovery and development of essential skills. ​
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Stephanie has spent years traveling the world, embracing different cultures, languages, and ways of life. As an English as a Second Language teacher, she spent three transformative years in Cambodia, learning how to approach education with individuality—meeting each student where they are and encouraging learning in a relaxed, joyful environment.
She assists Terrilyn with the behind-the-scenes of Making Music Academy as Manager, and is the voice behind MMA's blog.
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Founder of “Messy Hands Make Happy Hearts”, she is on a mission to explore all the exciting learning opportunities Sensory Play provides, believing hands-on fun is the heart of learning.
Stephanie is thrilled to offer another educational, engaging program to the young families of Newfoundland as MMA's Sensory Play Guide.
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Shannon Woodrow-Winnett
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Music Teacher
Shannon Woodrow-Winnett is a passionate music educator with a personal interest in the transformative power of early childhood music education. She holds B.Mus (‘14) and B.Mus Ed ('20) degrees from Memorial University and, with a distinguished track record of representing Newfoundland in voice at Provincial (Newfoundland Provincial Music Festival) and National (FCMF National Music Festival, CFMTA National Vocal Competition) competitions, Shannon has a proven expertise in performance as well as pedagogy.
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Shannon has 18 years of experience privately teaching voice and piano students and over 7 years of experience in early childhood music education. Throughout, she has maintained a commitment to the developmental needs of young children, integrating esteemed methodologies from the Suzuki Method, Gymboree Play and Music, and Music Together.
Shannon combines her own passion and excitement for music with extensive pedagogical training, enabling her to craft engaging, play-centered learning experiences that are tailored to the cognitive and emotional growth of young learners without losing focus on the fun of music.
Shannon empowers students to explore and express themselves musically from the earliest stages of their education while ensuring they start with a solid musical foundation.
Jill Penney
Music Teacher
Jill Penney is a passionate and expressive vocalist and pianist with over 14 years of experience. Jill discovered her love of music at a remarkably young age, but it wasn’t until she joined private music lessons that she truly found her voice and passion for performing.
She participated in several Kiwanis categories (solo/duet/ensembles/choirs), musical productions, and special performances at Arts Under the Stars, Canada Day Musical Hike, Music 4 Our Minds, etc.
She completed the Applied Music program at CNA in June 2020, and proceeded to further her music education in 2023 by attaining a Professional Music Studies Certificate from Berklee College of Online Music.
Jill hopes to inspire each student and ignite a unique passion within them, like her previous mentors influenced her. “I’ve always dreamed of being a positive mentor and guiding students to unlock a meaning in music. I want to show them how they can share who they are, and what they’re feeling, through the language of music.”
She believes music is such an important part of life and having the opportunity to share that connection with others is motivating and exciting!
Our Philosophy
At Making Music Academy, we believe that music is a powerful tool that can open the door to learning, exploration and creativity!
We provide a fun and engaging environment for children to explore, create, discover and learn through making music.
Our program is designed to develop the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social learning of children.
Through our classes, children learn to express themselves through music, build strong relationships and teamwork and gain self-confidence.
With our unique curriculum, our teachers are able to provide a comprehensive educational experience for children and their families.