Our Team

Our Co-Founder

Lisa Michaels (she/her) is passionate about the value of music and its benefits, having seen its impact on her own children and has never forgotten the fascination and fun of playing in the high school band. As a music education advocate, Lisa has spoken at multiple conferences in Canada and the U.S. Prior to co-founding Bandology in 2017, she spent more than two decades running her own businesses as a marketing consultant and serial entrepreneur, and is a member of a local award-winning a capella chorus. Lisa has a B.A. from York University and a M.A. in Community Music from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Lisa is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Bandology and can be reached at lisa@bandology.ca.

Our Staff Team

Finding joy in all kinds of music-making, Sandy Wright (he/him) strives to share that joy in his work as an educator, performer and composer. His passion for music was shaped by his high school’s band program, and he holds Master of Arts degrees in Community Music and Composition. His music has been performed at festivals and in concerts in Canada and the UK. Sandy teaches privately in Waterloo, performs with the band adult recreation centre and is Artistic Director for the theatre collective One Strange Night Productions.

Sandy is our Education Manager and Head of Programming and can be reached at sandy@bandology.ca.

Julianna Rutledge (she/they) may not have picked up a saxophone in a while but considers her time spent in bands and choirs instrumental to the person she has become. Julianna has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, with a major in English and minor in History. She has served as co-leader of a student-run school choir, reported for the university newspaper and spent an extensive amount of time travelling. In addition to her role at Bandology, she is currently at work on her first novel.

Julianna is our Innovation Manager and Head of Operations and can be reached at julianna@bandology.ca.

Our Workshop Team

Ryan MacKinnon (he/him) started playing guitar at eight years old and switched over to drum kit when he was 10. Upon entering high school he found a new love in playing classical percussion instruments. Ryan has a Bachelor of Music in Self-Directed Performance from Wilfrid Laurier University and has played with a variety of different orchestras, choirs and concert bands including the Stratford Symphony, Guelph Symphony and Oakville Symphony. He runs a private teaching studio where he holds lessons for drums and classical percussion instruments, and is a teacher at the Burlington Music Centre. He is also the General Manager and Percussion Coach of the Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra (OSYO). Ryan loves to share all the things he has learned on his journey to help young musicians excel.

Sara Thoeny (all pronouns) is a music educator, performer and composer. Sara has been playing piano since the age of five years old and has since learned to play guitar, ukulele, double bass and French horn. Sara has completed RCM level 10 piano and is working on her Community Music/Music Therapy degree at Wilfrid Laurier University. She is originally from Langley, B.C., and has performed in group settings in Hawaii, the Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo, the 25th Annual Stratford Music Festival, Kiwanis Music Festival, Fort Langley Jazz Festival and many other festivals and music events across Canada and the United States.

Karen Guan (she/her) is completing her Bachelor of Music Therapy degree at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her journey with music started at the age of 5 and has continued to grow ever since. She has played the flute in many concert bands over the years and enjoys singing various styles of music in choirs across Ontario. Karen has also sung in an acapella ensemble for 3 years and previously served as the president of the group.

Orko Oyon (he/him) is a passionate music educator, musician and graduate student. He is currently finishing his Master’s of Arts (Music Education) program at the University of Toronto, and will be enrolled in the Master of Music in Music Technology and Digital Media shortly after. He received his Bachelor of Music and his Bachelor of Education from Western University. As a passionate band conductor, Orko has led various youth ensembles, clubs and programs at Western University such as the Beginning Band program, the Young Winds program, the Western Youth Wind Ensemble and the Western Chamber Music club. He enjoys making music in many ways, including playing bass clarinet, brass, guitar, and through producing music.

Kate Caracciolo (she/her) began her music journey with piano lessons at the age of 6. In middle school, she picked up her mom’s old trumpet and fell in love with playing in ensembles. In 2023, Kate was recruited to help out in the percussion sections of the Guelph and Cambridge Concert Bands for a show or two, but she’s stayed in percussion ever since! Kate has her BA in Psychology and Mathematics from the University of Guelph, and is currently completing an Instructional Design Certificate at Conestoga College. She’s excited to use all that she learned throughout her time in Teacher’s College at Wilfrid Laurier University, and years of teaching math, rock climbing and the arts, to bring more music to kids of all abilities.