The Music Program at Dr. E.P. Scarlett is run by the talented and enthusiastic duo of Mr. Paul Brown and Mr. Martijn van Galen. They are best contacted via e-mail at pjbrown@cbe.ab.ca and mjvangalen@cbe.ab.ca.
Mr. Paul Brown
Email: pjbrown@cbe.ab.ca
Paul James Michael Brown started his musical journey in Calgary, the city he was born and raised, as a piano and choral student of Deborah Finkleman. Paul’s grandfather, a vocalist, noticed that Paul had an ear for pitch early on, and donated a piano to the Brown family living room. Lessons with Deborah began shortly thereafter. Deborah’s passion for music and exceptional skill, fostered in Paul, a love for this art form. Her influence continues to shape his practice to this day. Jr. High school brought the trombone into his life and a change in the way music making was experienced. Paul continued to enjoy the solitary study and practice of the piano, but it was the shared expression and camaraderie found in band that would be his new passion.
Paul later joined the Stampede Showband under the direction of Robert Eklund and continued to travel the world with them while taking his Bachelor of Music at the University of Calgary. While there, he studied trombone performance with James Scott and conducting from Dr. Glenn Price. Paul volunteered to help the Calgary Round-up Band and discovered his true calling. He finished a degree in Education and began teaching with the CBE at A.E. Cross Jr. High in 1995. After eight fantastic years, Paul accepted a position at Dr. E.P. Scarlett where he continues to enjoy working with some of the finest student musicians in the city.
Paul Brown is a former staff member of the Calgary Round-up Band and Calgary Stampede Showband. For the last 30 years, he has volunteered as a board member for the Alberta International Band Festival. Paul has been a member of the Westwinds Jazz Orchestra, “A Band of Outriders”, the Stampede Brass Quintet. He continues to enjoy the trombone and currently performs with the Westwinds Wednesday Gold Jazz Band.
Mr. Martijn van Galen
Email: mjvangalen@cbe.ab.ca
The earliest memory of Martijn Jan van Galen is of his father playing Christmas carols on the trumpet at the age of 4 or 5. Although he started playing the piano first, this experience began his lifelong obsession with the trumpet and all things musical.
An interest in improvisation and composing also came early. Bored with playing exam pieces on piano, making up songs on the piano became hours of “practice”.
Greg Bush was his first private trumpet teacher, starting in grade 11, and one of the most influential figures in his life both musically and otherwise. It was him that played an eclectic collection of vinyl during trumpet lessons and who convinced Martijn to apply to study music at McGill university in Montreal.
After touring with the CYO in New Zealand and Australia, Martijn began studying jazz music and electronic composition/recording at McGill and decided that his road for the moment would be in performance. Playing Salsa, Compa (Haitian music), Reggae, Acid-Jazz weekly in the community as well as all the regular school ensembles made for constant practice and playing. Lessons with trumpet guru Real Mathieu and big band with director Benoit Glazer were another highlight of his McGill experience as well as composition lessons with Jan Jarcyzk.
Finishing up at McGill with a Bachelor of Music, Martijn travelled the world over working for Royal Caribbean International and Holland America as a show orchestra musician and later Musical Director for many years before going back to school and gained a Bachelor of Education at University of Calgary. He then lived in Tokyo for two years to teach English and ended up also making creative music every weekend with a group or musicians called The Conductors.
After Japan and releasing an album of original music called Always the Sun with Brian Christensen, Martijn moved to England and after initially engaging in a busy professional performing career, Martijn began to devote more of his spirit and energy to sharing with others all the stuff teachers and musicians had so patiently taught and influenced him with. Following 13 years of teaching music in England at secondary schools and also conducting various big bands, he has now come back to Calgary to join Dr E.P. Scarlett and continue the sharing of all things musical (and a little PE!).
When not teaching, Martijn continues to be inspired through performing with the 9th Avenue & Fox Big Bands, Salsa band Distrito as well as composing and performing his own music.
