Joan Cunningham

Joan Cunningham has loved music, especially singing, from the time she was a small child. She often listened to her father as he sang World War I tunes and Irish songs in his pleasant tenor voice.

School provided more opportunities for singing, and Joan sang in both the school choir and the auditioned city-wide girls’ choir sponsored by the I.O.D.E.

After graduating from Teacher’s College in Truro in 1949, Joan began her teaching career, moved to Halifax in 1952 and took formal voice lessons with Maris Vetra for two years, followed by Charles Underwood, who taught her both technique and artistic interpretation. They were to be the first of several teachers Joan worked with over the years.

In August 1954, Joan married and left teaching for full-time homemaking. Her first child arrived in July 1955. By the time she started taking singing lessons with Leonard Mayoh in 1961, she had five children.

Singing at St. Thomas Aquinas Church on Saturdays and in St. Mary’s Basilica Choir on Sundays, directed by Dennis Farrell, followed for Joan. She also studied singing with Sylvia MacDonald, who taught her a lot about breath control, and together they worked on many beautiful songs and arias.

At the Conservatory, Joan studied with Cheryl McCarthy, a pianist, accompanist and a great teacher. In addition to working on more songs, Cheryl taught Joan more about breath, including providing helpful breathing exercises.

One summer Joan went to a workshop where she met Dr. Jennifer Farrell. After experiencing her coaching, Joan returned to study with her.

Joan began studying with Sylvia when she was 61 and continued singing until she was nearly 91. She values knowing all her teachers and learning from them. She is now an “appreciative listener”, she says, and is “so grateful for the music in my life”.