Oasis Vocal Jazz
past members
Sarah Saskin (Alto)
Sarah Saskin is a music educator in the Toronto District Board, whose school was awarded a Band Aid grant from the Juno organization. Her love for music grew out of participating in elementary and secondary school musicals; taking private voice and piano lessons; and singing with RazzmaJazz Choir. Sarah has a degree in Fine Arts Honours from York University, specializing in Classical Voice with Catherine Robbin, and a Bachelor of Education in Vocal Music from the University of Western Ontario. Sarah has lived, performed and toured with bands in China, Bolivia, Germany, France and USA. Her most noteworthy experiences include: writing and recording five albums of original music, obtaining a FIMU touring grant from the Government of France and performing at Massey Hall. Outside of work, Sarah and her husband enjoy raising their two daughters, spending time with family and friends and exploring nature.
Paul Hickey (Tenor)
Paul was pianist and assistant music director of Oasis from 1987 to 1990. At that time, he was also performing in local piano bars, directing musical theatre companies and composing. In 1990 he became entertainment director for Classical Cruises, a New York based cruise line that specialized in "museum cruises" for The Smithsonian Institute, National Geographic Society and other associations and left Canada and Oasis to travel the world. Paul rejoined Oasis in 2000 as a tenor but left again to finish a degree in archaeological sciences. Ultimately faced with a choice between sifting for fish bones in the
knee-deep mud of the Tigris River or staying home with clean feet and hands, Paul returned once again to sing with Oasis from 2015 - 2017.
Madeleine Domingue (Alto)
Born into a family of artists Madeleine Domingue's heritage is rooted in music and performance. Her own musical life started with theatre over 30 years ago in Montreal with Repercussion Theater. Singing in plays soon evolved into singing as a soprano in the People's Gospel Choir of Montreal, The Diviners, Coeurisima, Hillcrest Village Choir, The Monday Muses and most recently, Soundcrowd.
Madeleine was a long time visual arts/drama teacher, creates her own fiber art work and now has a private caregiving business. Madeleine is completely thrilled to be embraced by the people of Oasis for the fifth year!
Brad Antle (Tenor, Chairperson)
Musically speaking, Brad Antle (Tenor) has been around! At 10 he starred in the St. John's NL production of The Music Man alongside Gordon Pinsent. A veteran of choirs and no stranger to recording, Brad played a lead role in the 1995 original production of Cruisin' at Toronto's Winter Garden Theatre and he sang on the cast recording. Brad hails from Botwood, NL, and now he lives in downtown Toronto. During the day, Brad is a Leadership Development facilitator at IBM.
Aimée Butcher (Musical Director)
Aimée has worked with many notable Canadian jazz musicians, including Heather Bambrick, John MacLeod, and Shannon Butcher. She has also shared the stage with notable artists such as Tim Ries, saxophonist and keyboard player of the Rolling Stones. At the University of Toronto, Aimée studies with Christine Duncan, Chase Sanborn, Geoff Young and Mike Murley. Also, she is currently studying privately with Toronto jazz vocalist, Alex Samaras.
Cori Byberg (Alto)
A member of Oasis in the late 1980s, alto Cori returned to Oasis in 2003 after a 12 year hiatus. Cori has performed in clubs, community theatre, film and television, spending five seasons with the TV show The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon. Over the years, Cori has studied vocal technique, solo and ensemble jazz performance and jazz repertoire attending many workshops in Canada and the US. Presently, Cori is a Human Resources professional. On singing with Oasis, Cori says "I'm truly blessed, what a great group of people to sing with every week. The music is challenging and we have so much fun. Many thanks to our loyal fans who keep coming out to hear us!"
Victor Dimitroff (Tenor)
Victor's enjoyment of singing and music has included being in a rock band (guitar/vocals) and an R&B band (organ/vocals) in high school, keyboards in Skule Nite and New Faces at U of T, Onoscatopoeia (aka Hart House Jazz Choir), the Hart House Chorus and the Toronto Classical Singers, joining Oasis Vocal Jazz in 2011. Victor is married with two children. A mechanical engineer by training, he has worked with Ontario Power Generation and currently is in budgeting and finance at the City of Toronto. He is so pleased to be part of this wonderful group of people singing the music that is dearest to his heart.
Diane Engelstad (Soprano)
Diane has been with Oasis since 1989. She played flute in a previous life, including with the group The Eclectics, and she cites "too many piano lessons with Mrs. Maxwell while Mrs. Maxwell made dinner" as her musical education. Caring for two young children full time, Diane listens to way more Raffi, Al Simmons and The Mozart Effect than she believes is healthy for a grown-up. Her husband Alan is a former member of the Oasis rhythm section.
Geoff Gibson (Tenor)
Geoff was half of the Oasis "spousal" Tenor duo from 1996 to 2000. Before joining Oasis, Geoff had been a member of the various high school and regional orchestras and vocal jazz ensembles, the University of Waterloo Chamber Choir and Singing Out, the Lesbian and Gay Chorus of Toronto. Geoff is an Actuary in the Pension practice of a global consulting firm. He lives in Toronto with his long-time partner Derick.
George Guerrette (Musical Director, Trombone)
Professional composer George Guerrette has written music for numerous CBC productions, awards shows, the theme songs for TV shows such as CBC's Jonovision, for the new Nelvana Animation series Cyberchase, national broadcast commercials, and series music for Nelvana's new series The Moville Mysteries. He was also the Musical Director for Deerhurst Resort's stage shows for six years. Says George, "creating music for broadcast is creative but also very technical... being in Oasis kept me grounded in the true immediacy that is the real deal in music."
Derick Hoffman (Bass)
With basic guitar lessons until age 11 as his only musical training, Derick first sang in public in his 30s with Singing Out, as a Bass in the chorus, a Tenor in cabaret performances and an Alto in that choir's "Inside Out" small ensemble. He joined Oasis in 1997 as a Tenor. A neophyte composer, Derick has written songs performed by several American and Canadian groups, mainly GALA member choruses. By day he is the Director, Information Systems, of one of Canada's largest media companies. Derick and his partner Geoff, a former Oasis tenor, live in downtown Toronto.
Jody Malone (Musical Director, Alto)
Jody sang in Oasis from 2002 to 2004. Jody is a high school music teacher in Mississauga. When she's not teaching piano and voice, she directs her own vocal jazz ensemble after hours. Jody can also be found sailing, playing tennis or hockey or cycling the Lakeshore trail. "So much to do and so little time!" Jody's musical motto is...if you're not having fun, it's not music.
Tom Roedding (Tenor/Bass)
Tom has been singing all his life in all various combos and ensembles and as a soloist. Highlights include: a cappella folk group Catchpenny, vocal jazz combo 3 Gals and a Guy, church choirs such as The Church of the Redeemer and St. James Cathedral in Toronto as well as community choirs such as Forte Men’s Chorus and VOCA Chorus of Toronto. Tom also enjoys performing on the stage and has appeared on several Community Theatre stages in Toronto. Past roles include Benny Southstreet in “Guys and Dolls” (EMP) and Beadle Bamford in” Sweeney Todd” (Curtain Call Players). Tom teaches music at Frankland Community School . He also directs the school’s musicals which have been featured in the TVO series, “Get Involved”.
Stuart Sladden (Musical Director)
Stuart cut his teeth on jazz at Mayfield High School for the Arts as a member of "The Magnetics". The group won the prestigious "Downbeat" award for Best High School Vocal Jazz Ensemble in North America 3 years running. At Humber College, Stuart studied with Trish Coulter and Lisa Sullivan, then earned his Bachelor Degree in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto's Jazz Performance Program studying with Carol Welsman and Lisa Martinelli. A professional musician for the past seven years, Stuart teaches privately and is currently the Director of Music at First United Church in Port Credit. Stuart became Oasis' Musical Director in 2004 and he is very happy to be a part of the rich sound and history of this ensemble.
Claire Swift (Alto)
Claire sang with Oasis from 1992 to 2001. She has a B.A. in Music and Psychology and majored in Voice at the University of Guelph. She has sung in school choirs, church choirs and musical theatre productions and also plays classical guitar. Claire works in the Telecommunications industry, and is "happily residing in a little love shack on the western fringes of the city!" Claire formed one half of the brother-sister duo when she was in Oasis. "As the t-shirt says, 'Music is Life - the rest is just details'".
Colin Swift (Bass)
Colin has been sang with Oasis since 1992. He first took singing lessons as a boy soprano, and has subsequently accumulated extensive musical theatre experience, including "Nickelodeon" Musical Revue in Barrie for 5 years; "New Faces", New College, University of Toronto; high school productions of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and The Boyfriend; and what Colin considers to be his most outrageous and dangerous role: 'Frank N. Furter' in The Rocky Horror Picture Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia! Colin is currently a self-employed 3D Computer Graphics artist and illustrator
Max Williams (Bass, Trombone, Arranger)
Max holds a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University (Chicago) and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario. Max has performed widely as a trombonist with major orchestras in and swing bands in Chicago and the GTA and is a published composer of works for wind ensembles. He has been a music educator since 1989 and has directed wind and choral ensembles from the grade 5 up to the high school level. Max was formerly lead trombonist and male vocalist with the Johnny Hood Swing Orchestra.
Adam Brox (Bass/Baritone)
Adam started performing and singing at the age of 3, and now is a music teacher in Peel. He performed in school choirs from the age of 9, and had a small role in his high school's production of Oklahoma. He attended the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, where he learned arranging, composing and performance skills from some of the country's best music professionals. Adam has had his arrangements featured by The Coalition for Music Education in Canada and also The Canadian Hero Fund's 11 for 11 nation-wide school campaigns. His compositions have been performed by both amateurs and professionals alike all across Canada. Currently Adam teaches music to grade 1 through 5 in Brampton.
Julia Thomas (Alto)
Julia has been singing in choirs for 25 years, was part of my high school's award winning jazz choir and have recently begun taking jazz classes at the RCM.