It’s Never Too Late
Brenda Kushnir: A Mom With Rock-Star Status
It’s never too late to learn a musical instrument, and if anyone can attest to that it’s Hamilton School of Music owner Brenda Kushnir. A court stenographer for over twenty years, the mom of three decided to go back to school for jazz piano at 45 years old. “It was time for a change and I wanted to put my fingers to new use,” says Brenda.
Though she was introduced to music in her younger years, Brenda needed a tune-up. “When I was 6 years old the Ontario Conservatory of Music sent someone over to our house for an assessment,” she explains. “My sister was assigned the piano and I got the accordion probably because of my short fingers.” Brenda played throughout grade school, but didn’t pick it up again until she was in her late 30’s.
It was her children’s interest in music that inspired her to dust off the accordion. All three kids were trained at the Hamilton School of Music – from guitar to piano, violin and drums, she vicariously lived through each one, as they explored their inner musicians. After taking a few years of piano and accordion lessons at the Hamilton School of Music, Brenda began teaching music classes and soon after decided to go back to college. But this time around she opted to study piano; “I heard that Elton John had short finger too, so I had hope.”
After completing her studies, Brenda took ownership of the Hamilton School of Music in 2012, and today the business operates much like a giant family band. There are 21 part-time instructors, some of whom were former students. Even Brenda’s husband, a retired TTC supervisor, manages the front of house part-time. “Students always find it funny when they discover that I’m the boss of him,” she laughs.
A big fan of the Bee Gees and the disco-pop era, some of Brenda’s rock influences include the Eagles, Boston and Billy Joel.
Meanwhile, the echoes of students channeling their own favourite rock stars pulse through the studio vents. The upper level space located on Stone Church East, near Upper Ottawa Street, is a maze of music rooms: various rooms for private and group lessons, and a spacious room designated for the Tunes for Tots program is stacked with xylophones and tambourines for kids as young as 3 years old. There’s also a drum set, guitars, microphones and amplifiers awaiting a jam session for students in the Band Program. “There’s something for everyone here,” says Brenda.
Though her daughters are no longer practicing music, her youngest (now 21 years old) still plays the drums, dividing his time between local gigs and business studies at Mohawk College. One thing’s for sure, Brenda’s risky but successful career change has earned her brag-worthy rock-star status around the household…short fingers and all.
