The team
Nicholas Bosman
Nicholas is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and composer hailing from New Zealand and South Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition and Arranging as well Jazz Performance from Canterbury University. He has had the opportunity to study and work with amazing mentors and musicians like Tom Rainey, Michael Story, Darren Pickering, David Berkman, Dave Dobbyn, Delaney Davidson, Nadia Reid, Pat Pattison, and Richie Pickard.He has performed as a touring musician, a busker, in musical theater pits, and as session musician in recording studios.
Nicholas has made a career in music by being in love with the idea of songwriting and composition. He flourishes in moments where he can write and be creative or assist in other people's writing. His writing credits cover a broad range of musical styles as well as other mediums such as dance and visual media.
As a teacher, Nicholas has had 15 years worth of teaching experience with people of all skill levels and ages. His students have gone on to win awards, record their own original music, and become professional musicians. He has taught people from all walks of life, from at-risk youth to the children of A-list celebrities. Along the way, these experiences have refined his teaching to a relaxed, yet practical approach that centers the students own personal taste and experience, while creating a fun learning environment. Over the years this collected wisdom has now evolved into Solar Music Academy's value of "Joy and Community Through Music"
Sam Dowdell
Sam Dowdell is an multi-faceted educator, coach, and musician working towards a certification in counselling therapy. By day, for the past 5 years, she is an middle-school educator teaching mostly math and science at the intermediate level, as well as helping to build music and performing arts programs for her school community. For the past 10 years on weekends and evenings she is a session singer and musician performing at local venues and music festivals stages with the likes of Kristina Lao, Victoria Groff, Tess Anderson, Sister Says, and more. Her own project "Emilyn" has played shows on the Granville strip to hundreds of concert-goers, as well as music festivals to thousands of attendees. Sam's biggest achievement is the work she has done to build The Project Vancity as Executive Director to create a non-profit organization and community that connects and elevates sessions musicians and artists of all genres and levels. Sam is passionate about bringing arts to young people and truly believes that students involved in arts gain confidence and life-long skills that benefit their mental health and success throughout their lives. She offers coaching and workshops for teachers and creatives alike in order to help people find their authentic voice, so that they can discover what success means to them, and lead themselves to a better, happier, and fulfilling life.
