About Us
Who We Are
Mixtape Singers Society is an advanced level vocal ensemble committed to a high standard of artistic excellence, dedication, and integrity. Admission is auditioned and selective, ensuring a group of exceptional, committed artists who bring precision and passion to every performance. Each season, we work intentionally to strengthen our sound and elevate our performance.
We strongly believe that music is natural therapy, and storytelling through music healing. We care deeply about creating a safe, inclusive space, prioritizing mental health, emotional well-being, and the transformative power of music to bring people together, spark dialogue, and inspire change.
Mixtape is not a choir - We strive to deliver uniquely dynamic, genre-expanding musical experiences.
While, yes, we are rooted in choral traditions, we’re redefining what a vocal collective can be, moving beyond the conventional choir to embrace solo performances, collaborative works, original arrangements, vocal jazz, and innovative pop, folk and rock pieces.
Our mission is to create an artistically adventurous space where skilled vocalists connect, experiment, and showcase diverse musical styles.
By blending unique, modern and contemporary vocal artistry, theatrics, and progressive V/A tech; Mixtape fosters musical finesse, virtuosity, creative expression, accessibility, and professional development, ensuring every singer has the opportunity to explore their unique voice in a group setting.
As we expand the boundaries of ensemble singing, we strive to elevate vocal performance, engage audiences with compelling storytelling through music, and provide a platform for artistic innovation in B.C.’s performing arts scene.
More than just a vocal ensemble; the Mixtape Singers are a family.
Music is our foundation, but connection is what keeps us singing. From potlucks and jam sessions to weekend karaoke socials and heart-filled conversations, we believe the bonds offstage are just as meaningful as the harmonies we create on it. Whether you're trading snacks, stories, or harmonies, Mixtape is a place to belong.
Contact Us for more info.
Mixtape’s Director
Nancy Curry, PhD. M.M.
DIRECTOR
Nancy Curry, PhD. M.M., brings a wide range of teaching experience in vocal and collaborative arts, having taught students at the University of Nebraska, the University of Northern Colorado, several community colleges, and most recently the University of Victoria.
Deeply committed to making vocal arts accessible beyond traditional performance spaces, she has toured as a music director and pianist with outreach ensembles for San Diego Opera, Nevada Opera, and Edmonton Opera. These tours featured original chamber operas, reimagined classics, and programs of arias and duets performed in schools and community venues.
Her passion for art song and her extensive background as a recitalist have also shaped her work as a music director for theatre companies across Colorado, Nebraska, and Canada. She has led productions of modern works such as The Devil and Daniel Webster (Moore), Trouble in Tahiti (Bernstein), Sweet Betsy from Pike (Bucci), The Secret Garden (Simon), and Street Scene (Weill). In Victoria, she has recently served as music director for The Drowsy Chaperone (Phoenix Theatre, University of Victoria), 9 to 5 (VOS), George and Gracie: A Love Story (Where’s Noonan?, Victoria Fringe), and productions with Urban Arts at the Victoria Fringe.
As a professional ensemble singer, she has performed under renowned conductors including Simon Rattle, Andre Previn, Eduardo Mueller, and David Agler, as well as vocal jazz legend Phil Mattson, with whom she also studied conducting.
Nancy’s training includes degrees from the University of Alberta (B.Mus.) and the University of Southern California (M.M.), along with advanced study at the Banff Centre, where she served as a faculty assistant and coach‑accompanist for opera, art song, and avant‑garde music theatre programs. Her mentors include Martin Isepp, Thomas Muraco, Gwendolyn Koldovsky, and Jean Barr in classical repertoire, and John Hess and Richard Armstrong in avant‑garde vocal work and extended voice technique. She has also trained in Suzuki piano pedagogy with Merlin Thompson and Haruko Kataoka, and holds instructor certification in Somatic Voicework, a contemporary commercial vocal pedagogy developed by Jeannette LoVetri.
Alongside her work as a vocal coach, accompanist, and music director, Dr. Curry earned an interdisciplinary PhD in applied theatre and curriculum studies from the University of Victoria, focusing on drama education with autistic individuals.
Our Accompanist
Gabe Lagos
ACCOMPANIST
Meet Gabe Lagos, the pianist who can read a room as quickly as he reads a chart. Gabe brings a spark to every rehearsal, sliding effortlessly between styles and giving singers the kind of steady, expressive support that makes harmonies lock and shoulders drop.
A lifelong pianist and alumni of the University of Victoria’s piano program, Gabe honed his collaborative skills while accompanying the UVic Vocal Jazz Ensemble, performing throughout the region including at the DeMiero Jazz Festival in Everett, Washington.
Gabe’s musical fluency spans folk, rock, pop, rap, classical, and jazz, giving him an instinctive ability to adapt to any choral style or rehearsal need. He is equally at home sight‑reading complex scores, shaping expressive phrasing with singers, or improvising when the moment calls for it. That versatility makes him perfect for our particular brand of Mixtape weirdness! Whether we’re leaning into a groove, flipping genres, or inventing something on the fly.
Most importantly, Gabe isn’t just our accompanist, he’s our friend. He brings warmth, humour, and a steady kindness that lifts the whole room. Rehearsals feel lighter with him at the piano, and we’re grateful for the music he makes with us and the person he is beside us.
Forever Grateful
Gabriel Ferreras
FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR (Former AD)
It is with bittersweet gratitude that we share an important transition in Mixtape’s story.
Gabriel Ferreras has been a guiding force in Mixtape since the very beginning. As our Founding Artistic Director, Gabriel shaped the heart of this ensemble with his musicianship, his generosity, and the deep care he brought to every rehearsal and performance. His leadership helped build the community we are so proud of today, and his influence will always be part of who we are.
Gabriel is stepping away from his role to focus on the final year of his masters degree and several creative projects of his own. While this marks a change, it is not a goodbye. Gabriel will always be part of the Mixtape family.
He has given both us and Nancy his full blessing, and he’ll continue to support the ensemble from the crowd, cheering us on at concerts, celebrating our growth, and staying connected to the community he helped create.
We are profoundly grateful for everything Gabriel has given to Mixtape, and we look forward to supporting him as he continues his artistic journey.
Meet The Mixtape Singers!
(Click, or double-click on mobile, these beautiful faces to learn more!)
Andrian
Tenor
Singing is what Andrians do best.
Anna
Soprano
My greatest passion is music and singing. And in all the years I’ve spent in choirs, it never gets old! I’m just happy to be here.
Ashley
Soprano
I’ve loved singing all my life being raised in a very musical home, just recently finding my love for singing with others who share the same energy and passion!
Bonnie
Alto
Singing with my daughters and raising them with music as a central theme has been my biggest joy. Working with children,singing, choir and a capella music are my passions and I am excited to be challenging myself with mixtape singers!
Anthea
Alto
Dan
Bass
Living life with the spirit of a now full‑time pirate, I decided to take my love of sea shanties a step further and join a choir. I quickly discovered how much I enjoy singing alongside a group of non‑pirates, and the opportunity to become part of Mixtape was simply too good to pass up. The experience continues to challenge and inspire me as I work to keep pace with the remarkable talent around me. As a proud Canadian pirate, my love of hockey runs deep. For more than four decades, I’ve passionately supported — and occasionally shouted at — the Toronto Maple Leafs. Go Leafs Go.
Dre
Bass
I’ve dabbled in many worlds over the years—from computer tech to improv—with a steady passion for personal growth and self-development running in the background. Music has been a throughline in my life, beginning with drums and bass played in friends’ basements as enthusiastic amateur musicians. I first stepped onto a stage to sing with a friend’s band at 27, and although life took me in many directions after that, singing remained a constant—mostly through karaoke, which served as a performance outlet for decades. Joining a choir is a new and exciting chapter for me, offering the chance to experience a shared performance outlet—to be a team player, blend voices, and perform live for people in a way that feels joyful and alive.
Emily
Soprano
Singing is a lifelong passion of mine. I joined my first choir when I was 8 and have been hooked ever since. My love of music lead me to my career of designing professional audio equipment.
Erin
Alto
As an autistic parent of three autistic children, including my youngest with significant health challenges, I’ve developed a strong commitment to disability advocacy and inclusive creative spaces. Raised on Salt Spring Island, I grew up immersed in music, dance, fine art, and theatre, later performing with choral and theatre groups throughout my life. These days I’m happiest singing with Mixtape and sharing its energy.
Haley
Soprano
I discovered my passion for singing just three years ago, and it's become a huge part of who I am. I've worked hard to grow my voice and confidence. I never imagined I'd reach this lever so quickly, but I'm proud of how far I've come.
Jayna
Alto
I started singing in elementary school choirs, high school choirs and church choirs, as well as musical theater! I love the arts, and love to perform most of all! My husband and 2 adult children also play bass guitar and drums, so I can say that music runs in our family!
Emily H.
Soprano
Lauren
Soprano
I’m an accountant who prefers harmonies to spreadsheets (but is very good at both). Raised in Terrace, BC and living in Sooke for the last 15 years, I’ve sung in choir, played flute in band, and now keep my vocal skills sharp through frequent family karaoke nights.
Fionalee
Alto
Melissa
Alto
Music has always been an important part of my life. I sang in the jazz ensemble and choir during high school. In my spare time, I love reading, spending time with my friends, and traveling with my family—watching them grow and make wonderful memories on our adventures.
Aaron
Concert Percussionist & Occasional Bass Singer
Nicole
Tenor
I'm an ex-UVic English prof who worked in a field called “environmental humanities.” Anything to do with environmental and social justice lights my fire! In my twenties I plucked away at the guitar, wrote a bunch of songs, and dreamed of being a rock star. A self-taught musician who plays by ear, I recently discovered the rigors – and joys – of singing with a group of people who are phenomenally committed and talented.
Paul
Tenor
I’m an avid Star Trek, Radiohead, and hockey fan who loves to sing at every opportunity. Mixtape is a project I’ve been conceptualizing for a long time, and seeing it come to fruition has been one of the best experiences of my life.
Sheila
Tenor
I love singing in groups, breathing together and feeling the music. My name is Sheila (she/her) and I also enjoy pottery, travel, and being in my garden.
Our Board of Directors
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Paul Mitchell
FOUNDER — PRESIDENT
Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up surrounded by it, I found my voice - literally - through vocal jazz in high school, sparking a lifelong love for ensemble singing and choral music. Even as my professional life led me into leadership and team-building across industries, that early connection to music remains a core part of who I am. I bring the same creativity, collaboration, and joy I found in those musical experiences into everything I do. I’ve also contributed through governance roles in artistic organizations, helping shape spaces where music and community meet.
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Erin Boychenko
FOUNDER — SECRETARY
The arts have always been part of who I am. Growing up in the vibrant artistic community of Salt Spring Island, I was surrounded by creativity and collaboration from an early age. That foundation shaped my lifelong passion for the arts; whether I’m performing, helping lead initiatives, organizing behind the scenes, or cheering others on. Over the years, I’ve taken on a variety of roles across the arts world, including leadership and governance positions in artistic organizations. I’m proud of the energy, ideas, and experience I continue to bring to creative communities, and I love contributing to spaces where the arts can thrive.
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Dan van den Bergh
FOUNDER — TREASURER
Across my career, I’ve worn many hats; operations manager, team leader, tech support specialist, and childcare provider. Whether running logistics, supporting families, or building systems that keep things humming, I thrive in roles that call for adaptability, creative thinking, and heart.
In recent years, I’ve also found deep joy and connection through choral singing. After three years immersed in ensemble music, I’m continually inspired by the collaboration, discipline, and expression it brings into my life, both inside and outside of work. -
Haley Hansen
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE
I bring a hands-on, community-focused perspective to Mixtape. My background in the trades taught me how to work hard, stay adaptable, and build strong connections with the people around me. In 2022, I fell in love with singing, which opened the door to a growing passion for performing arts and collaborative creativity.
As a board director, I’m enthusiastic, practical, and committed to helping Mixtape thrive. I care deeply about creating welcoming spaces, supporting our members, and contributing to a group that inspires me every time we sing together. -
Anna Piatkowski
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE
More about Anna coming soon!…
Our Commitment to Inclusivity
We believe diversity is our greatest strength. We welcome everyone, regardless of gender, race, beliefs, creed, identity, or who they love, into a community built on respect and kindness.
Our commitment is to nurture an environment where you can share your authentic self without fear of judgment or harassment. Every voice matters, every story enriches us, and every person deserves to feel safe and supported.
By fostering empathy, open-mindedness, and mutual support, we bring inclusion to life. Together, we build a place where everyone belongs.
We respectfully acknowledge the unceded traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples and the traditional keepers of their land. We want to say thank you for allowing us to live, work, and play on your lands.
We specifically acknowledge the BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), Esquimalt, MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat), Pacheedaht, Sc’ianew (Beecher Bay), Songhees, SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout), T’Sou-ke, W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartip), W̱SÁNEĆ and W̱SĺḴEM (Tseycum) peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.