Gail Hakala has led an active professional career as a singer, actor, educator, clinician and adjudicator from coast to coast. Gail holds a Bachelor and Master’s degree in Voice Performance and Literature from the University of Toronto. Equally at home in all genres of voice, her passion is evident in her fearless and playful approach to her adjudications.

Gail was a member of the Shaw Festival Theatre Company for nine years and 20 productions. Favourite roles at Shaw include Minerva in Mr. Cinders, Bonnie in Anything Goes, Tinkerbell in Peter Pan and Netta Lake in Cavalcade. Other favourite roles: Carlotta in The Phantom of the Opera (Pantages Theatre and the Canadian tour), Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show (Bathurst Street Theatre), Domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Sudbury Theatre Centre), and the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella (Stage West Calgary). Gail has also starred on the concert stage with Patty LuPone, Betty Buckley and Mandy Patinkin in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Pantages Theatre). Most recently, Gail was seen as Mr. Bumble in Oliver (YES Theatre), Mavis in Church Basement Ladies (Victoria Playhouse Petrolia), Mrs. Paroo in The Music Man (Capitol Theatre), Mrs. Pearce in My Fair Lady and Aunt Eller in Oklahoma (Drayton Entertainment), and Mrs. Barry/Mrs. Blewett in Anne of Green Gables (Charlottetown Festival).

Gail was the former Head of Music Theatre and Vocal Discipline at Sheridan College in the Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance Program. She has also been the Resident Voice Coach at the Shaw and Charlottetown Festivals and Artistic Director and Advisor of The Toronto Youth Music Theatre Company. Gail is an active member of Canadian Actors Equity, ACTRA, CMFAA and NATS. Gail is thrilled to be coming to TFM doing what she loves best, adjudicating singers.

Ms. Potter holds a Bachelors Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Western Ontario, and a Masters Degree in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Michigan. Academic positions held include Lecturer in Piano Pedagogy at the University of Michigan, and Coordinator of the All-State Program at the Interlochen Centre for the Arts. She has been recognized with several awards in both teaching and performing, including the Alice B. Kern Excellence in Teaching Award (University of Michigan), and the UWO Gold Medal.

Wendy has appeared as an accompanist and chamber musician for recitals at the University of Toronto, the Royal Conservatory of Music and throughout the GTA. She has also collaborated with the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra and the Toronto Wind Orchestra. As a member the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicator’s Association, her work as an adjudicator takes her on extensive travel throughout Canada, as does her role as a senior member of the College of Examiners for the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Ms. Potter is passionate about the importance of teaching and performing music by Canadian composers and is currently the co-coordinator of Contemporary Showcase Toronto. She is a long-time resident of the Beaches Area of Toronto, where she has had the privilege of running a home-based studio as both a teacher and freelance musician for the past many years. Encouragement and validation are at the heart of her interactions with young people. She is committed to clear and knowledge-based communication, while being inspired by her own students every day.

Dennis Ullman has worked extensively in the areas of music education and performance for over 40 years.  He has been in frequent demand as a music festival adjudicator at regional music festivals across Canada, Canada’s Wonderland School Music Festival and affiliate festivals of MusicFest Canada.   Since 2010, he has conducted over 1000 clinics/workshops as an adjudicator of concert bands, jazz ensembles, brass, woodwinds and percussion. As guest clinician, he has instructed sessions for regional Honour Band Programs and has conducted performances at various venues throughout North America including the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. 

Mr. Ullman was a teacher in Ontario’s private school system for over twenty-five years and conducted many award-winning bands and ensembles at the Secondary and Elementary School levels.  He has also directed various school (public/private) ensembles which have performed throughout North America and regularly at MusicFest Canada’s National Festival. 

As a private instructor he has worked with hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to become major contributors to the music industry in cities such as Nashville, Toronto and Montreal.  Graduates have performed on the David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Shows, at the Air Canada Centre and with artists such as Brad Paisley, Steel Magnolia, Miranda Lambert, Steven Curtis Chapman, Thomas Rhett Akins, and many other shows including Cirque du Soleil. 

Mr. Ullman has been featured in a variety of ensembles including theatre orchestra performances such as the Canadian premier of “A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline” a musical by Dean Regan.  He has also performed with the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Oshawa Civic Band, Icy Redd, Eastview and the Peterborough Civic Concert Band.  Mr. Ullman has been active with the praise and worship teams at various churches including Carruthers Creek Community Church, various churches in the Durham Region and is currently a Ministry Leader at Bayfair Baptist Church. Recordings include ‘Duke’n It Out” with the Kawartha Jazz Ensemble, featuring arrangements by the late Ron Collier. 

After graduating with an Honours Diploma in Applied Music from Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology, Mr. Ullman became President of DRUMS Inc. He has been an active member of Canadian Music Festival Adjudicator’s Association, Canadian Band Director’s Association, Ontario Band Association, Jazz Educators Network and Ontario Music Educators’ Association.  Mr. Ullman is the founder and Regional Co-ordinator for OCM, an affiliate festival of MusicFest Canada and was a member of Mohawk College’s Applied Music Program Advisory Committee for ten years.   He was responsible for the development of the Praise and Worship component as part of MusicFest Canada as a member of MusicFest Canada’s Choral/Vocal Division Committee.

Mr. Ullman, his wife Rachel and their children reside in Courtice, Ontario.  As a family, they enjoyed travelling, swimming, soccer and of course the - Detroit Red WINgS.  More information is available on the CMFAA website.