Old City Arts Hub Society
Jenny Vincent
President
Connor Clausen
Treasurer
Bruce Farquharson
Jason Friesen
Andrea Bertram
Rachel Dzbik
Rachel Dzbic
Rachel grew up in Nanaimo’s vibrant music scene, beginning with the Nanaimo Youth Choir, participating in the Upper Island Music Festival, and later joining Wellington Secondary’s jazz program, where she discovered her passion for drumming. She later earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Vancouver Island University and now teaches private lessons at Arbutus Music Education. As an active member of the choral community, she performs with Sinclair Singers and participates in events such as Nanaimo Sings and BCCF Chorfest. Based in Ladysmith, Rachel enjoys cooking, yoga, and spending time outdoors. She is passionate about supporting and celebrating the talented and passionate musicians in our community
Erin Kelly
A musician who loves exploring the violin’s place across genres, Erin Kelly can be found performing jazz, electronic, Celtic, and, of course, classical violin. She plays with both the Vancouver Island Symphony and Symphony Tacoma. The breadth of her musicianship across musical styles includes performances with the Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Symphony, The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, Odesza, Sigur Ros, and The Groove. In 2022, Erin relocated to Vancouver Island where she is on the faculty of the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music.
In addition to performing, Erin is an avid songwriter of original electronic music that features violin. She served as the sound and stage art designer for events such as the Alpine Crescendo Music Festival—an event she and a group of fellow musicians founded and built from the ground up. Beyond her creative work, she is deeply committed to cultivating a vibrant local music community, actively contributing to venue programming, artistic collaboration, and the development of innovative performance spaces.
Tiana Clausen
Tiana Dick
Tiana Dick grew up in Nanaimo, British Columbia and had the privilege of being part of the Wellington Jazz Academy in high school. Although music has always been part of Tiana’s family life, her experience at the jazz program really confirmed the desire to include music in her future career. After high school graduation, in 2015, Tiana was awarded a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston. In her second year at Berklee, Tiana was introduced to the Music Therapy program and loved it. It was the perfect mix of the helping profession she was looking for, while still being able to share the gift of music.
After completing her education and a yearlong internship, Tiana graduated with a dual degree in Music Therapy and Performance, and received her board certification in 2021. Berklee provided Tiana with multiple practicum experiences during her education. She had opportunities to work with individuals with Dementia and Alzheimer’s, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, people with complex mental health and social needs, individuals suffering from PTSD, and alongside medical staff, in the pediatric ICU of Tufts Floating Medical Centre. Tiana’s internship with Connecting in Rhythm (Amy Di Nino, Music Therapist, MTA) brought her to Ontario where she worked primarily with Deafblind individuals at Sensity Deafblind and Sensory Support Network of Canada
Website: https://www.islandaria.ca/
Millie Nickason
Millicent (Millie) Nickason, PhD, MPA, LLB, BA
Dr. Millicent Nickason is a graduate of UBC’s Faculty of Law, where she received her LLB (1979) and her PhD (2021). She has been a member of the Law Society of BC since 1981. She also holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Victoria.
Dr Nickason has practised law in the private and public sectors, having worked with the Government of Canada for 28 years. During that time, she worked with several departments including Indian and Northern Affairs, Justice, Industry, Human Resources and Skills Development, Service Canada and the Privy Council Office. She has had the privilege of sitting at the board room tables with the executive teams of each of these departments, including as General Counsel to Industry Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development, and Service Canada; and as Senior Director General, Service Canada. In addition to being a legal advisor to government, her various roles have included policy development, project management, multilateral treaty negotiations, and senior executive management.
Since her retirement in 2012, and her return from Ottawa, she has completed a PhD in Law and now resides in Nanaimo, BC, where her focus has turned to the performing arts, among other interests.
Paul Vincent
Monica Briggs ex-officio