Chris Tanaka-Mann is a teacher and musician. While specializing in singing, Chris also plays piano and guitar. As a teacher, Chris teaches elementary music, having experience teaching voice, piano, guitar, ukulele, xylophone, recorder, general percussion, and western standard notation (music theory). Chris can be found on the Ontario College of Teachers by searching his name, or using his ID 660730. He is a proud member of the Barbershop Harmony Society, serving as coach, director, performer, arranger, learning track recorder, and occasionally judge for the community. He has taught in various capacities at Taddle Creek Montessori School for many years, culminating in his role of music teacher for the past 5 years.

As a performing artist, Chris is most notably the tenor of Maple Reserve (formerly Yonge Guns), a quartet that sings barbershop-style music. The barbershop quartet performs around Ontario and the world, competing in the Barbershop Harmony Society’s quartet contests regularly. Most recently, Maple Reserve placed 11th in the 2023 Barbershop Harmony Society’s International Quartet Contest. Check out their first album!

Chris is also part of an internationally acclaimed barbershop chorus called the Toronto Northern Lights. The Lights are the 2013 International Barbershop Chorus Champions! In addition to singing with the chorus, Chris is the chorus’ voice coach. You can learn more about upcoming chorus-related events on their website, or here on the events page. Come visit a rehearsal sometime!

Chris also sings with several other groups, including Oxford Comma, another competitive barbershop quartet, as well as Chroma, a 24-voice chamber choir. He works as a soloist and section leader for Armour Heights Presbyterian Church. Chris enjoys arranging for and recording learning tracks for vocal ensembles of any kind! He has made arrangements for his quartet(s), choruses, and continues to work on new things all the time.

Chris previously worked as a Singing Ambassador for the Waterfront Business Improvement Area, and is not taking new students but taught private lessons in voice, guitar, and piano. He is a certified Ontario Secondary teacher, and is also available for coaching your ensemble.

If you are interested in hiring Chris for any number of occasions, please contact him and let him know what your needs are! Whether you’re looking for some sultry lounge music for a classy event, a more exciting experience from an a cappella group, coaching for contest or general improvement, he is happy to help you with making your event every bit as wonderful as you want it to be.