Shawn Chabot
Lecturer
Office: TC 126
Email: schabot3@uwo.ca
Shawn Chabot is proud to be returning to his alma mater as the music director of the Western University Symphonic Band. A native of Elliot Lake, Ontario, he developed his passion for conducting at a young age through his decade-long involvement with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet movement where he helped to direct and develop concert and marching band programs at the local and national levels.
For the past sixteen years, Shawn has taught instrumental and vocal music in the Thames Valley District School Board and conducted various bands, orchestras, and choirs at both the elementary and secondary levels. He has also led several instrumental and vocal ensembles in the London area including the Mocha Temple Shrine Concert Band, the Saturday Morning Brass Band, the Western Mustang Marching Band, the Immaculate Conception Chapel Choir at Mount St. Joseph, and has been called upon as a guest conductor for other local community bands and choirs.
He currently serves as the Department Head of Music at Saunders Secondary School, chairs the TVDSB Secondary Music Subject Council and is the co-chair of the Variety Is... Showcase Concert committee. Shawn was also a past coordinator of the New Horizons Band Program at Western and has delivered several professional development sessions at local and provincial music conferences.
As a performer, he has played trumpet with several local bands and orchestras including Encore: The Concert Band and sang with the Gerald Fagan Singers, Chor Amica, and the Bach Festival Chamber Choir.
Academically, he has been recognized with several prestigious scholarships and awards including the Canada Millennium Provincial Excellence Award, the Western 125th Anniversary Award for Student Leadership, the Don Wright Scholarship in Instrumental Music, was a finalist for the Leslie Bell Prize in Choral Conducting and was recently awarded an Ontario Graduate Scholarship while pursuing his postgraduate studies.
He holds three degrees from Western University including a Bachelor of Music - Honours Music Education (2004), a Bachelor of Education (2005), and under the mentorship of Dr. Colleen Richardson, a Master of Music Degree in Literature and Performance (2021) specializing in wind band conducting.
