Becca Whitla

Becca Whitla is a community music-maker and organizer in Toronto. She believes that music is a critical, vibrant and healing part of the life of any community and that everyone's voice deserves to be heard. Becca is co-founder and co-director of the Echo Women's Choir, an 80-voice community choir who produced a 10th-anniversary CD "Gonna Sing & Shout" in May, 2001.

She was also the founding leader of the H.E.R.E. Union Local 75 Choir, recently helping them produce their first CD "I Still Have Joy". At the historic and dynamic Church of the Holy Trinity in downtown Toronto, Becca is the Music Director: she leads the community's music-making by playing the organ, piano, trumpet and kanjira; by singing; and by conducting the seasonal choir.

Becca is also a freelance choral and workshop leader, coach, consultant and accompanist and has learned and taught village music of many different harmonic traditions from around the world. She was a founding member of the Toronto Georgian folkchoir Darbazi, with whom she travelled to Georgia in 1997, and she sings in the Georgian women's quartet Aisi. She has taught for Village Harmony summer singing camps in Vermont and for the Yeoman's Fund for the Arts in New Hampshire. She is on the board of Friends of South African Performing Arts and was a key organizer of the highly successful Canadian tour of South Africa's Polokwane Choral Society in June 2004.

Among other milestones in her past, Becca studied music at the Royal Conservatory (ARCT), York University (BFA), and the Royal Canadian College of Organists (CRCCO and Choir Training). She and her life's partner, Alan Gasser, also have released a CD "Parlour Songs & Heart Songs".