Joanne was born and raised in the beautiful northern town of Wawa, where she spent most of her childhood and adult life discovering the outdoor beauty of Lake Superior and its surroundings, camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, canoeing and kayaking.

Growing up in a musical family, she started piano lessons at the age of 8 years old, studying under the guidance of Noreen Spreng. She quickly grew to love playing the piano, and was a natural musician by the time she was sixteen, when she had mastered classical music on her piano.

She excelled in the art of performance and won many scholarships at music festivals, and also received the medal of excellence of Ontario for the highest mark in Theory. From there, she went on to study with the Royal Conservatory of Music.  She is also self taught and teaches the violin, guitar, ukulele, and voice.  

Joanne and her husband raised their family in Wawa, where she devoted most of her time to her family, home, and her teaching.  She started her own studio Keys in Motion and has been teaching students in the community of Wawa ever since.

Her goal has been to do more than teach piano. It's to help students become problem solvers and independent learners, as they find their own artistic voices. The joy in her teaching is seeing students’ ideas develop and being there to guide them each step of the way.

"I have spent my life teaching, listening, and learning to other artists' music, and now it's time for me to share my stories, my ideas … my music." ~ JP