Hello! I’m Miss. Tappenden, Tapps, Tappers, or T, and I am the music educator at St. Mary’s College. You can catch me hiding in, what the music students call the dungeon, the music room. I am also the founder and director of the SMC Singers and the SMC Concert Band! I run an inclusive program and a safe space for everyone to enjoy.

I have been teaching at SMC since the beginning of my teaching career in 2016. I have built and expanded the Instrumental, Voice, Musical Theatre, and Guitar programs to the point where I see students in my classes multiple times a day!

Being disciplined in multiple arts, I have had a lot of different experiences and love to watch students grow into artists. I started dancing and singing from a young age. I graduated from Laurentian University with a B.A. (honours) in Classical Voice and continued to get my B. Ed the following year. I have been part of many community musicals - onstage and off. The role of vocal director for the Comedy Guild’s production of Mama Mia was given to me in the fall of 2018. Then, I directed and choreographed (with help from others) my first musical at SMC, We Will Rock You, in 2019. Spreading my love of music, I am also a member of the Steeltown Brass Band (playing trombone and baritone). Keeping my skills up is what I like to do in my spare time!

I love what I do and hope to keep growing all things music at SMC. I write arrangements of popular music - so we can play whatever we want! Check out the Music Program at SMC by clicking the menu at the top! If you’re ever visiting the school, stop by to say hello! To reach out to me, call the school (705-945-5540) or send me an e-mail at kait.tappenden@hscdsb.on.ca.