Candace Santos is a vocal and piano instructor. She was born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario and started performing around the GTA at the age of 9 years old. She has been passionately teaching for 9 years and teaches students at any age. Candace has her own voice studio called “Candace Santos Voice Studio”. She teaches classical and popular music for piano. She teaches voice in a wide variety of genres, such as; musical theatre, classical, pop, R&B, gospel and soul. Candace began piano lessons at the age of 5 and voice lessons at age 6.

She   graduated at York University in the Classical Voice program for her Specialized Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Music. Candace is a registered music teacher of the “Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association”. She is also a musical director and choral conductor for a community choir called “Musika Children’s Chorus” in Mississauga. Candace Santos prepares students for their Royal Conservatory of Music Exams on any level. Her students receive exam marks with First Class Honours and First Class Honours with Distinction. She also prepares students for Music Festivals in Ontario, competitions and performances.

Candace   has also won numerous competitions, a few to mention includes; 2006 CNE Rising Star Junior Grand Champion and 2012 CNE Rising Star Youth Grand Champion. Candace also had the privilege to compete in Winnipeg; where she represented Ontario and competed among 12 regional finalists in Canada, there she won the 2012 National Grand Champion for the Canadian Youth Talent Competition. Candace was the Grand Champion at the 2008 Asian Canadian Idol Competition where she competed with many Asian ethnicities around Ontario in Canada. She is a multi-gold medalist for the World Championships of Performing Arts in 2009 at Los Angeles. Candace Santos was also honored to perform in 2013 at the legendary Apollo Theatre in New York. Candace aims to continue teaching and sharing this gift of music given by the Lord.

“I have been one of Candace’s students since 2014. During my time as one of her students she taught me proper vocal techniques and overall helped me learn and grow as a singer. Candace assisted me in my stage presence and taught me how to connect true emotion with a song. With that, I was able to truly understand the beauty of music and be confident. Candace provided me with opportunities to enhance my performance skills by giving me different opportunities to preform and compete in front of different crowds. Needless to say, Candace doesn’t only have passion and dedication with music, but is willing to give the same dedication and passion to her students.”

– Mikaela Santos

“Having known Candace since I was eight has made me view her not only as a mentor, but as family. Candace Santos has helped me to develop my voice as well as my confidence and stage presence. I have been with her for about five years now; during that time, she has supported and encouraged me throughout this journey of finding myself. Through her connections, I have managed to find myself performing in many different festivals, recitals, and concerts. Being able to participate in these things have helped me feel comfortable being expressive. Candace is very enthusiastic, yet casual. She has created an environment in which I felt at ease to make mistakes without feeling any pressure to do well.”

– Gem-Mahrey Hormillosa

“Charming, positive and easy going,  Ate Candace is also a great teacher. She offers great advice, and makes singing more enjoyable. Not only does she help with singing, she trains your ears and range, so you can improve your singing abilities overall.”

– Christian Quintas

“Candace is the best singing teacher. I feel so lucky to have Candace teach me how to sing and develop my voice. Candace is so kind, understanding, helpful and she has the best voice I have ever heard. She is very patient and explains everything very well. I am so grateful to have Candace as my singing teacher and as someone I have looked up to for the past 6 years.”

– Ella Grant

“I have been learning from Ms. Santos for 11 months. Over the course of my time as a student, I have explored a variety of songs, which both suit my voice and challenge me to push myself. I have learned about a lot of technical aspects of singing, such as different vocal placements and ranges. Every week, Ms. Santos provides constructive feedback for me, which helps identify areas of improvement. This has helped me expand my vocal range, and overall improve as a singer. I really enjoy being a student here, and it’s great for any level of singer!”

– Aditi Mohan

“Candace has definitely helped my kids improve in their singing. They started taking lessons with her about 3 years ago, and their voices have changed. Candace is always positive during their lessons. She helps give them new techniques and tips on how to improve their singing skills. On stage, she has boosted their confidence and their emotions. She is definitely a great vocal teacher.”

– Dana Tomas

“Over the last 9 months of taking voice lessons with Candace, her teaching has helped me learn more about how to utilize vocal techniques for strengthening and developing my singing voice. The new vocal warmups she introduces each class target specific areas of singing (diction, breath control, head voice etc.), and have helped me improve in areas I initially found challenging. When learning new songs in class, she always provides constructive and specific feedback, which helps me identify parts I should focus on. This has allowed me to learn faster and perfect the pieces I work on. Above all, her encouraging approach to teaching and warm personality is what makes her vocal classes such a positive experience. With her guidance, I have been able to start developing a repertoire of pop and musical theatre pieces, as well as finding a new appreciation for singing!”

– Annie Thakur