Mr. Joseph Burke

Creative Arts Department Head & High School Music Teacher

Joseph Burke was born in Toronto, Canada and grew up in a musical household. He began his formal education at The Royal Conservatory of Music at the age of 4. He accepted his first teaching position at the age of 16 and has been refining his pedagogical methods for the past 20 years. During this time he noticed many pitfalls in formal guitar education and this inspired him to develop “The Chromatic Guitar Method” an instructional book that became the primary focus of his master’s thesis.

Mr. Burke is a multi-instrumentalist who has had the privilege of studying privately with an eclectic mix of world class musicians from across the globe. He credits Toronto for giving him this unique opportunity as it is a city that promotes multiculturalism, encourages diversity and supports the arts.

Mr. Burke is most grateful for the relationships that music has brought him. He has been able to form bonds with people from different walks of life all around the world through their shared love of music.

Joseph’s primary objective at TAS is to nurture his students as they develop a means of communication that allows them to express themselves artistically, as well as potentially grant them access to opportunities to have experiences and develop friendships that may not be available to them otherwise.

Mr. Joseph Burke holds these qualifications:

  • Master of Arts – York University (Toronto, Canada)
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts – York University (Toronto, Canada)
  • PGCE Teaching Certification (Nottingham, UK)