Melanie Doane

Melanie Doane

Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Educator

Doane Music Uschool

About Melanie Doane

Melanie Doane is a JUNO Award-winning recording artist who, for the past 15 years, has brought a powerful educational dimension to her musical career. Inspired by her father, renowned music educator and Order of Canada recipient J. Chalmers Doane, Melanie founded the Doane Music School to carry forward his legacy of accessible, high-quality music education.

Chalmers Doane revolutionized music instruction during his tenure as Supervisor of Music for Halifax City Schools, introducing a system that provided free band, strings, choral, percussion, orchestral, jazz, piano, and continuing education programs to students across the city. One of his most influential innovations was the classroom use of the ukulele, which became the foundation of his groundbreaking “Doane Method.” His method books and hundreds of teacher workshops launched a national movement, giving more than 10,000 Canadian children their first experience with music.

Today, the Doane Music School is a registered charity serving over 1,400 students weekly across the Greater Toronto Area. Committed to equity and accessibility, the program continues to use the ukulele as a powerful tool for musical entry and engagement.

When she’s not teaching, Melanie co-hosts the CBC children’s music show Ukulele U, which she co-created with legendary music producer Bob Ezrin (The Wall, Alice Cooper).

Melanie is honoured to participate in the Promise of Music Symposium and looks forward to connecting with fellow educators and artists dedicated to ensuring that every child has access to exceptional music programming.

Events with Melanie Doane