Who We Are
“Music and performance have long stood amongst the most powerful forces in my life. I believe that music provides an opportunity for people to connect authentically with themselves and others, and offers an immense and deeply creative and expressive outlet. I work alongside each student to discover their goals, and then create a customized and adaptable curriculum to provide the student with the skills, tools, and knowledge to achieve them.”
Renn Madeleine Bibeau (she/her/hers)
Rare Bird Music was founded by Renn Madeleine Bibeau, with the intention of providing superior music education, regardless of genre or level, using a variety of methodologies and approaches.
Offering over fourteen years of experience as a music educator, Renn has worked with a wide variety of students from toddlers to young-at-heart seniors and every age in between. Renn has a strong background in music theory, history, and languages. Her holistic approach with students aims to foster a curiosity about music, and she brings great care and intuition to help build a solid foundation of instrument and understanding. She offers an inclusive and safe environment for students to experiment, create, and learn while discovering their own unique sound and relationship to their instrument.
Renn was trained in piano from the age of four, under the tutelage of Jocelyn Savage (piano), and in voice from the age of fourteen with Elaine Case, and later with Dr. Reid Spencer (voice). Renn also explored percussion, clarinet, saxophone, ukulele, and guitar in junior and high school band and private lesson settings. She performed regularly across her home province of Alberta with a variety of bands, festivals, and theatre companies. Renn is well versed in classical music, musical theatre, and contemporary commercial music (CCM), and thrives on the diverse nature of her students’ interests.
Renn holds a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Vocal Performance. She received her Associate’s Degree from Mount Royal University before transferring to the University of Victoria, where she worked with a number of incredible educators, coaches, choirs and vocal jazz ensembles. An ardent lifelong learner, she has continued her professional development with many tremendous educators across the globe. Renn has completed Levels I, II, and III through the LoVetri Institute for Somatic Voicework™ (via Baldwin Wallace University), which explores an organized method of vocal training for contemporary commercial music (CCM) styles, based upon somatic (physical) awareness and aural discernment. She has trained in the Feldenkrais Method®, and has studied with Dr. Shannon Coates (The Vocal Instrument 101).
Renn is a member of the Somatic Voicework™ Teachers Association, NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing), and is a registered teacher with the Royal Conservatory of Music.
An active performing and recording musician and composer, Renn has contributed to artistic endeavours worldwide. Renn’s folk-rock project Fox Glove has released three albums and performs in festivals and concerts nation-wide. She performs regularly as a soloist and collaborates extensively with other artists. She can be heard on recordings with outfits such as Astrocolor, Carmanah, and Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea.
