As the amplifiers click, buzz and hiss their final breaths, eager students begin packing up microphones and coiling cables. Wade Pinhorn stands still, struck by the emotional weight of the curtains closing on his very last Sonic Potluck — and the final chapter in his nearly 30-year career as coordinating instructor of CNA’s Applied Music program.
“The students all gathered on the stage at the end of the show,” he says, emotion in his voice. “Every one of them said something and asked me to come up on stage.”
“They broke me,” he recalls. “It was emotional — still is, just talking about it now.”
“It was emotional — still is, just talking about it now.”
Sonic Potluck was the original name for the semester-ending musical showcases when CNA’s Applied Music program was first established in Stephenville in the 1990s.
The tagline was “bring your own sound,” a fitting description for a showcase featuring a diverse range of genres, instruments and approaches to the craft. While the moniker was dropped over time, Pinhorn’s students revived it for their final showcase with him as instructor.
“It was the last one ever; the gym was empty, and everybody was gone,” says Pinhorn. “I just paused at the door and looked back at the gym and thought, ‘1998 was the first time I did this thing. I’m never gonna do it again.’ So I stopped and let myself be emotional. I let myself feel it so that I could say to myself, ‘Job well done.’”
Early life and career beginnings
“I’ve never been the one out front. I was always the piano player in the darkness making the star shine.”
Pinhorn started playing piano at age three. He recalls sitting at his grandmother’s piano and plinking away at songs like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star as his family watched with admiration.
His parents often tell him a story from when he was four years old. One Saturday morning, The Magic Flute — a three-hour opera by Mozart — was on TV. He sat six feet from the screen on the floor, transfixed for the entire performance. His parents had to keep peeking in to check on him.
“As you can see, music has always been a big part of my life, right from the beginning,” he laughs.
Music remained a passion and hobby until he was accepted to study at Mount Allison University. He turned 17 that April and left for New Brunswick the following month. That’s when it became serious.
“I had to start practicing three hours a day,” he says.
“I had to start practicing three hours a day.”
Along the way, he picked up the bass guitar and, after university, began teaching private lessons and playing in bands back in St. John’s.
One night, legendary blues musician Dennis Parker called him unexpectedly.
“I hear you play bass, mate,” Pinhorn says, imitating Parker in a British accent. “I need a bass player in my band.”
He says he never said yes faster. He showed up at the gig and found himself in the presence of Newfoundland music legends Roger Howse, Sandy Morris, Boomer Stamp and Steve Anon.
“That’s really where my live performance career started,” he says. “The rest just went by the wayside.”
For the next few years, he split his time between teaching lessons during the day and playing gigs at night.
He joined an increasing number of local bands. One was Roger Howse and Ruff Ideas, who in 1992 — with Pinhorn in the band — won a Juno Award for their contribution to the blues compilation album Saturday Night Blues: The Great Canadian Blues Project, Vol. 1.
Just two years later, they won the inaugural East Coast Music Award for Blues Recording of the Year for their album Roger Howse and Ruff Ideas: Live at Bridgett’s.
In the mid-1990s, he formed the Plankerdown Band with Don Walsh, Kelly Russell, George Morgan and Frank Maher. The group recorded a rock and traditional fusion album and toured Ireland.
They were also featured in Dirty Linen magazine, considered a notable achievement in the folk music world.
Given the success of the Ireland tour and the recent Juno win, one might expect him to be on top of the world.
While proud of his accomplishments, Pinhorn says he was struggling.
“I was at a point where I was starting to become a little bit jaded,” he says. “Here I was busting my butt, doing everything I could with a Juno in my hands, and I was still only pulling in $21,000 a year.”
“I was really kind of demoralized.”
“I was really kind of demoralized.”
Then an unexpected opportunity came knocking.
Stephenville Theatre Festival director Edmund MacLean, whom Pinhorn had met before, called in desperate need of help. His musical director had quit and he needed a replacement immediately.
Honoured by the offer, Pinhorn packed his bags and headed west to become the musical director for the Stephenville Theatre Festival.
He says it was an incredible experience.
“That was truly the first time I was put in a position where I had to lead,” he says. “At the same time, I had to be able to demonstrate that I had the musical chops to be worth following.”
He went on to direct the festival for three consecutive seasons.
Pinhorn was living in CNA’s student residence during the festival when one day, building security told him he had a call on the payphone. It was his girlfriend at the time, Tanya Alexander.
“She said, ‘I just read your job in the paper,’” he recalls. “‘They are looking for an instructor to start a new music program at the college. You are going to get that job because you have what they’re looking for.’”
Alexander wrote his CV, packed his dress clothes, drove across the island from St. John’s to Stephenville, and coached him on his interview.
A few weeks later, the same payphone delivered the good news — he got the job. Alexander was in Stephenville with him, and he says they walked back from the security office, sat down in his room, held each other and cried.
Pinhorn became the first instructor in the college’s new music program.
“It was a lifesaver for us,” he says. “When I met her, I had next to nothing. I was living in a basement apartment.”
“It was a lifesaver for us.”
“She jokes that there was only ever a lime and a bottle of ketchup in my fridge,” he laughs.
It was the summer of 1998. Pinhorn and Alexander packed up everything they had and moved to Stephenville.
He continued performing and recording throughout, contributing to more than 40 albums. He played with artists such as Ron Hynes, Figgy Duff, the Jeff Dyer Band, the Scott Goudie Band, the Du-Cats and Billy and the Bruisers — and in a trio with his wife, Tanya.
His work spanned rock, folk, jazz, Celtic fusion, blues and reggae, reflecting his versatility as a pianist and bassist.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play almost every style of music at a high level,” he says.
Building the program at CNA
“I always said, you find your own definition of success, even if it means leaving my program.”
The early years were intense. Pinhorn taught during the school year and directed the Stephenville Theatre Festival in the summer. At times, classes had not yet finished when rehearsals began.
“I hardly had any downtime for two years straight,” he says. “During the overlap, I was working 18-hour days. It was a lot.”
Despite the pressure, he successfully launched the program and managed the festival simultaneously.
In fact, he did so well he was named Instructor of the Year at CNA’s Bay St. George campus in his first year.
After his third festival season, he stepped away from that role to focus more fully on teaching.
Over the next 27 years, Pinhorn built the program from the ground up, adapting to changes in technology and the evolving music industry.
When it launched, the program used analogue tape and mixing boards. Today, each student workstation is equipped with a digital audio interface, workstation software, notation tools and high-end headphones — essentially a complete personal studio.
The program also shifted focus over time, moving from a heavier concentration on performance and theory to courses in music business, marketing, accounting, streaming, intellectual property rights and digital distribution.
Pinhorn says he always encouraged students to define success on their own terms — even if that meant leaving the program.
“My job was to guide, not gatekeep,” he says.
“My job was to guide, not gatekeep.”
His classroom was known for being both structured and flexible. He had high expectations, but he gave students space to explore. He encouraged discussion, welcomed debate and fostered a collaborative environment.
His teaching was recognized early on. In 2002, he received the Music Educator of the Year award from the Music Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (now MusicNL).
Over the years, Pinhorn helped shape the careers of dozens of artists.
Among his mentees is Juno-nominated singer-songwriter and Canada’s Got Talent finalist Kellie Loder. The Derina Harvey Band, co-founded by alumni Derina Harvey and Steve Pinsent, is known for its Celtic rock sound and extensive North American touring. Karla Pilgrim, a three-time MusicNL winner and two-time ECMA nominee, has gained acclaim for her soulful country vocals.
Daniel Adams is a sought-after songwriter and producer. Michelle Robertson, a fellow Applied Music instructor, is also an artist manager. Dan George, a multiple MusicNL Side Musician of the Year winner, plays drums for Nick Earle & the Reckless Hearts. And fiddler/vocalist Madeline Carter now performs full time with the Irish Descendants.
In 2015, change came.
Pinhorn had heard rumours that some programs might be closed or relocated. On a Friday, he and Scott Hammond from CNA’s Sound Recording and Production program received a surprise email: the president wanted to meet Monday.
That Monday, they learned both programs would move to the Prince Philip Drive campus in St. John’s — Applied Music immediately, and Sound Recording the following year.
“I was doing my master’s at the time. On top of that, we had to pack the program, the equipment, sell our house and find a new one in St. John’s. All of it happened in two months. It was wild,” he says.
Space was tight at first. Pinhorn improvised: sharing classrooms, retrofitting spaces and even creating a performance zone in the gym.
“It was a bit of a shock at first,” he says. “But we got through it.”
“It was a bit of a shock at first, But we got through it.”
The Applied Music program has now spent nine successful years at Prince Philip Drive.
Contributions beyond the classroom
“Being a bass and keyboard player, I guess my philosophy has always been about support. Support the industry, support the college, support students in the classroom, and support other musicians as a performer.”
In addition to teaching, Pinhorn dedicated much of his time to building the music industry and supporting the college community.
Soon after becoming an instructor, he applied for a position on CNA’s Academic Council, representing applied arts programs. He served in that role for two years.
“As instructors, we always hear complaints about assignments, courses or the program in general,” he says. “It’s easy to complain. But serving on Academic Council showed me how much rigour curriculum has to go through before it gets approved. It gave me a new appreciation for how thoroughly planned our programs are.”
At the same time, Pinhorn began contributing to external organizations.
He became vice-president of MusicNL and soon joined the board of the East Coast Music Association (ECMA). Initially reluctant, he says he was encouraged by respected colleagues to put his name forward.
It proved to be a pivotal decision. He served on the ECMA board for seven years, three of them as chair.
He also served on CNA’s Board of Governors as a faculty representative. Due to a legal technicality that delayed finding his replacement, his three-year term stretched to 12 years.
Later, he became a juror for the Canadian Folk Music Awards (CFMAs), eventually joining the board of directors and serving as event chair for the 2024 CFMAs in St. John’s.
Pinhorn says he worked closely with local music planning expert Tony Murray to organize the large-scale national event.
“That was a big piece of work. It took a year to plan. I think that was the last big feather in my cap,” he says.
“I think that was the last big feather in my cap.”
Whether in meetings or on stage, his goal remained the same: to support and strengthen the communities he served.
The ECMA award and meaning in retirement
“Being recognized for building the scene — not just building a career — that’s the part that matters.”
In May 2025, Pinhorn received what many consider the capstone of his career: the Honourary Industry Builder Award from the East Coast Music Association.
The award recognizes individuals, groups or organizations that have made significant contributions to the East Coast music industry, not for personal gain, but for the development of the industry as a whole. It is selected by the ECMA board of directors.
When presenting the award, ECMA highlighted the breadth of Pinhorn’s contributions: a Juno Award, more than 40 album credits, decades of live performance, and his work as a musician, producer, and educator. They also acknowledged his 30-year teaching career, his leadership roles with MusicNL, ECMA and FACTOR, and his continued advocacy for artists and students alike.
According to ECMA, “His influence as an artist, educator and industry advocate continues to shape the future of Canadian music.”
Pinhorn says he never kept track of everything he was doing. He simply focused on the task in front of him: teaching, performing, composing, or serving on boards.
“You finish one thing and move on to the next. But when someone else lays it all out — all the pieces together — you realize, yeah, I guess that does add up. It has had an impact,” he says.
The award, he adds, gave him confidence that it was the right time to retire.
“If I had any doubt about whether it was time, this award erased it. Here’s your sign,” he laughs.
“If I had any doubt about whether it was time, this award erased it. Here’s your sign.”
Personal reflections on teaching and retirement
“Everything is going to be the last time you do it. Approach it with both a sigh of relief and a full heart.”
While his official retirement does not begin until after intersession classes wrap up this summer, Pinhorn has already started saying goodbye to students, faculty and staff at Prince Philip Drive.
He says he will miss the people most — the coworkers and colleagues he sees daily, many of whom he now knows on a first-name basis.
“I have a deep respect for the people who keep this place running,” he says. “I will truly miss them.”
Despite the emotions, he says he feels confident that the timing is right. Looking back, he feels he has given his career everything he had.
“I have a tattoo on my arm — a full-colour piano keyboard and a Chinese symbol for teacher. I got that at 40, two years after I started this job. And I’ve always said some people teach as a job and some teach as a vocation. It’s a calling — and it’s been a calling for me.”
In retirement, Pinhorn is looking forward to all the things he never had time for. He plans to spend more time with his wife, Tanya, write and record a solo album, work in his garden, tackle a few home repairs and play more video games.
“I’m young for my age, man. I’ve got a PlayStation 5 to play and a record to make,” he laughs.
“I feel healthy, energized and grounded. I don’t see this as the top of the hill — I see it as the start of the best part of my life,” he says. “Everything ahead of me is still worth living and embracing.”
“Everything ahead of me is still worth living and embracing.”
-30-
