Meet the Candidates:

President Candidate:

Kris MacFarlane (pictured top left). I am now closing in on a decade on the board with Local 571, including having served as your Vice President for the last 3 years. With David Owen’s decision to step away after a very productive term as President, I am offering my candidacy to take over that role. David and the board have done an incredible amount of work behind the scenes in order to put our Local in a position to focus on new initiatives, modernization and growth. I would like to make sure we continue to take our board’s vision forward…one of transparency, trust and member engagement. I thank you for the chance to help to keep our Local moving in positive new directions. 

Kris is a drummer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer with over three decades of experience in studios and on stages around the world. He has worked with a range of artists and producers, including Alan Doyle, Great Big Sea, Jimmy Rankin, Spirit of the West, Bob Rock, Hawksley Workman, Garth Hudson, Denny Doherty, Dave Gunning, The Paperboys, George Canyon, The Ennis Sisters and many more. The recording studio is where Kris feels most at home. He has always taken pride in finding great sounds and playing the right part for the song. For Kris, there is no better feeling than helping to make a song even better than an artist or songwriter thought it could be. When not recording or touring, Kris teaches afterschool music and summer music camp at The Pictou Landing First Nation School. 

Vice-President Candidate: 

Brad Reid (pictured top center). I’ve been involved with Local 571 on the board for about 10 years now. I joined in order to learn as much as I could about the professional music environment I was trying to be a part of. Recently, we’ve been working to expand our reach even more to the average working musician, and be more relevant to anyone who earns money playing music. This includes our new website, education activities, and more. I’d like to take a step up to the Vice President role to do my part in ensuring positive change continues, and keep trying to reach out to musicians in all areas within our jurisdiction of Nova Scotia and PEI. 

Brad Reid is a multi-instrumentalist from Halifax. He’s been immersed in the Cape Breton fiddle tradition his entire life, learning from his grandfather, and studied music at St. Francis Xavier University for jazz saxophone. He’s worked on cruise ships, many broadway-style shows at Neptune Theatre playing woodwinds and more, has toured with Cirque du Soleil, and has released two recordings under his own name – The Bridge (2023) and NEW Scotland (2020) – both receiving multiple award nominations. 

Executive Board Member Candidates:

Brendan Cass (pictured top right). I relocated to Halifax with my family in 2023 and have been a regular trumpet sub with Symphony Nova Scotia. I’m running for an Executive Board position to support all musicians in the Local with a particular interest in collective bargaining. With some experience at the negotiating table, I’d love to work towards an agreement with the Charlottetown Festival similar to 571’s recent agreement with Neptune Theatre. Thanks for your consideration.

Brendan has been a Local 571 & Charlottetown Festival Orchestra member since 2007. He is a former member of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra (Local 149) and the Erie Philharmonic (Local 17), where he served as a member of the orchestra and negotiating committees.

Cassie Mann (pictured center left). I am looking to join Local 571 as a Board Member to provide my perspective as a working musician in the pop/rock/indie scene. I hope to help make sure the union continues to reflect the realities of the industry today and better understand how the union supports us. My career has given me experience in many different areas of the music industry, from performing/ touring, recording/production, and marketing. I’d like to bring a broader perspective to the board and work to engage musicians who may not traditionally see themselves as part of the union. I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to the work Local 571 is already doing while helping find new ways to support and connect with our membership.

Cassie Mann is a Halifax-based multi-instrumentalist and producer. She holds a BMus in Jazz Studies from St. Francis Xavier University and an MMus in Music Technology & Digital Media from the University of Toronto. Primarily a bassist and musical director, she has worked with artists throughout Atlantic Canada and beyond. Known for her versatility and high-energy live performances, music has granted her many opportunities to play around the world. With four consecutive Music Nova Scotia Musician of the Year nominations, Cassie has built a reputation as one of the region’s most in-demand collaborators—whether holding down the low end, directing a band, or shaping the production behind the scenes.

Owen Lee (pictured center right). As a full time artist/musician, I’m deeply invested in matters pertaining to the Canadian music industry. As an AFM 571 board member, I look forward to giving ear, and lending a voice to matters that affect east coast musicians at large.

Owen ‘O’Sound’ Lee is an artist, musician, songwriter, vocal arranger, and producer from Toronto, Ontario. In 2014, Owen extended his musical reach to the east coast of Canada when he relocated to Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is currently the Minister of Music at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Upper Hammonds Plains, the former Program Coordinator of the African Nova Scotian Music Association (2018-2023), the former Musical Director of the Nova Scotia Mass Choir (2014-2019), was the Musical Director of CBC’s East Coast Music Hour ‘The Story and the Song’ Series, and is the touring keyboardist for JUNO award winning Hip Hop artist Classified. Owen is also a recipient of the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for exceptional service in Arts, Community Service and Volunteerism in Nova Scotia, presented to him by former Lieutenant Governor Arthur J. LeBlanc. 

Norman Ludwin (pictured bottom left). I’m passionate about helping members secure the rights they deserve and am a strong advocate for providing free educational classes to members. I’ve delivered presentations to Locals 6, 9, 10, 47, 76, 149, 161, 325, 571, and 802.

Norman Ludwin, a native of Los Angeles, relocated with his family to Halifax three years ago. Since then, he has performed with the Symphony Nova Scotia and the Nova Sinfonia and has given master classes at Dalhousie University and the Screen Composers Guild of Canada. He currently serves as an acting Executive Board Member of Local 571, following five years on the Executive Board of Local 47 in Los Angeles. 

Ryan Vis (pictured bottom center). I am running for the board to support and advocate for our local musicians, foster strong ties across our artistic community, and ensure AFM Local 571 continues to build sustainable, accessible opportunities for working performers and educators.

Ryan Vis is a violist with Symphony Nova Scotia. He holds a Master of Music from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Music from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. As an active orchestral player, chamber musician, and educator, Ryan brings a broad perspective on the professional, administrative, and instructional facets of our local music community.

Charna Matsushige (pictured bottom right). As the union steward for Symphony Nova Scotia, I already work closely with the union and have gained a strong appreciation for the important role it plays in supporting and advocating for musicians. I am running for the board because I would like to expand my knowledge of the union’s work, contribute my experience and perspective, and play a more active role in supporting our members and strengthening our collective voice.

Charna Matsushige is a violinist from Newmarket, Ontario. She began studying the violin with Sonia Klimasko at age six and by her late teens continued her studies with David Zafer in Toronto. She received her Bachelor of Music in Performance at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music under the tutelage of Mark Fewer. In 2014, she received her Master of Music from the University of Toronto, studying with Yehonatan Berick. Charna has performed with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Toronto Concert Orchestra, the National Academy Orchestra, the Niagara Symphony and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. She began performing with Symphony Nova Scotia in 2018 and joined the second violin section during the 2021/22 season. In addition to her position with the symphony, she has developed a passion for new music and performs with the Halifax based, artist-led ensemble, Alkali Collective.